The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-10-21
A Haunted House.
Mystery in Greene-Human Bones Said
10 Have Been Unearthed Under an Old
Tavern.

Half century ago there was an ancient
hostelry at Greene Corner, of which man
named Dewey was landlord. 1t was one of
those hybrid places of accomm odation-half
farm house, quarter GROCERY and the balance
feed and lodgment for the stranger that came
within its gates.
One night, now fifty years ia the past, ped
dler who had sold nearly al, his stock and who
was returning to invest his money in more
wares, was overtaken at nightfall at Greene
Corner, and very naturally he drove up to
Dewey's Tavern and asked for quarters for the
night Dewey's Tavern opened its doors to re-
ceive him; and the peddler was soon drinking
his tea in the old fashioned dining room. What
happened during the evening we may well con-
conjecture, was which might almost inevitably
happen in an cid fashioned inn, when NewEng-
land rum was still beverage that was deemed
appropriate to all occasions from christening
to a funeral. When the morning came the
peddler who had been duly received at the inn
room had been occupied but vacated. His cart
stood in the shed, where it had been left the
night before; his nag in the barn was neighing
for his breakfast. Search was instituted, but
nowhere could the peddler be found Weeks
passed. No tidngs came. Dame Rumor
winked its suspicious eye and made remarks,
as Dame Rumor will. The old inn fell into dis
repute. The ueghbors began to hear dismal
cries in the dim hours of the night, and the
ghost of a peddler was said TO dance on the
gables and scream in the cellar.
So the house passed for haunted house, and
it fell into neglect. The superstitious fought
shy of it, and to pass by it in the night time,
alone, required courage, while few persons
seemed to desire to sleep there. For many
years the old tavern has been called haunted
AS time wore on the ghost seemed to grow
mole quiet, though not altogether laid. And
there were neighborhood legends which have
passed down to this day.
At present this haunted place is redeemed
for it is the parsonage, and though heavenly
messengers may we'll be supposed to ascend and
descend upon so benignant home, the hearts
of no dead men have recently been heard
humping upon it's floors and the voices of no
dying victims have been heard wailing under
its rafters.
Probably the nearly forgotten tragedy of the
house-if tragedy there ever was, of which we
have only the most aerial prooi-would have
suffered the total eclipse of oblivion, had it not
been for the fact that the good parson at pres
ent occupying the house, had recent occasion to
make repairs and excavations in his cellar. In
this work the excavator CHANGED to dig under
the cellar stairs and in the prosecution of his
task his shovel struck something unusual which
on being thrown to light. bore the appearance
of bone.
Further excavation indicated the presence of
more bones, and soon the strange upheaval
aroused alarm; for the best judges prom )unced
the bones human bones. The almost obliterat-
ed story of the pedler and his mysterious dis
appearance half a century ago from this very
house, was naturally revived by this discovery
Ii the bones thus discovered are really hui
man skeleton, well may their presence suggest
the possibility of horrible crime. We give
the story as it comes to us.-LeDiSton Journal.