The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-14
THE ST. LOUIS GHOST.

The BnbbIe ExpIOded--The Horrible nIyrtcry
Nothing but "A Petty Trick-Arrost Of the Ghost
Seer.
The Missouri Democrat, of the 10Th inst..
says;--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 n,odus one
randi by which the spirits performed their
nightly prodlgies. Some time ago, wnen the
house was first vacated, and the interior
Left Ie6,or. in good Sdor order, gang OF
their abode made this particular dwelling a rem
devious Their first achievement 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 of all stolen
lead pipe to junk shop. In one of the rooms
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 adjoining are occupied as medl-
cal institute some OF tho occupants OF which
hearing the heavy tramps of feet over
the bare floor, fed the flames of wonder by re-
porting TO inquirers that they heard unnatural
noises at midnight. This, of course was spread,
and manufactured into weeping and wailing and
gnashing of teeth Imagination helping the
greedy believers to sundry other noises which
neither they nor any one else ever heard. FL
naly, the parties who made the house their
nightly abode learned that q tenant would soon
occupy Lnc PROMISES. NOL Wlsulug bO uG OuSJCu,
they biz upon plan to give the coming tenant
q scare which would leave them in full control
They obtained piece of bell-wire, which they
laid along the under 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 wooden elect
nailed to the lower surface of the floor, so that
when IL was allowed to spring back 1t could do
so without any danger of its becoming loosened.
Fastened to this elastic by piece of strong
twine was small iron nut, and this 1t was that
did the rapping attributed to the spirits. When
the party who rented the house took possession,
the spirits would make their appearance about
midnight, fasten their cord to the wire, retreat
to q safe distance in the rear draw the wire, and
let il spring back with great force. The iron
nut would strike against the floor, making q
noise loud enough to have awakened the seven
sleepers. Two or three nights were sufficient
for the new tenant, and hasty exit was made
OF course the story went with the disturbed oc.
cupant, and coon grew to ful-blown
marvel. No one would rent q house SO
disgraced by keeping It's occupants awake, and
thus the bacon eaters and bread crust grinders
were left in full enjoyment. After a while
when the trouble had about subsidized, the young
lady in question took the matter up; called fol
the keys at the agents; left dollar for security
placed her bed stove and chairs in the building:
ance probably of shrewder head than her own,
manufactured the sensational story which has
been going the rounds of the papers, and which
hundreds of people have been ready to believe.
We hope this will now end the so-called ghost
story.
The girl Jenpie, it seems, has for some time
been watched by the police. We regret to say
that her reputation in police circles is not as
good as 1t ought to be. Policemen say she is q
''dead beat"-that she is in the habit of going
about principally among colored people, and
pretending to be clairvoyant, or something OF
the sort-holding communion with departed
spirits, and charging fees for SO doing. Yester-
day she was arrested in the Third district, and
will be tried on q charge of false pretenses, pro-
vided the witnesses appear. She tells conflict
ing stories about herself-sometimes saying that
she is 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 a
family of colored people 1t is believed that
she will hereafter be troubled by something
more substantial than ghosts.