Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12
FOOR GHOST.

HE ShIIio5c d rice Of q Corcfous Granger
90 Cal. EpsSe!si0a 81 a Tataa6ie Farm.
A gentleman fGOn The vicinity of Annapo-
lis, innols, yesterday I iatcd very strange
occurrence to al Express representative
Tie story runs Ike tnis. Some ten or fifteen
years ago a. Ecgiishmau and his family
came 10 an Illinois town, ard. after living
there couple OF years. bought a very large
faru, SIX or eight miles from Arnap Ills,
ard ia Owed CT IL. After a quiet life OF four
or five ears the tBslishmal was one morn
ing found dead in his bed, q nd bis family,
consisting Of his wife, two sons and a daugh.
ter. were very much astoaished and grievei.
Their lamentations were loud and deep, and
all the simple neighbors, looking on, said:
Poor people. how dearly they loved their
relstive!' TIE Euelishman was quietly
buried, and the family, after living on this
knowing whittier they went. The house,
which was a large, old frame one built as
fraEe houses OF the past were built was shut
up by ne lew purchaser, and allowed 10
remain uuoccUpfeI. Not ioDg since, how
ever, tie owner rented his farm, and cnnse-
guehtiy the house, 10 a farmer from Ohio.
The family moved In and settled down as
comfortably as possible. The first night or
two the house Was quiet enough, with the
exception that the family was awakened In
the night by hearing soft footsteps passing
ard repassing the bel. and long dra wn signs,
apparently underneath the bed where the
farmer and his wife slept. They arose and
looked all about she house. but found moth
ing at all out Of the way. The doors were
closed and locked, and the windows secured,
fastened as they had been when The family
retired.
Nothing more than this was heard for In e
first two nights, bat on The third, ABOUT one
O'CLOCK IN the morning, the family was
awakened by measured sound, reclrriug
at frequent intervals, up stairs, until III
cam @ To the head OF The stairs leating to the
lower floor room in which they slept. As It
began descending they DISTINGUISHED IL as n
maj s step, aud the farmer arose aud waited
for the door from the stairs into the bed
room IL be opened. He had revolver. and,
thinking It either thief or practical joker,
was determined oput an eud 10 these prank ks.
But the step came or, measured and slow,
and came into The room without any door
being opened. and went into the corner of
the room whore the bed was, ard apparently
going iutO the wall was heard no more.
Sorely perplexsds toe farmer again went To
beu, but slept no more That night. Next
morning thorough search was made, and
still nothing was found. The fourth night
was repetition. The fifth night the farmer
watched ard waited, as nervous AZ was ever
Hamlet before EiSinOre, waiting for his
fathers shade II came. This time in pal
pable form. The sta door opened noisele ssl Y,
and white clad figure started forth. Brave
ghost! Unfortunate farmer! The latter had
forgotten to take his pisto, To bed with him.
TIE spTi;e walked or rather glideJ to the CEN
ire OF the floor, turned about, and although
the front door was securely locked ii swung
silently open. and the figure rushed as if LAT
growing OF tie cock" Paraly zed with hor-
ror the farmer lay, not daring To breathe I'M
til the mOrDir z light famed up the Orient
gates. The next two weeks were repetitious
OF the hrst four nights, sometimes the ghost
walking. other nights being invisible. yet
making himself heard. The children cried
themselves 10 sleep. The farmers wife hid
her head all night in the bed clothes. The
farmer sn.vcIed ard shook through the
night, and thought ard wondered through
the day, dreaCiug the Nights approach. But
he was fully convinced that the ghost walked
for purpose. And he Was not wrong. AT
last o.o night, when, after The witching
hour, the shade made his appearance he
n n floor iiSQ In
peaTtd. The idea seized on the farmers
mind. might he not end The cause of the
spirits pertui baton. and let him rest. In
the morning, he arose and took up the board
ard found II small hoX with some empty
bottles in it A muSty looking paper had
some words tIhcCd on IT thus: Il am the
ghost OF the FL clisnman. Ny family pOis-
oned me! Ih8unJ tits house until they are
found and the law executed"
This was too much for the farmer. In the
first rlscA he hadn't known 1.-The English
man. His fSmlly might be In Guinea for
all be kb~w. ana even II they were caught
and the crime proven, H. is mighty hard 10
IL was cheaper 20 vacate and give the ghost
his apartments He did 50, left the house
and farm, and in the spring viii go on an :
other less ghOStly place.
SequeI-The . ghost' is well fixed. He
was healthy neighbor man, Who liking the
farm, and the advantages, concluded 20 get
his neightor ont al all hazards; The idea
struck him, ard be accepted IL. Re fastened
IL The wall rear The window OF the bed room
an empty bottle which made the signing
sounds when the wind blew. he climbed tC
the attic by ladder, and came down the
stairs, opening The stair-doors quietly. The
steps heard crossing the room when he did
not make his appearance. was produced by a
confederate. who crawled under the house
thrar gh hole il tie under wall, and the box
Will the scroll was put In from the lower
side. The front door was opened by q key
which was i'm the hands of the confederate
No cards; sorry TO spoil good ghost story
bn' for the tr IN of history, you know, we
must IeyTe Nolae Express.