The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-27
From the st. Louis Democrat
AEIAUNTED HOUSE.
Startling ReveIntions-Thc Scene OF n
Murder nactcd Every Night.

between Eleventh and = f&shffhe, %hffbe" sstasds
an old brick building of peculiar con-
struction. There are courts and corrid-
ors, winding stairs, obscure attics, halls,
quaint little chambers and hooks and
corners innumerable. The building has
the appearance of a castle, with high
wall around it, Il sliding door i'll front,
with loop hole or lookout, secured by
iron bars. The building forms a square
with the west side open, and a yard or
court in the centre. 1t is a two-story
house, and there are but one or two
other buildings on the block. Front
ing the house on the north is q long
strip of ground, boarded up and used rs
lumber yards. At night the place has n
gloomy appearance; few persons will
venture to pass in front of the old house
mt late hour of the night, without a
policeman for a guide or a loaded revolv-
er for protector.
In former years this house was occu-
pied by beautiful and well known
courtezan named Mary Henry, who
flourished there for n dozen years or
more, and was regarded as one of the
most fashionable and fascinating of her
class. About the close of the rebellion
the house became unOccupied. Mrs.
Henry had retired to live in splendOr in
the East on the fruits of her cOntraband
profession.
For some time the building has been
occupied by colored families, who take
in washing, work out, keep boarders,
and make living as best they can.
Among the occupants of the house was
an old lady named Mrs. Phillips, who
lived in room on the first tlosr of the
south wing. This Mrs. Phillips was at
first greatly annoyed by the strange
noises heard by her every night, and al
though constant repetition of the dis
turbance had the effect of quieting her
fears, vet she was never perfectly at
other locality.
This old cOlored woman says the house
had the reputation of being haunted
before she moved into it. Yet having
clear conscience, she went to confession,
received absolution for the past, present
and the future, and boldly venrured in
amongst the ghosts. While sitting in
her room at night she would hear foot
steps softly approaching, the door would
be thrown open, but no object could be
seen, whether spirit OF mortal. All the
doors Of the house have bolts on the
inside, and Mrs. Phillips would bolt her
door securely, yet it would fly open at
the approach of footsteps, and some
times close of its own accord. She
could hear footsteps ascending the stairs
at all hours of the night; catch the rus
tie of silk dresses, but never heard the
sound of a human voice. The door
opening on the stairs would also unclose
without any visible human agency, and
the old lady was often deceived by the
sound of persons coming down stairs,
but could never see them.
These little annOyances were borne
wi h Christian fortitude, and soon be-
came SO common that they were not re-
acted every night, which caused the
old lady's blood to run cold. This was
the acoustic representation of murder.
About twelve o'clock at night scutfie
would be heard-a dull blow would
sound in the corridor-a body would
fall heavily upon the tloor-there would
be hurried tramping of feet, and in
few minutes she would hear a noise like
the dragging of q dead body through
the hall. out at the front door, across
the street, and among the rubbish of a
vacant lot just opposite. Mrs. Phillips
religiously believes that horrible muir
der has been committed in the house,
and if we remember rightly, the bloody
corpse of 4 stranger was found In the
stone yard which formerly occupied the
vacant lot. The nightly repetition of
this murder annoyed the old lady, and
she determined TO move away.
Mrs. Phillips relates many other mys-
terious occurrences connected with the
old house, but We have not space to go
into details. Will not some of our
spiritual friends make an examination
Of the premises and see what truth
there is in the statements o. the old col
ored womanf
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