New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-08
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
Spirits in the Detroit Jail-A Deputy
sheriff Badly Frixhtened-TheS Mystery
Cnraveled.
{ From the Detroit Union,

From the Detroit Union.
: An event occurred in the Wayne county
jail on Saturday night Last. that will be re-
nemhered by one of the eye-witncsses to it
which would have appalled, the storltcst
heart. being i'll its character not only mex
plicable and fryhttnl, but i'll eontrayentiOn
of every law OF nature.
On the night in question. Deputy Sheriff
Munger was left in charge Of the Jail, and
for the sake OF company ne engaged to stay.
with him a young man by the name OF
Simpson. At about half-past eleven o'clock
Munger. after making tour OF the jail to
see that the prisoners were safe in their
cells, and that the door of the wards and
those leading to the jtll-yard We're locked,
prepared to retire 10 rest iii a bed III the
iail office. directly across the main hall from
the wards. leaving. IA IL the custom. the
door of the office wide open. Having di-
vested themselves OF their clothing and
turned down the gas so as to give dim and
uncertain light. though sufficient to see
every object in the room. Munger and
Sim,.son rot into bed. Shortly atterward
their conversation turned upon spirit mani.
festations and the subject OF ghosts. and all
at once. while Simpson was i'll the midst
OF story in wilc!. ghos: was
the hero. a table, standing close
with crash against the office desk. Almost
at the same instant large pile OF books
upon the desk fell simultaneously TO the
floor. Munger. filled with alarm. sprang
bolt upright in bed. while Simpson. APP
parently still more frightened. drew the
bedding tightly over his head. exc!aiming.
"My God. what is that Munger had
hardly gained a sitting posture. ere an arm
chair also started for the door in the same
I.an
forward from the wall and fell upon tho
floor, the heavy Jail bell attached to the
wall over the bed commenced to ring with
terrible violence, the clock to strike. and
the heavy mating on the door flew N the
utmost disorder in the direction taken by
the furniture. A. if to add 10 the dire con
fusion. Il guitar in a room directly IN the
rear OF the office added its sounds. COM
,nencn. as if struck by human agency 4
single blow. then another and another. in
c,easing in rapi,iitv AMI diminishing III
strength antil it had apparently exhausted
Itself.
Munger his hair s:andia: on end and his
cy.bails startin. from their sockets. ieap:d
70 the floor. and crashing his pants. started
to put them on. lntendln. TO fee IL the
.we!lin. of the She,iA. adjoining: but he
had only got one le: cncased. when the gas
in u twinklin9 went o;lt. and then upon the
walls, ali around the room. there shone otit
:, ,ickly. sl,lphuvouS light. dancing us If i'll
lnockery of his terror. Human icrtitrde
ccuid endure this no longer. and with a cry
to SIMPSON. who still remained covered. to
save himself. he fled I" the .jail-yard and was
making for the street. when he encountered
the turnkey. John Fitzgerald. Claspins
him around the bodv. Munger dragged him
back to the roon and in broken accents tried
to describe the terrible scene. the walls still
giving ont their tri.htfu glare. being the on y
visible evidence that anything extraordinary
had happened. Fitzgerald. after lighting
the gas. tried ~ reaSsure the deputy. and
10 appeasc the fears OF Simpson. who retNc-
family uncovered himself; bu. 1t was OF no
avail He secuted al their story. and de-
cla,ed the whole thin. 4 trick OF theirs to
brighten him. but they only repeated the
details OF the affair with greater vchcmence:
Munger dcclarin. that, 4" though no coward.
nothin. could tempt hin to remain there
the balance OF the night" emphasizing his
declaration by throwinS'i the jail key on the
iloor. Two or three others having come in.
including a son of the Sheriff. he finally con
clu,led to remain. with the understandin.
that they should be hi, company. and Fitz-
gerald then went hOme.
The sequel to this terrifying scene. or,
rather, the secret of its one OF the largest
and best planned practical jokes on record.
During the afternoon of Saturday. Fitzger-
aid. Simpson. who was after all an accom-
picc youn. Patton. and one or two others
made full preparations Tor the denouemcnt.
Strings were passed from the basement up
through small holes in the hall in front Of
the door OF the Office. and thence on under
the mating, to the table. chairs. settce.
books etc. and securely tied to them. oi
course. So as not to be observed or dlscov-
cred when the time for spiritual manlfesta-
tions arrived. a small cord was passed up
through a hole into the rear room and ted
to IL common playing card. a hole being per-
foratcd in it for the purpose. During the
evening the guitar WAS placed in a leaning
position toward an empty chest. and the
card was inserted with one of its edges
AGAINST the strings of the guitar. and the
, other against tho chest lii. 50 that when
the string should he pulled, the card would
slip out. leaving the guitar to ta!, forward,
when the strings, striking upon the edge OF
| the lid. would rebound. and produce the
| noise heard.
1t was arranged for Simpson 70 give a
certain signal on going to bed to the string
| pullcrs below, and then. when proper time
| had elapsed for him to get well into his
| Ghost story, the string attached to the table
was to be pulled. and then another and
another. until Munger was heard to jump
from hi. bed. the bell being runy by pull
| inc the wire which, passes through the base
| H.,
| twelve on its own hook. immediately that
Munger was heard to jump from the bed
| the finishing touch to the grand scare Wa'
made by turning Off the gas at the meter
leaving the poor wretch III the dark to be
| lieve il the work of spirits. and 70 have bis
belief confirmed by the brilliant display OF
phosphorus previously dashed upon tho
| walls.
The scheme wa, siien.iiiy Concoctet
| and carried ont. and there are few men ii
| this world that would Iot have hccn IA;
much or more frightened than Shcrt
| Munger 1t would take stout heart
indeed, to stand in a ron:u well enough
! lighted to see any object. and to wItnes:
| aud hear ali that he saw and heard, iinap
pallcd.
As up TO this time Mr.. Munger has had NJ
explanation given him III the sights ant
sounds of Saturday night. we take pleasure
in relieving linn Of his present anxiety ant
perturbation of mind, but he owes tina
turnkey one practical Joke if ever one MAJ
owed another.
A special 10 the 81. Louis Ecpubiican says
WASHINGTON. January "a statement
tcleeraplied in TIL, correspondence las
week, that Il Western Senator WAS scrlousl.
considering the rropriety OF Introducing II
Congress Il plan for the reconstruction o
Florida and North fCarolina, has grown il
now freely stated that the President intend
to send to Congress a special message re
commencing an official inquiry into tn
condition OF the Southern States; while
is also known that few evenings sine
! ~, f,r1I,al bet