Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-19
0klo Stat&srlrarr,
A vigil I'm n Haunted House.
Strange and Fearful Noises
Henrd-rhe PhenOmenn Traced

TO Natural Causes. ...,.
The house No. 11S st. Charles street, ST..
Louis, was formerly tenanted by vicious
characters, and has lately been occupied by
poor families, some OF them colored, who
have been disturbed, by strange noises, such
as footsteps at dead of night, the rustling
of silk and sounds like those of deadly
struggle. Mrs. Phillips, colored woman,
asserted that every night she heard in her
room the progress of frightful fight, the
actors of which could not be seen. These
reports having been published, CORES
pondent of the 50. Louis Democrat deter
mined to test the matter for himself. He
therefore seated himself in Mrs. Phillips
room at eleven o'clock the other night, hav-
ing previously had the windows nailed
down and seen that the bolts were in order.
The following is his account Of what en-
sued:
| At five minutes past IL noise was heard.
1t sounded like person walking across
the floor with shoes on-a heavy football, it
seemed, proceeding at q moderate pace.
Thinks l, "They are coming"
| The sounds of the footsteps died away,
and then there was loud noise, as of a hui
man body falling upon the floor. This
was followed by shuflling sound, as of a
creature writhing In torture, and giving ut
terance to low, half-suppressed grunt.
Then faint, agonizing gr0an, apparently
of female. Then the footsteps were re-
sllmed. thought they were coming down
stairs. A rustling noise was heard, SEEM
| ing to come from the adjoining room.
raised the revolver at full cock-looked at
the door leading into the adjoining room,
which connected with the staircase, and
stood ready for an emergency. had been
informed that the staircase door had been
opened by supernatural agency, and l was
anxious to see if it would now fly open
when bolted on the inside. The footsteps
came to the door, and apparently strong
| hand rudely seized the knob and shook it
violently, rattling the door with rapid
motion. l saw the door move slightly, but
the noise was very violent. l was satisfied
that some one, human or spirit, was at the
door, and expected every moment to see
the apparition enter. My blood ran cold |
felt my hair standing on end, my knees
knocked together, and could feel a deadly
paleness overspread my face. l had volun-
tarily placed myself in this predicament,
and now would have given worlds to be
out of it. The rattling of the door went
on, but no one appeared, and slowly re-
covered from my trepidatiOn. Said | to
myself, Why am l such coward? will
face this thing, be it good or evil, though it
blast me. This mental bravado aroused my
courage, and / determined to speak to the
mysterious and as yet invisible visitor. l
said to it: In the name of God and all that
is good, if this be a spirit, want you to
manifest yourself to me now. l am not
come to injure you, but will do you all the
good | can, God being my helperl VIII you
manifest yourself by rapping ON this stand,
or in any other way that may be agreeable
to you?
When began to speak the noise at the
door ceased. Waiting for several minutes,
and receiving no response to my invocation,
l laid my revolver on the table, sat down,
and commenced the perusal of sensation
al editorial in the Ne,c York Herald.
While reading the Herald l saw dark
object on the floor at the left of the chair,
but on taking direct look it was not to
be seen., .. ...s..e.. -......,.... ...T
| AT this moment a terrific noise was heard
in the further corner of the room leading
into the court yard. 1t was like the blow
of heavy billet of wood upon the floor
beneath. This noise very much astonished
me by its extreme loudness, as could not
conceive how it could be made. looked
but could see nothing. There was q door
close to the corner from whence this un-
earthly noise proceeded, but it was secure
ly bolted
This knocking ceased, and upon the instant
different sound was heard to my left--a
rustling noise, as of silk skirts moving
about. Over the spot whence this noise
seemed to come, is window near the cell
ing, opening in the center and extending
down about three feet from the ceiling.
The window was closed. ...-
This rustling soon ceased, and after q
brief interval the noise overhead in the
room above began aSain-frst like person
-oli Nba,, Of
nature. These noises were repeated all
around during the whole time Twas in the
room.
Determined to find out all could, l
watched closely every nook and corner in
sight, when 10 and behold within five or
six feet of where / sat, through an
aperture in the floor, a large rat stuck up
his head, and gaZed at me with eyes of a
dull luster. This monster came out of his
hole, and, rearing upon his hind legs, glared
at me, as much as to say that was an in
truder upon his premises. While debating
with myself upon the propriety of putting
bullet through his hide, he disappeared
The appearance of the gentleman from
Norway cleared up the mystery of many
of the strange noises l had heard. burst
into laugh, and congratulated myself
upon my acuteness in making the discov-
cry. I.iH ei ,IHsI lr
1t now flashed upon me that the rustling
sounds and heavy blows, apparently upon
the floor, proceeded from the horses in an
adjoining stable. laughed again. The
silk skirts were simply wisps of hay which
the quadrupeds were eating and tossing
about, and the groans aud sighs were the
coughs and snorts of the same creatures.
One mystery remained unsolved-the
rattling of the door. On examining the
door, / found that the rats had gnawed a
semicircular hole at the bottom; over this
hole piece of tin had been nailed, and the
rattling Of the door was caused by the at
tempts of large rat to gain ingress into
the room, ...,s..-.t l......
Twas now completely convinced that the
stories told by Mrs. Phillips had their
origin in the noises described, and traced
by me to their real, substantial, flesh and
blood source. There is not the ghost of a
ghost in the house. The occupants of the
other rooms of the house are Mrs. Charles,
Mrs. Wilks, Mr.. and Mrs. Green, Mr.. and
Mrs. Scott-all reliable people-who say
they never heard or saw a ghost or goblin
about the house. Itappears, also, that the
old colored lady is addicted to spirits of
palpable nature. She has started similar
reports about other rooms occupied by her,
and is said to have spirited herself away
without paying her rent. 8, s..s II.
The bad Manners Of Congress.
| A few pious members Of the Senate and