Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-18
THE WOMAN IN WHITE. 2
A Ghost9y Visita,st Haunting the Count
Jail.

ported IN some of her statements by two
female co8ederates, who were also convicted
OF perjury, and all three of the women were
sentenced to one year in the Penitentiary.
After sentence was passed the women were
given their old quarters in the County Jail,
to await the trip to Columbus. In the mean
time ''Mrs. Mack . who occupied cell No. 3,
was taken seriously i'll, and in a few days
died in her cell. One of the witnesses for
Mrs. Mack was Maggie Wilson, who occupied
cell 70. 4. between which and Mrs. Mack's
quarters there is barred window about Is
inches square. The woman now in the
laundry department. Of the jail, and who was
there at time spoken of, says that she has
heard Maggie Wilson say time and again
that she saw the face of a ghost looking
from cell No. 3 into hers. No one believed
her at the time, but recent developments
have shaken the incrdulity of the Jail peo-
pie who now are in futter of excitement
IN consequence Of the disclosures made last
Saturday and Sunday nights. The fated cell,
Me- 3, IS now occupied by Martha j. Irwin,
who was arrested some six weeks ago on East
Pearl Street on the charge of dealing in coun-
terfeit money. Her companion is Miss Min
ME Mayrose, charged with grand larceny. In
the cell adjoining (No. II Mary Fallon is
imprisoned. The story, as told by Mrs.
Irwin to an Enquirer reporter yesterday
afternoon, and which the jail officials believe
to be true, is as follows Mrs. Irwin formerly
occupied the cell Immediately below No. 3,
and while there has been frequently awaken
ed in the night by strange noises above her
head, as If by mufHed steps and knocks on
the cell door. few days ago she was placed
IN cell No. 3, and given for companion Miss
Mayrose: The cell she left is occupied by
Mime Mehl, the alleged abortionist. Last
Sunday morning just as the clock pointed to
twenty minutes past one. o'clock, form
clothed In white was seen to enter the barred
window of the cell on the north side, and
walking with slow and measured tread
passed the little cot on which Mrs. Irwin lay
approached the door leading into the CORR
dor, and made three distinct raps.
This done, the ghost turned, and pacing to
the window in which it made it's entry, van
lshed. The terrified woman never closed her
eyes until daylight dawned. She told her
experience to Captain Nuge Taylor and his
assistants, but the idea Of ghost was scout,
ed as the child of her imagination. Sunday
night Mrs. Irwin did not remove her clothes
upon retiring, bnt reversing her pillow, so
that she could watch the window through
which the apparition came, she waited to see
if the visit would be repeated. Her COM
panion not being scared, as she was not
awake when the ghost came Saturday night,
was calmly sleeping, with her face turned to
the east wall, and nearly opposite the cot of
Mrs. Irwin. At precisely the same hour as
before Q:2O a. n.y. the vision again burst up
on the Mortified eyes of the watcher, and
with rapidly gliding motion stepped upon
the floor. The latch on the barred window
snapped perfectly distinct as it passed from
the sill. The floor creaked as the phantom
feet first touched it, and then, as before, all
was still, save the momentary rustic of
piece of paper which seemed to have been
disturbed by the trailing white robes. Again
Il passed between the cots, glided to the
same door, raped three times, and then
stalked to the head Of the bed on which the
watcher lay, and striking the iron frame just
above her head, stared with bril-
liant, wide-open eyes into those of
the now almost petrifed fig
ure crouching terror-stricken on
her bed. It remained there several seconds,
and then, as quickly as it came, was lost to
view. The raps on the door awoke Miss
Mayrose, who, covered with cold sweat,
lay with her head submerged in her blanket,
afraid to look out into the darkness. All
that horrible night the women paced the
floor of their gloomy quarters, afraid to lie
down. Mary Fallon, in the adjoining cell,
swears by all that's true that she has seen
weird face at the window of the same cell be-
fore Mrs. Irwin ever was placed in it, and
while it was unoccupied.
The description of the face Of the strange
visitor tallies perfectly with the features Of
''Mrs. Mack as abe is remembered by old
employees at the jail. Mrs. Irwin never
knew Mrs. Mack, and had never heard of
her imprisonment until her experience with
the ghost was detailed to those who knew
her, when the resemblance was remarked
and commented on with amazement by
those who listened to and believed the story
of the ghost.
Mrs. Irwin, who is a woman of the keenest
intelligence, and who declares that she was
never believer in ghosts, told the reporter
| that while the apparition was at the head of
her bed she wanted to ask it questions, but
that her tongue refused its Office. She
could not move, but was compelled to gaze
on the sight, spellbound with fear. Who can
explain this mystery? for mystery it really
seems. The women have no motive for tell
ing an untruth on such a subject, and their
stories all point to the same fact, that "same-
thing is haunting the county Jail.