The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-09
THE GHOST OF vAsQUEz.

nEponrER's WATCH IN THE CELL OF THE
RANGED ACCOMMODATIONS, sHRIEKs AND
THE CLANK OF INVISIBLE CuAINs-A STRANGE
MYSTERY.
Tho San Joso Mercury OF October 81 contains the
narrative OF reporters experience In cell which Is
said 10 DO by ghost OF vasqucz. the bandit
who was hanged for murder within tho walls OF tho
County Prison. Criminals who have been placed there
since his taking or have begged TO DC removed from
tho scene OF it's fearful vsitarons Strange and chill
ing stories ure told OF what they havc seen and heard
Tho Mercury SAYS
BEARDIsG TIRE GHOST
About twenty minutes We had taken our places
in the cell and had made considerable noise In moving
around We heard Madden call to hts roommate, say
ing, "BcrnaI. there Is some fellow In the vasqucz
CELL" Then followed con vcrsation between Madden
and us, In which particulars were given OF our as
sumcd CRIME departure from San Francisco. partcu-
lars OF capture, and when this Information was re-
coived the young man subsidized into silence Mono OF
Tho other prisoners appeared TO DO awake. and all was
as silent the tomb We III candle and sat down
upon the prison bunk awaiting Developments and IN
for tho appearance OF ghosts arose and
walked to the wicket and the grating and pecred out
into corridor and pnssoge Everything was silent,
not sound to break the stiffness. Under the impress
was blown out, and NO were LETT pcering into the
darkness OF tho dungeon whispering to ench other.
To ono unused 10 darkness eeing oil utter loncl'-
ncrs takes possession OF him, ana even the human
voice, comforting under almost all kindred cir
cumstanccs, sounds strangely unnatural in It's sup
pressed whisperings soon we realized this, ana our
wnperngs coaser unr We in uoomv silence con-
tinuing until about halt-past eleven. when We wcro
startled by quick, crashing sound, such as pro-
duccd by throwing glass bottle against wall TINS
proceeded apparently from tho west corner OF tbc
prison, AMI wss Immediately followed by two similar
crashes In tho south corncr, and fourth ana louder
similar crash against the east sluc OF the WALL while
Immediately following The last was heard At our cell
door low monotonous laundering sound, as OF some
dull instrument striking against the door about loot.
from the bottom. What Wild ianccs fittcd through
our mnds We do not now remember, ou. We lei. INC
familiar. We called 10 tho prisoners TO toll US what
the cause Of Tho morse, WHOM Madden, the only
quezs ghost you In tho haunted cell, and whc
he poured tho tale Of his experiences with tho
the Same monotony until il made tho cell vbrasc with
the noise Of tho blows. We won't 10 tho wicket and
looked out up and down the corridor, but GOULD 500
nothing
THE ciAxK or INVISIBLE CHAINS
We could not look TO the loot OF the door IS the
wicket was too small but hand and reached
down as far was possible without detecting any
ghing causing tho noise to cease. IL began, now
ever gradually to decrease In power volume, fall
silent remaining SO Tor some time and all AZ once
broken by tho deep cank Of chan. as u ashackicd
dragged along and loot placed down. causing The
chun ana clash After tho hrst Jour or live
mencsd ono OF Us sprang 10 the wicket, another to
tho gra.ings The rapDfns a. tho door was the same
before, while tho noise Of tho chain appeared 70
with aud measured pause as Of person walking
70 she rear OF coll. Then Tho clsnking ceased,
return Tho noise OF the rapping and tho
cIank,ng OF the chain up and down tho
NAM
chain were rcal aud natural, and as y camo
slowly and steadily up tho passage for tho last time
OF the rst performance seemed to pass up the iron
guards the end Of the passage over on hc top OF
COLI around and down again, and slowly passing
down the passage be lost rs IN distance. Tho rapping
which had continued during the cham performance
died out 70 . icw minutes. ..@Nss
VAIL PROM HADEs
With the ceasing oil The rxppiDg and the ciaukug OF
the all again silent for about i've minutes
when In bc distance was heard low deep noise. Is Of
the baylnG Of hound II began sound nearer aud
nearor, gradually incroasing an power. and camo sud
denly III deaicning ana picrcisg wall, apparently
Ing around tho corrdors sgsin and again, closing in
suddenly unnatural appalling snriek, such as Is mag
incd 10 DO tue last utersacc OF damned spirit cast
over batslemeDes OF heavan headiong into hell II
sound calculated 10 lrceze the blood, and, though
II came frequently during the night, instead OF becon
log in como manner famlinr became more horrld ana
fearful dreary and dcsoiate at each uttcrancc I'm.
mcdiusely following this camc again The clanking OF
chains and the rappng, now low now hard, and again
deaicninx This continued until about two CLOCK
In The morning, when The clanking OF chains and
snreking entirely ceased ana werc heard moro.
The rappng continued and almost an hour was passcd
IL wnsi called spirit conversation tho ghOst II
ghost IL, answering the majority OF questions put
Al three o'clock when We were led 10 believe tho
ghosts had departed, We returned to rcst, and wcrc
just doing away, when the rapp,nss recommended.
continuing about ten minutes and then ccasins alto
gethcr lesv Us 10 SIT up until hsfpust sevcn o'clock
yesterday morning, when We wero released
than when camc In except IN the matter OF salts
tying ourselves that the noise prisoners claim 10 have
heard also heard How they are produced we 40
pretend Those arc me iacts; Zach ono can
form his own opinion. AS for rs we are undcter-
mined what the cause OF that above narrated