The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-07-14
A HAUNTED =. -.. IN EACIENT
=! !i:..'.$.

lC may, pcfN':'", 80 '"S" rctlclS " uH
reminded hos tie 4. host question Was re-
gariel ~ pliny thc Younger, the most ele-
CANT writer under the Roman Empire, and
the intimate friend Of tie historian Tacitus,
the deepest man Of his day. Here is q let
ter from Pliny to his friend:
"What think you of the following story?
Has it not moro CT the frightful about it
and not less of the miraculous? I will tell
it as it was told to me:
"Thcre was large and roomy house at
Athens, but one that had bad name and
proved fatal to in-dwellcrs.. In the dead Of
night the sound like the grating of iron, or
to more attentive ear, the clank Of chairs,
used to echo through it-frst from dis
tancc, then from quite close at hand.
Presently a spectral old man used to pre-
sent himself, lean and suualid, with long
beard and shaggy hair, wearing shacklcs on
his legs. and fcttcrs on his hands, which he
kept shaking.
"This occasioned nights Of distress and
horror to the inmates, whose sleep was
banished by fear, and the result was illness
and, as the illness grew to its height, death;
for by day, though the phantom had de-
parted, its image would remain impressed
on the eyes, and apprehension stayed when
its cause was gone. The house was, there.
fore quilted AMI abandoned to dcsolLtion,
its uncarthly occupant being allowed sole
possession. Still an advertisement was
kept up, i'll case anyone unaware of the Sc
rious drawback might wish to rent or rur-
chase it. Then philosopher named
Athcnodorus came TO Athens and read the
bill. On hearing the price the chcapncss
raised his suspicious ard OH making in1ui-
rics, he WAS told the story, which only rem
dercd him more than ever anxious to hire
the house.
"As evening closed i'll he ordered bed to
be made up for himself il q front room and
called for writing materials and light;
then dismissed his attcndants into the in
terror, and applied himself, mind, eye, and
hand, to the task of writing, that his brain
might not I've left free to coni,re up the ap-
partitions he had been told Of, and torment
him with idle fears. tfirst silence reigncd
supreme about him, as it did everywhere
else. Then there Was u clash Of iron and a
shutting of chains. SO far, however, from
lifting his eyes or laying aside his pen, he
rcdoublcd attention to his work, and stop.
ped his cars. The noise increased and ad.
vanced nearer, until it seemed first ut the
door and then in the chamber. He turned
his head and saw figure which he recog-
nized as the one described to him. 1t was
standing bcckoning with its finger, as il
summonins him. He answered by wave
of the hand to wait Il little and resumed his
writing. It proceeded to rattle the chains
over his head. Then looking behind him
again and seeing it signalling as before.
without delay he took up the candle and
followed it. The ghost walked slowly, as
if encountered byits chains, but after turn
ing into the courtyard it vanished sudden
ly and LETT his companion alone. Finding
himself thus he rlnckcd some grass and
leaves and marked the spot. The rcxt dry
he went before the magistrates and advised
them to order the place dug up. A skclc-
ton was found entarglcl in a mass Of
chains, the body itself, from lying
long in the ground, having rottcd away and
left the bones, bare and moldered, in the
letters. These were collected and publicly
buried, and the ghost Laving been duly
laid, the house was haunted no more"