The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-27
A JEALOUS O

crleO-
A JEALOUS GHOST;
Or, theZFreaks of a Phantom Lover.
On the morning of the Dist of June,
1874, Mr.. Eli Surden, who had entered
a Madison venue omnibus on Broadway,
just above Fourteenth street, was struck
suddenly and forcibly on the left side of
his head by what appeared to him to be
a fist. He vas sitting close to the door
of the vehicle; there was only one other
passenger in the stage, a middle-aged
gentleman on the opposite side, and at
least eight feet away from Mr.. Surden
when the blow was struck. So powerful
was the impact that it knocked him partly
over upon the cushioned seat, and for a
moment caused him considerable pain.
He sprang up suddenly. The glass sash
behind him was closed. The stage was
moving rapidly, and had been for some
time, and the street was entirely clear of
human beings and vehicles for some dis
lance in all directions. 1t was impossible
for his fellow-passenger to have inflicted
the blow, for it was from the opposite
side that it came.
Mr.. Surden, smarting with pain, pulled
the strap, jumped out and ran round SO
as to satisfy himself that there was no
body on the roof of the vehicle but the
driver, who appeared to regard his move
ments with surprise.
He then went into the drug store ad-
joining Wallack's Theater and saw by
the glass an infamed and swollen mark
extending across the maxillary to the
neck. 1t was bathed with arnica by the
attendant, who volunteered the remark
That it was ga bad blow"
This occurred on June 81. In the
latter part of July following Mr.. Surden
was in his small office in Wall street one
morning sampling some drugs. The
Office was In the front of the third floor
OF the building known as "The Tontine."
1t contained two windows looking out
upon Wall street, a door leading to the
hall and a dark closet at the rear. The
furniture consisted of a large desk, a
number of shelves containing drugs Gov
cred with a. sash, a large square table
similarly loaded with samples of bees
wax, ginseng and ~annotto, two or three
ordinary Office chairs and several files of
the American and foreign Prices Cur
rent hanging upon the wall. The morn
ing was warm and the windows were
open. He stepped to the light with a
sample-pan of ~plumbago, and was exam
lining it, when the hall door behind him
was opened and shut, and almost imme.
diately after he was struck a staggering
blow under the left ear from behind,
which knocked him completely ovel
upon the floor, throwing the plumbagc
over his face and into his hair.
At this outrage he sprang to his feet,
and with his hand upon his neck, smart
ing and gasping, he cried "Murderi'
several times loudly. Then percefvine
that there was no one present, he ran tc
the door, issued into the public passage
way, and, looking over the balusters, saw
only an old and inirm apple-woman tod
ding carefully down the stairs with
heavily loaded basket upon her arm. HI
then ran back into his office, and wa.
followed by the occupants of Treadwell,
agency adjoining, who, seeing q man il
a great state of excitement, and scarcely
recognizable for the black lead that hac
covered his face, huddled at the door anC
inquired what the matter was. His repl,
was that he had been assaulted in hi
WI room by some murderou -disposet
rufian, who had escaped. Believin,
that Mr.. Surden was suffering from som
kind of an alteration, and was indis
posed to tell the circumstances of it, the
finally left.
Having washed and dressed his face
which was plainly marked on the LEI
side by a confused surface, Mr.. Surde
began to reflect upon the circumstances
1t was plain to his mind at this time tha
some adroit enemy was prosecuting hin
Not having a mind disciplined to the e.
animation and detection of this specie
of villainy, his first endeavor was t
ascertain how the enemy could a,
complish his purpose twice in so con
plete and undesirable q manner. Afte
that MI. Surden ~endeavored to fix upo
the enemy. He examined his room wit
the greatest care, taking down the tw
OF three old garments that hung in til
dark closet and sounding the walls fl
secret openings, and inspecting the pa
dtion on the east side narrowly. TIL
search revealed nothing. He looked OF
of the window. There was the Chimes
"candy-man" with his portable store @
the sidewalk at the entrance. Immed
ately behind him was Joseph Wendt, IL
cartman, lying upon his back upon IL
tail of his cart. He could even see IL
steps leading into the building, and the
were occupied by a bootblack that l
had often patronized, and another car
man reading a newspaper. Inquiri,
failed to elicit any information. NObod
of a suspicious character had issued fro
the building. Indeed, the boot-blacl
an intelligent lad who had been there f,
two hours, and had seen everybody tn
had come In or gone out, named IL
people over. Endeayors to fix upon IL
person among his acquaintance, with
sufficient motive for this assault, NJ
Surden found equally vain. He, no,
ever, took one or two precautions. f
hired an ofice-boy and armed himse
with q revolver. He also had his do
fitted with a spring-lock which prevents
it from being opened from the hallwl
without a key.
He was boarding at the Merchant
Hotel at this time, and occupied a smi
room on the fourth floor.
On Saturday afternoon, July 30, abo
8 o'clock, while washing his hands in b