The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-01-19
A GHOST STORY.

! The DeJrOlt MiOn'l e
j ISL aiges- the following account % :
spiritual manifestation" which occur
red in the Jail of Wayne county, IN '''a'
State. on the Saturday night previous
and we think there are few men IN 'liis
world that could have witnessed 'n'
scene as described and not have Deel
fully as badly frightened as that Sheriff
was The story is told as follows:
4 An event occurred on Saturday nigh'
last that will be remembered BY one o.
the eve-witnesses to it to the full lengti
Of his, existence, and which would have
appalled, the stoutest heart, being III ils
character not only inexplIcabie ana
friehtful. but in contravention OF every
law of nature. On the night i'll ques'
ton, Deputy Sheriff Munger was lett II.
charge of the jail, and for the sake ol
company had engaged to stay with hlln
young man by the name OF simpson
At about halfpast II O'clock Munger,
after making tour OF the jan, 10 see
that the prisoners were safe III their
cells, and that the door of the wards
and those leading to the jjailyard were
locked, prepared to retire to rest, IN a
bed in the Jail office, directly across the
main hall from the wards, leaving, as
is the custom, the door of the office
wide open. Having Invested themselves
of their clothing and turned down the
gas so as to give a dim and uncertain
light, though sufficient TO see every OBJ
iect in the room, Munger and Simpson
rot into bed. Shortly after, their con
versation turned upon spiritual mani
festations,' and the subject of ghosts,
and all at once, while Simpson was III
the midst Of a story in which ghost
was the hero, table standing close at
the head of tue bed started rapidly to-
wards the Office door, bring up with a
crash against the Office desk. Almost
at the same instant large pile oi books
on the desk tumbIcd t. the hoor. Filled
with alarm, Munger sprang up III bed,
while Simpson, apparently most fright
ened, drew the bedding tightly over his
head, cxclaiming, My God. what can
this be-" Munger had hardly gaine!
"A sitting posture ere an armchair also
started for the door in the same mystic
rious manner; long scttce lcapcd for
ward from the wall and fell upon the
floor; the heavy Jail bell, attached 10
the wall overhead, commenced Ia ring
with terrible .olcncc; the clock began
10 strike; and the heavy mating ou the
floor flew, in the utmost disorder, in the
direction taken by the furniture. As If
10 add TO the dire confusion, guitar in
the room directly in the rear If the Of
flee added its sounds. commencing as
If struck by human agency a single
blow. then another and another. increas-
ing IN rapidity and diminishing in lis
strength. until il had apparently OK
haustcd itself. Munger. his hair stand.
ing on end, anil his cyc-balls starting
from their sockets leaped t. the floor,
aud, grasping his pants, started to put
them on intending To tlec To tho dwell
ing Of the Sheriff adjoining; but he on
~ got one Lex cncascd when thc gas in
twlnkIlng went out and then upon
the walls all around the room there
shonc out sickly, sulphurons light,
dancing in mockcry Of his terror. lIu.
man fortitudc could endure this no fur.
Their, and with a cry to Simpson, who
still remained covered, to save himself
he fled to the jail-yard, and was max
ing for the street, when he met the
turnkey, John Fitzgerald. Clasping
him around the body, Munger dragged
him back to the room, and in broken
accents tried to describe the terrible
scene, tie walls still giving out their
irightfnl glare, being the only visible
evidence that anything extraordinary
had happened. Fitzgerald, after light
ing the gas, tried to reassurc the depu-
ty, and to appcase the fears of Simp-
son, who reluctantly uncovered himself,
but it was of no avail He secuted at
their story, and declared the whole af-
fair plan of theirs to brighten him:
but they only repeated the details of
the affair with the greater vehemcnce,
Munger declaring that, though not a
coward, nothing could tempt him to re-
main there the balance of the night"