The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-02-22
The Haunted Trunk.

Milton, OF " Paradise LOST fame, il
the authority for the assertion that mil
lions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
unseen both when we are awake and
when we are asleep" The incidents OF
the tale which the reporter is about 10
relate will not necessarily "make each
particular hairn of the readers head
stand on end like quilts on the fretful
porcupine," but it will no doubt prove
somewhat interesting, particularly so to
those who take stock in ghosts, COLLINS
and other invisible characters that come
back to earth to haunt the living.
There resides on Second-avenue, in
this city, family who are we'll TODD,
and it was at their house where the
mysterious CHEST took UP its quarters.
In order that the story may be mere
fully understood, 1t will be necessary to
state that some time since the family
mentioned, boarded a gentleman and
his wife, who now reside in the same
neighborhood Names are omitted for
reasons which are obvious. The board
ers on going to housekeeping were un-
able to settle the full amount of their
bill, and as security the landlord kept a
large trunk and some other articles
which consisted of furniture. A short
time after, bitter feeling sprang up
between the two families, and there fol-
lowed law suit for the recovery of the
goods, which was decided in favor of the
defendant Thus matters stood until a
couple of weeks ago, at which time death
entered the door of the first family and
carried off one of the children, bright
little girl of four years. II was during the
death scene of this child that the grief
stricken parents discovered that they
were harboring an invisible spirit, which
for reasons only known to his ghostship
chose that trying hour to make his pres.
ence known. At the death-bed OF The
little girl were the members of the family
and several of the neighbors, and they
each relate the same story, and do so
so earnestly that the listener would hes
itate a good deal before he would ques-
ton the veracity of what he heard
The facts related to the Leader re-
porter seemed neutrality-suspicious., but
the readers will judge for themselves.
Said one of the persons who was pres
ent: We were all greatly alarmed.
a
acted very strangely, and it would clutch
at the trunk, which was standing near,
as though it wished to get att All at
once, however, we were thunderstruck
by hearing three deep, heavy groans
issuing from the trunk. In a moment
after, the child closed its eyes in death.
Just as it was expiring the unearthly
groans were repeated, and for a while
we were all stricken dumb" The
remains of the little one were buried
the following day, and in few hours
after the funeral colored man was
engaged to remove the trunk and its
ghostly contents from the place, and in
structed to leave it at the house OF the
original owners, which he did. The
lady to whom the trunk belonged never
dreaming of ever seeing il again, was
somewhat surprised on going into the
hall to find her Saratoga there, and as
there was not even word or line accom-
paying it in the shape of an explanation,
she was at a loss to account for its being
returned. After enjoying the surprise
for few minutes she hunted up her
keys and opened it to see if the contents
were still intact. "They were not" so
she states, "but instead dress, which
had been owned by my mother, who has
been dead for some time, was found
ripped all to pieces"
The report soon got circulated around,
and now the tale of the haunted trunk
is in the mouths of all who reside in
that locality. The husband of the lady
who owns the spiritual box, being of a
misrepresentation nature, now says that
he wishes the balance of the goods which
he left at the place will soon be spirit
ualized 80 strongly that they would like
wise be sent home. @a NAA