The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-16

thorough the door. When we were IN pea
he would come and stand at che foot, ana
AJAX me IL I would not have his bones
hurled. Then, when would be going out
az the house, T would see hand just above
the cellar stairs reckoning me down there.
T was not afraid. ] went to the big build
;no on Market street, where saw the Ma
CONS sign. I told them there, ana tney
sent me to Third street, and man dlrecteo
me 70 the police Office, and told the story
10 the captain. can do no more. cant
20 down into the cellar and dig mysen.
Anybody who goes to the mouse can heaI
the noises, and anybody who does not want
to make fun Of the case can see the man
Joseph Scott. He told me 30. ...s p
Such is this young persons entire expe-
Renee. as rehearsed by herself. If o MIR.
P. Amberg lives in the Quaker City, we
have no doubt he will be either greatly
amused or greatly shocked at that bill Of
indictment drawn up by child. There
were several visitors yesterday to Miss De-
bonnairc, to make inquiries, and the curl
osity is on the increase. Will no chivai-
rous young gentleman volunteer to dig IN
the cellar until they find the money and
the bones?
THE BUBBLE EXPLODED-THE HORRIBLE
MYSTERY NOTHING But PETTY TRICK
ARREST OF THE GHosT-SEER:
The Missouri Democrat, of the 18th in
| slant, says - .-s..-. -.. ,s...~- -
Much has been said and commented upon
in reference to the numerous stories that
have been afoat during the past week IN
regard to the haunted house on the corner
of Sixteenth and Morgan streets. Now for
the moduS operandi by which the spirits
performed their nightly prodigies. Some
time ago, when the house was first vacated,
and the interior left in good order, gang
of loafers who adopt vacant houses as
their abode made this particular dwell
ing rendezvous. Their first achieve
ment was to steal all the fire-grates !;
then the lead pipe leading from
the sink to the kitchen out into the yard
was broken off and went the way CT all
stolen lead pipe-to junk shop. In one OF
the rooms a CRATE was left for the purpose
of keeping fire to cook the bacon on which
the spirits fed; and from the quantity of
rinds, bread-crust scraps, ETC., on the floor,
the ghosts must have been not of the lean
and hungry kind. The two buildings adj
joining are occupied as q medical institute,
some of the occupants of which, hearing
the heavy tramps of feet over the bare floor,
fed the flames Of wonder by reporting to in
quirers that they heard unnatural noises at
| midnight. This, of course, was spread and
manufactured into weeping and walllng ana
gnasbing of teeth, imagination helping. the
greedy believers to sundry other noises which
neither they nor any one else ever heard
Finally the parties who made the mouse
their nightly abode learned that a tenant
would soon occupy the premises. Not wish
ing to be ousted, they hit.upon a plan ogive
the coming tenant scare which would leave
them in full control. They obtained piece
of bell-wire, which they laid along the UNI
der surface of the kitchen floor. To one end
was attached large rubber elastic; the
other end came out even with the back cellar
window. which could easily be removed. On
this end of the wire loop was formed to
which could be attached stout cord
leading into the small private alley. The
rubber band was fastened over q wooden
elect nailed to the lower surface of the
floor, so that when it was allowed to spring
back it could do so without any danger Of
its becoming loosened. Fastened to this
elastic by piece of strong twinc was
small iron nut, and this it was that did the
rapping attributed to the spirits. When the
the spirits would make their appearance
about midnight, fasten their cord to
the wire, retreat to safe distance in
the rear, draw the wire, and let it spring
back with great force. The iron nut
would strike against the floor, making a
noise loud enough to have awakened the
seven sleepers. Two or three nights were
sufficient for the new tenant, and q hasty
exit was made. Of course the story went
with the disturbed occupant, and soon grew
to full-blown marvel. No one would rent
a house so disgraced by keeping its occu-
pants.awake, and thus the bacon eaters and
bread-crust grinders were left in full en-
joyment. After while, when the trouble
had about subsidized, the young lady in qHes-
ton took the matter up, called for the Keys
at the agents, left dollar for security,
placed her bed, stove, and chairs, in the
building, and in the course of q few hours,
with the assistance probably of shrcwdcr
head than her own, manufactured the SEN
sational story which has been going the
VI lnc pupCie, Cue
of people have been ready to believe. We
hope this will now end the so-called ghost
story.
The girl Jennie, it seems, has for some
time been watched by the police. We re-
greet to say that her reputation in police
circles is not as good as it ought to be.
Policemen say she is ' dcad-beat THAT
she is in the habit of going about, princi-
pally among colored people, and pretend
ing to be clairvoyant, or something of the
sort, holding communion with departed
spirits, and charging fees for so doing. Yes
terday she was arrested in the third dis
trict, and will be tried on q charge of false
pretences provided the witnesses appear.
She tells conflicting stories about herself,
sometimes saying that she is O teacher,
and sometimes that she paints for living
She has been living for several days with
her mother, in small house on Green street
near the corner Of Fourth, with family Of
colored people. 1t is believed that she
will hereafter be troubled by something
more substantial than ghosts.
THURLow WEED THE Coop SAMARITAN.
The death Of Matthew D. Green, recently
recorded in our columns, recalls to mind an
incident in his declining years which should