The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-10-10
1 Window Ghost.

/ What would be your sensations If you were
to close your eyes in sleep at night, with
nothing unusual about the house, and open
them in the morning to the ocular fact OF Il
strange, ghostly face in your window: You
rub your eyes while you still he in bed, and
intcntly examine the features, which appear
to be stcrnly bent upon you. They are quiet,
ghosty and solemn, The glasscd eyes do
not blink. You are finally satisfied that 1t is
no optical illusion, and your wonder in.
crcascs. You begin to trembc little, and
your heart iluterS, the prGmOntory symp
toms of scare. You get up and go To the
window The sunrise is glittcring on the
dripping trees. There has been thunder
storm during the night, and you remember
some remarks it made at the time The face
is still there in the window, large as lite ana
almost as natural but it has no corresponds
ing body. 1t is just the picture OF face set
IN the glass or suspended in the air near the
window You cannot tell exactly which.
You step outside and observe that the picture
now appears to be back few inches from
the glass, inside the room. You also notice
evidences of that end Of yolr house having
been played with by lightning. You are
more mystificd than ever You return to the
face. You examine the glass by passing
your hand over it. 1t is not ritted or rough
cncd. 1t Is cold and smooth, get 1t seems to
be animated by Il spirit You cannot make
it out and resolve to wait and watch II any
body else sees it, You begin to be not quite
sure that bolt of lightning during the night
has not driven you out of your body. Maybe
you are gazing at your own ghost in the win
dow, trying to look you ont Of CQUntcnance
and convince you that you were struck dead
during the night. You feel very much alive,
but want your senses Corrohoratcd, II that
fash Of lightning has thus photographed
your face or the face Of anybody else you
want to know il. The town is aStir You
will soon have the proof The passers-by
see you, and your friends speak to you They
also see the ghoStlY face in the window. 1t
is therefore fact with which you are entire
" disconnected, The wonder has increased
If an illusion it a deuson to all eyes. How
did 1t come there to look in and out Of that
window with everlasting solemnity like Poc's
Raven perChing on the bust of PallaS just
within the chamber door, TO rOost there for
ever more? Sensations and thoughts like
these were lately those OF Il citizen OF Car.
rington, Mo. He has just ghost in his win
dow, palpablc to cverybody's sight and 1t Will
not go away, 1t came there rs described
above. There was a thunder storm-a bolt
of lightning; the face was seen in the win.
uOW III inc morning., anu lncIC scCulcNt ~ NC
some mysterious connection between the
lightning and the picture. At any rate that
is the only shadow of theory advanced to-
account for the marvellous appearance. The
strange phenomenon was noticed in the local
papers, and thousands of people locked to-
see the window ghost They all saw it too,
and "stlll the wonder grew Some believed
it to be real ghost-otners turned away and
snecrcd; "a vain imagination;" but the fact
is all saw it, and anybody who feels an in
terest can see it for themselves. 1t is evil
IDENTIFY connected with the wndow,glass it,
self, for when the whole section OF sash Is re-
moved to another place the haunting face goes
with It, The window therefore holds the Sc
cret, and an appearance is not caused by or
subject to reflection.
The owner of the house and the window
and the ghost, If it be on, has been offered
various sums for the window, but he is I'm
willing to sell it. 4 letter written to US on
the subject, states that a man. representing Il
st. Louis firm, offered as high as 800 for
this strange specimen Of photography, for the
purpose of exhibiting it in this city. That
rood round sum for a few panes of common
window glass was no object to the owner. If
any one wishes to learn further particulars
Of the window ghost they can by addressing
J T. Wood, Darlington, Galloway Co, Mo-
st. IOUis ReDltJl{cdH.