Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-02-10

tlmo L WOulu De AHle W TepOIt ZIG uAdl0 VI
the affair but alas, for human hopes, tho
mystery deepens, and has assumed more
serious and interesting phase
The good lady 'of the house who has borne
upunder the annoying visits of the ''ambigu-
GUS stranger with patient fertitude, has at
length broken down and been borne from
her once peaceful and happy home to the
abode of strangers, aspale and confirmed
invalid, and the good man himself is tor.
tured and tormented almost beyond endure
auce a.ysD
''THIs IS woNDRoUs STRANGE
This devil, or spirit, Or whatever it may
be, has added since my last, a long chap.
ter Of malevolent pranks to the history of
his career. Not day has passed that it
has not come, and with its subtle nature,
penetrated into the most sacred sanctuaries
Of the household, and there performed be-
meath the eyes of astonished and confound-
ed neighbors feats that need to be seen to
be believed I will endeavor to be brief,
and relate only what may seem to us to be
NEST interesting, il any one incident in this
most strange affair can claim more attention
than another, and will be careful not to
color or exaggerate anything, and speak on
ly of what aee bnoay to be true, and can have
attested by any desired number Of witnesses.
o. ''THE MOST UNKINDRsT CUT OF ALL.
About dusk last week bright red light
was seen to fash in all the windows of the
house, and from the cracks Of the weather.
boarding, and every chink through which
light could pass, and smoke was seen to
h.,
guard rushed into the house, surprising it
to be on fire, but all was still the fame
aickered on the hearth as usual, and the
family had not been disturbed. But sud-
denly the Watchdog was heard to howl pitc
ously as if in pain, and his master and
friends, on going to him Immediately, found
but mangled and bleeding trunk, welter-
ing in its gore.
! ALL NIGHT IN HAUNTED HoUsR.
"A minister and two other gentleman at
tending quarterly meeting at Buchanan,
on invitation became Tor a night the guests
Of the the haunted tenement Determined
to see for themselves, they locked, by per-
mission, all the doors Of the house, and at
! the usual hour retired, the minister locking
his chamber door. He had lain bat as hort
time when. 10. the door opened, and in
walked form with most singular turban
on its head. gazed on the reverend and stupe-
fed gentleman momeat, approached his
bedside, twitohed the covering lightly,
then walked as eompesedly away as it had
come, down long fight of stairs, and then
remounted them again to the landing place,
when the gentleman called his host, and
they both rushed to the place, when they
saw the hall door opened and shut violently
six times by an Invisible arm Then all
was still again, and the two men retired to
their meditations, and dreamed undisturbed
of ghosts until the sua was upon the noun
tains. t.z-F-t ns
THE DoUBTING MADE PRosELYTEs.
Four gentlemen from distance came to
town three days since, firm disbelisvers in
wandering ghosts and gibbering spirits, san
guine Of distinguishing themselves by I'M
raveling all mystery and putting quietus
Ga the fame of the wonderful vistant., The
gentleman of the house let them have their
way, and retired with all his family to his
chamber, whose door they locked, as we'll
as every door in the building. putting tie
keys in their pockets. after searching the
rooms with serutinizng eyes, They watch
ed not long till noise drew them to ths
parlor, whose furniture, books and orna-
ments were scattered in confusion every
where, although FIVE minutes before all was
in the neatast order and thus were they
drawn from room to room, all Of which pre-
sentcd the same scene of chaos, their ears at
the same time being assailed by strange
sounds of falling doors and cracking hinges,
till wearied with excitement, they 'sgave up
the ghost" and gathering round the embers
scattered on the hearth, awaited until dawn,
when mounting their horses, they departed
for their homes, fully satisfied with their ex-
perience of haunted houses, and Nc ueh shaken
in their unbelief
THE GHOST GROW BoLDER,
and for the last three days has come at early
morn, and, all unseen. has labored till the
| dusky evening came, performing before the
astonlshed eyes of gaping visitors the same
curious tricks that it formerly enacted under
the cover of darkness. Chips and billets of
wood, from invisible hands, fall in all parts
of the house, appal emily from the ceiling,
Or roll down the stair cases. The doors
are unlocked and swing open, bones and
brickbats are piled about upon the floor, the
clothing torn in an instant from the beds, and
everything in the house displaced and
strewn in sad confusion around
ADVENTURE OF THREE YOUNG LADIES.
To-day three young ladies went to the
house and requested Mr.. T. to send away
all Of his children and servants, which he
did at once, and left the house entirely alone
to his three fair visitors, ?who, having search
ed every where that a lldy's eyes could
reach, proceeded to lock every door, and
take from each one its key. They had
hardly done this, and seen that every thing
was in its usual place, when they were
summoned from room to room, to find every
door unbolted and almost every article Of
furniture and crockery in the house scatter
ed upon the floors. All search and vigil
ance proved vain to discover the agent Of
these singular doings, and the three maidens
went away, their curiosity much enhanced,
but not in the least grstifed. AT the re-
quest of MIR. T. they cheerfully gave to BIN
a certificate affirming what have related
above.
OPINION OF YOUR CORRESPONDENT.
[ must confess that this affair has COM
pletcly perplexed me, Notwithstanding my
disbelief in ghosts; and have no conjec-
ture to offer, it seeming simply impossible
that these things could be done, unless
some one has discovered an attribute Of the
heather divinities-the power of rendering
himself invisible. --s ~.
Yours, more non-plussad than ever, %
JoHANNUs IDYLLIA.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. "A report on
IL IL. =. q