New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-17
GHOSTS IN ST. LOUIS.

GHOSTS IN ST. LOUIS.
The City of st. Louis (whether it may or
may not become the capital OF the Oniteu
States) is, beyond question, easily ilrst oil al
our villages, either Down-Eastern or harvest
ern. in all matters ghostly. thaumaturglcal,
spectral. magical, or miscellaneOusly miracu-
Ions, Only q little while ago we recorded the
presence in st. Louis of the great DR.. Manches-
ter. who is renowned for undertaking to raise
the dead, and still more renowned for not do
ing it. But this angelic Doctor is now forgot
ten in the very scene of his illustriOus fail
ures
A few days since young woman, Miss Jen-
ME DebOnarc, called upon police captain.
Miss Jennie was not, in spite of her name Ito
quote line from Milton), $50 buxom. blithe,
a" and debonair," for she has seen things calcu-
lated to curdle her blood, and make her flow
ing ringlets somewhat perpendicular and por-
cupiny. Only for five days had she been do
miciled at a house in MOrgan-st Every night
a man appears to her and says that his name
is not Giles Scroggins but Joseph Scott. Let
not the reader interpret this appearance to the
disadvantage of Miss Jenne's virginia. purity,
for the man is spectral and can do no harm.
Even if he were veritabe flesh and bone, his
tout ensemble is not of kind to kindle the
fires of passion; for, though he has " lar
"complexion and brown, curly hair, advantages
sufficient to catch woman'S eye, he has also
ga deep cash in his throat, cut on his head'
"and he is all covered with blood" No gallant,
thriving wooer ever came in this plight; and
moreover, his name is Joseph-not Joseph the
son of Jacob, nor yet Joseph Andrews, Dut MI
Joseph Scott. This phantom told the trembling
Miss Debonair that (while in the tiesh) be was
slaughtered by one Philip Amburg, who stole
his money and buried it with the body IN
the cellar of that very house. This he
proceeded to prove to q demonstration;
for he led the trembling maiden 10
the cellar and showed her upon which size
he was buried and upon which side the specie
was deposited. After this he became niue
nmorous, demanded kiss, which showed that'
though his throat was slit. he had yet all MS
wits about him; and then he exhaled. Inc
next night he came to Jcnnie's bedside ana
patheticay implored her to speak to an under
taker and have his bones removed from their
present ignomiuious resting place to some reg
ular cemetery, adding that she was at liberty
also to disinter the money, pay the bills out OIL
it. and keep the balance for her own personal
use. He also offered to confer upon her the
power of curing diseases, making her Dr. Jen-
ME Debonar without the trouble of studying
for a diploma. And then he exhaled again,
whether with or without kiss We are not IN
formed.
These were, indeed, astounding statements.
The Captain of the Police was puzzled but
made memorandum on the station-book. A
regiment of "Spiritnalistts" went into perma
nent session in the haunted house. ready to
cross examine Joseph Scott; and two reporters
called for ian interview" They learned very
little and, of course, made very long and affect
ing reports in their respective newspapers.
But what is most remarkable is, that though
"the Spiritualistsn have assiduOusy dug i'll the
cellar enlargng it to twice its original capacity.
they do MT find any bones. This would be of
very little consequence by itself but, mourn
full to relate, they do MT find Mr. Joseph SCOTS
money either. AT least, if they do they keep
it dead secret and refuse to take the public
into their confidence Still we must confess
that it is very remarkable case. Should any
ribald scott at the tale, the proper way to put
him down is to quote at him the stock argu-
ment of "the Spiritualists:" "There are more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are
"dreamt of in your philosophy" And why
should there not be more things" in a st.
Louis celarq Why not, we repeat, why not
Alas even while we are writing of it, the
mystery of the haunted house of ST. Louis is
exploded. The girl Jennie is no better than
she should be. She and others had squatted
in this house, and having determined to keep
others out of it, they devised various apparatus
for ghostly knocking and sundry lies about the
ghost with the slit throat. Miss Jennie is
locked up; the poor ghost is no longer per-
turbed; and the City of st. Louis no longer
trembles. How many of these beautifully har-
rowing stories are to have this limping and
potentless endingf