The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-01-27
AFTER TWENTY YEARS.
A WINTER NIGHTS TRAGEDY IN
a HAUNTED HOUSE.

HOT q DtfDOSa IN q tHlrQ SGOTY DaCh
room. of an unocehpied brick dwell
ing house. located on Market street.
in Louisville. Ky. The building had
been vacated for nearly a year, and
had the reputation Of being haunted.
/ What gave rise to that evil report
| will appear in the course of this mar
rative. The students were in the
year of their studies that brings
them their longed for diplomas, and
as they sat in this room, drinking
from bowl of hot punch that had
been carefully prepared by one of
their numbers, they canvassed the
many eventfnl incidents of their
course at college. and speculated
upon what the future had in store
for them.
The castles they built in the air
were i'm the most brilliant descrip-
ton, and knock at the street door
that brought forth an echo from eel
lar to garret of the dismal, cob web
lined building failed TO draw their
attention.
It was repeated. and with a joyful
cry of There's Limpy Jack" ac-
companied by step on the hall that
emphasized the remark one of the
number called his comrades atten-
tion to the circumstances. They
appeared to know the signal and to
anticipate no further repetition, as
they hurriedly left the room and
went down stairs, one of the trio
leading the way with lighted can
die in his hand
On reaching the ground floor they
did not go to the front door, but
with one accord passed into what
had once been the dining room of
the families who had occupied the
house. Here they found door that
led to the cellar. Opening this door
they descended in the same order.
The cellar was damp and noisome,
and was place only fit now as a
habitation for the vermin that warm
ed it. Picking their way cautiously,
stepping from plank to plank of the
the loose flooring that covered the
earth, and causing muddy water to
ooze above the surface of the boards
at every step, they at last reached
an object that appeared to be moth
ing more than sack of neglected
potatoes.
Upon lifting the sack, the head |
and shoulders of human skeleton
emerged from it. and fell to the !
ground. Reversing the sack instant
ly. in which operation his comrades !
assisted. the man who held it seized |
the mouth and drew it together, af-
ter which he drew the canvas over
his shoulder, and followed in the |
wake of the man with the tallow dip, |
while the third man of the party |
came last, and steadied the CHASTITY |
burden upon the shoulders of his
laboring companions. In this order, |
and without word, the party care
fully traversed the cellar, and as
cended the steps leading to the de-
serted dining-room.
Here they halted to readjust the
load that bore heavily upon the man
who bore it, but tie journey was i'm
mediately renewed, and in a few
moments the party were back again
in the comfortable room that they |
had left.
The room was comfortable by |
comparison with the other apart
ments of the deserted dwelling. A
warm coal fire was burning in a
hearth of large dimensions, and the
odor of the punch was very agree
able to the senses. But whatever
the comfort a nonprofessional man
would have derived from spending a
portion of gloomy winters night
in such a room, the feeling would
have speedily changed to one of
horror upon beholding the surround
ings.
The room was filled on three sides
with glass cases, some containing
from three to six tiers of shelving
and others being free Of obstruction
in the space from top to bottom.
There were eighteen of these cases.
Each of these with shelves in them
contained human skulls and bones
that had been taken from the bodies
of which they had formed a part.
and there were also large number
of specimens preserved in bottles
filed with alcohol.
The heart, brain, liver, etc. !; were
in this manner exhibited and kept
in their natural state. Others of
these cases contained medicines and
instruments used by medical men.
The cases that were not shelved
contained full grown skeletons of
men, women and children strung on
wires. In the center Of the room
was table about ten feet in length,
and raised about two feet off the
ground. It was covered with a
black oil cloth, and one end of it
was raised-for the purpose Of af-
fording a resting place for the heads
Of corpses laid on this, the dissect-
ing table.
Upon re-entering the room the stu
tents lost little time in proceeding
about their work. 1t was not nov
city by any means that they were
about to enter upon, and yet they
one and all manifested the keenest
delight in the job. The sack was
aid upon the table. loosened, and
pulled away, revealing the body of a
nan perhaps fifty years of age. He
lad been tall of statue and of great
muscular development. No marks
IF violence were to be seen about the
corpse as it lay stark naked upon the
leath cloth. and the face bore a pleas
INT expression, as if the passage
rom life had been accomplished with
'ut pain or vain regret.
After placing the body in proper
position, with the head upon the !
'aised elevation, the students divest- .
"a themselves of coats and hats