The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-08
HAUNTED BY A SKULL.

In looks divine
HAUNTED BY A SKULL,
The New York Mercury says: The fol-
lowing strange story will provoke Won
der or incredulity as the reader may
happen to view it. 1t may be delusion
or Imagination, but the parties upon
whose statements it is founded are nei-
ther splritualists nor gwen to flights of
fancy. They certainly believe in their
own experiences, inexplicabie as they
may appear.
In the early part OF last month one of
the European steamers carried In her
captains cabin small black box. 1t
was constructed of wrought iron, and
was ten inches long, eight inches bread
and nine inches deep. 1t was tastetuliy
finished, and looked as IL intended for a
receptacle for the safe-keeping OF im-
portaut documents. 1t was handed to
the captain by u pale, tall, nervous
looking gentleman, who came TO the
North River wnarf--evidently by ap-
pointmeut-at 0 O'clock on the Friday
evening before the steamer sailed. The
man had come in carriage from an
| elegant house in the vicinity Of Gen.
tral Park and Fifth-ninth street. When
the vehicle reached the corner Of Chris
topher and West streets 1t was dis
charged and the man proceeded with the
box under his arm TO the wharf. From
the fact that he changed the little chest
twice during his progress down the
street, IL might have been inferred that
it was somewhat heavy. The captain
hailed his visitor in q rough, CHEEKY
voice. and when the box was placed in
his stateroom, he remarked with laugh
40 boisterous that it was almost savage,
"Neyer fear, PHI dispose OF it, sir" Cap
| tain and visitor then INDUCED in two
classes apiece of London dock brandy.
smoked a cigar, shook hands and de-
parted. The gentleman from uptown
| nroceeded home and the captain turued
In for the night. Next day the ship pro-
ceeded on her voyage to Liverpool, and
on the sixth day after sailing the captain
went on deck alter midnight with the
iron box under his arm, and quietly
dropped it over the stern-rail into the
ocean. The steamer and her captain
returned to New York on the same
month. and sailed last week. While III
the CITY he visited the uptown house of
the New York gentleman, and received
the following extraordinary history OF
the contents Of the mysterious box.
At some future time he may permit
the use of his name, but at the present
he is only at liberty to present the facts.
Two years before the war there stood
on the site of the present elegant dwell
ing an old.fashioned brick house, with a
garden. 1t had the reputation OF being
haunted, but little or no attention was
given to this report. 1t was sut1cient
for the purchaser to know that the
site was healthy, and that though the
structure itself was unsatisfactory, the
nriee was very low. Some necessary
repairs were effected, the house was
bapered and painted throughout, and
fnt to a desirable tenant, q MI
i Ayliff, commission merchant. The
tenants family consisted Of Mr.
Aylitf himself his wife, a boy Of twelve
Iand maid servant. The boy SLEPT
in a hall bedroom, and on the third
night of his occupancy OF it he came
rushing in to his parents apartment
pale as a sheet, and sutfused with cold
perspiration. His bed had been violently
shaken, and when he was lying wonder
ing If the house was going to tumble, he
saw luminous body OF appearance glide
backward and forward about hye fee
from the floor, seeming to enter the wal
ON each side and thus present side
view while passing. Not knowing any
Thing about the supernatural character
of the house, MIR. and Mrs. Aylitf sup
nosed that robbers had gained entrance
and, therefore, armed with a pistol, ;
rigorous search was made. There wa
no trace of burglars or any other dis
turber. Next night the boy was sim
iIarly alarmed, and the subsequent nigh
the father slept with his. son. Shortl.
after midnight they both perceived
! misty substance OF Dluelsh-gray nue.
which seemed to come out OF the wal
At the head of the bed, and through tn
head-board in a horizontal position an
| rest over them. ,.... ...s.. ..........
, They saw it most distinctly; they say
: II as a female figure. come out OF an,
mass into the wall. The same phenome
, non was repeatedly observed. The ap
narent female form was never seen :
have ewes. Sometimes it seemed to b
, more luminous than at others, but it wa
, always without any head. The famil
hysioian was consulted, and he joeu
iarly said: 81 shall lay your ghost" OF
in other words, account for it philosoph
: Ideally. Mr.. Ayliff and he watched. A
j | they lay dressed on the bed they hear
i light footsteps on the stairs and gradu
ally ascending toward the door, whie
was open. Presently they behe1d tn
: lphenofnenon Of a lheadless woman, sem
8 Transparent, ais bright as a star, and di
q fusing a radiance all around. As
T grew more dim when within four feet {
!. them the doctor rushed at ii. He fel
4 nothing, but he saw it gradually fad
!. laway s7from above downward" Their
!. was no moonlight nor a ray of light any
. where. ...
Mr.. AyIiff occupied the house TO
three months, and three subsequen
tenants inhabited it for periods yaryin
l from one month to six. but all alik
united in testifying that there wa
Isomething uncanny about it. Final
l. e became tenantless, ana some of til
9 windows were broken by mischlevou
street Arabs. The owner then resolve,
q to re pair it anew and live in 1t himseI
His experiences were exactly similar
= those or his tenants. He found that
3 was impossible to use two OF the roorH
), as sleeping apartments on account {
appearances and nocturnal dis
e lTurbafices. He had read of peculia
# luminous exhaIations from marshy an
5 lundrained soil. and as the distrit
8 labounded in pools and swampy soil, II
d diltermingled with 'gneiss rocks, he a
!. ltributed the lights to natural causes
i and the figure OF a 'headless female to q
s. constructive act OF th
v l;,,,, ,,i :, q inn-aIwavG ahuOrmallV aCtiV