The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-31
BLOOMFlELD'S BOLD GHOST.
SPECTRE WITH Az lWFCL YOICE
LAUGHLN0 At BULLETS.



Bloomfield. N. j., is town rarely stirred
By excitement or any unwonted occurrence. but
now It Ia in state OF extraordinary disturbance
over the appearance OF a ghost. or OF very
clever and unconscionable impostor. The sp-
| partition. or whatever It is. has been seen BY
| several persons. and II has frightened the ju-
| venile and female portion Of the populace to
| rather alarming extent. Its first appearance
was on Friday night last. There was then an
entertainment given In the Frankyn Chapel.
between Bloomfield and Orange. In Orange
street, Among the guests was a daughter OF
| Mr.. John Sherman. q Town Committeeman and
q Mr. Claredon. q resident OF Orange. who was
paying her attention. At late hour the festivi-
ties were broken up. and Miss Sherman started
TO walk home accompanied by her escort. Mr..
Claredon They arrived safely at Mr. Sherman's
| house. where Mr.iClaredon went in and stayed
| for an hour OF more. Then he went away.
| What happened to him after his departure ia
| known only to himseli-and the ghost. Thirty
minutes after he rushed back into Mr.. Sher-
mans house. palo. broathlcss. and exhausted.
He said he had seen spirit and had shot 1t.
| but the bullets. apparently had not done II any
damage.
From Mr. Claredon's story OF his adventure.
| II would seem that after no left Miss Sherman
at hor home. he wandered slowly toward
1
had to pass n narrow gateway. and from the
dark passage tall thin. ehastly figure sprang
| out and exclaimed in sepulchrnl tones,
| want YOU" The figure had a mask over its
face. but otherwise 1t was undisgused. Mr..
Clarcdon confesses himself to be brave young
man, but as he heard those. graveyard accents
| the life blood thrilled to his heart
who are you 2" he gusped. and. receiving
| no answer. he drew his pistol. The hardy
ghost never budged an inch. and Mr.. Claredon
| N IN
object bcen Of mortal world Il must have
dropped dead in It's tracks. for the pistol was
| showing signs Of physical pain. e merely
laughed in a hollow and blood-curdling man
ner. and disappeared like tho mist OF the
Mr.. Cfaredon at once abandoned all idea OF
around he led o with hair % on end an1 to tho 6onsS
| OF Mr.. sherman. That gentleman was amazed
on hearing his story. and eummoning his son.
| the two escorted their guest to Orange.
The next morning the story was all over
Bloomfield. and tho majority o. tho residents
later in the day. when Mr.. Clarcdon guided "A
| party to the spot where he said he had shot at
the ghost. diligent search was madc. and the
| two bullets were found on the ground. fiatiened
rs though they had struck something very hard.
sisted that Mr.. Clnredon WAS not In a ut condi-
tion to judge between being from the other
| world and two gray stones that stood at either
| side OF tho pathway from which. he said. the
| ghost had issued
But there were many who were ess incredu-
out IS to 6rnS % hS spTt pHt' To a bay M co6en
| Bloomfield hotel proprietor and Mr. Nash bet
| ter known MS tho Bloomfield detective. went
| alone. but they soon decided that It would be
better TO separate as the ghost might hardly
care 70 eneounter two: Mr. Cohens road lay
| cemetery he saw. under the moonlight a large
party OF women and girls coming toward him
| They comprised party Of feminine hunters In
| search OF the ghost
II ia not very easy TO ascertain what Mr.
| Cohen did Mt this critical minute. The women
say that they did not see him at all a. they APP
preached the cemetery. They were armed with
| various weapons such as clubs aud stones and
| II is said that one OF them had a razor Just as
| they got to the churchyard fence figure sprang
| terrified that none OF them could describe the
| spectre with any accuracy but il waved It's long
| hand in their pale faces and said; You're
In the graveyard"
The women had persuaded themselves and
| each other before starting out that they were
| prepared for Just such an emergency as this F.:
| they had gone armed ior the purpose. but no
| sooner did they hear this voice from tho grave
than thcy lost not minute in going. but went
| with extraordinary rnpldity. and at once, Tho
ghost did not pursue them. but they fled ~
| though II was giving hot chase.
When they reached the more Inhabited part
OF the town however. and had their courage
revived by the lights. they repented OF their
hasty Night, and douby arming themselves
they again set out 20 look for the ghost but they
had missed the golden opportunity OF captur-
INK him. and they returned. toward morning.
il will perhaps. hardly be believed that there
are many persons in Bloomfield who place no
crcdence in these girls stories. but Openly eX-
press tho opinion that i was tho hotel pro-
prietor, Cohen. who startled them. and not the
ghost. What more natural. they say. than that
he, going out 10 look Tor the spirlt and not llnd
and act toward the girls as he had eI pected the
spectre would have acted toward him2
The women did not again venture upon the
warpath. hut many men did with Indifferent
success. Henry Shellon,h German. whose ok
psrsnso q spTs dates Late tS@ 6as 70 tho Black For
scribes II: HIS lore legs were AL hind legs,
and his hind legs were before" This carried
field; But when Shellon took piece Of
workshop what he affirmed was a correct pie
ture OF the ghosts tail hundreds were con-
like ships anchor than the tail OF an ami
NAL. but Shellon replied that the tail that wns
Of f best bowdf. and md that Ina settled tho qHss Hss
ton Many women have seen the spirit. some
Of them before Il appeared toi Mr.. CaredQn. 1t
| entirely. but only a small portion at a time.
Thus. itthinks nothing OF standing before the
door Of three story house and extending its
elastic arm To the highest window. much as the
police onlcer in the pantomime does when he
occasionally captures the truant clown. This.
it seems. makes u vivid and lasting impression
upon tho tmld female. who, from her bed sees
tho long hand.
On Saturday night tho boil attached 10 Mr..
lrntly. The girl went 10 tho door. and
found EobGdy there Sh9 locked up and
|
YOU don't do that again, she shut tho door.
and was going down 10 the kitchcn. when the
bell was rung II second tmo. She hurried 10
the door. and saw a man standing there That
ia. he seemed tO be n man. but. ot course, he
could not have been one. for IA she looked ho
gradually gded backward down the stops,
| opent~i the gate without sound. and faded
away. while the girls tongue chung 10 the roof
| OF her mouth with horror.
| A reporter of THE Sun chased the ghost last
| night with poor success. lie met many others
| evidently engaged in the same pursuit and
some that were hardly in a fitting frame Of
mind for a pcrilOus adventure. Thus. near tho
railroad station coming suddenly around a
corner. ho unexpectedly encountered four
young men. Three Of them turned around aud
ran ns fast as the snow on tho ground would
allow thom. Tho fourth was too frightened to
| move.
" / tell you what it is" said nn old resident Of
| Bloomfield last night, thcro's some ono play
ing the devil around here: and I'll find out who
1t is before tho weeks. over. Perhaps il
wouldn't be right to kill him. but | don't think
II would do him any harm 10 broak his log II
| would teach him a lesson"
| Another said he believed II was tho work OF
the temperance people They had not been
very successful in stopping rum drinking In
bloomfield. and he thought they wore now try
ing to frighten the drunkards Us they reeod
homo by night.
Paterson also has ghost For somo nights