The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-08-05
A Night In a Haunted House.


n the throes of a ghostly sensa tion. 1t
appears from the accounts which we re-
ceive that week or two since an adver-
tisement was put in one of the papers
Offering a large pleasant room for rental
exceedingly low terms. TO all who
called to look ut the room, the proprietor
candldly explained that the reason IL
was tenantless and was offered ON such
low terms was that for about six months
past 1t had had the reputation of being
haunted, and no one had since been
found who would occupy It more than
one night.
Mr. Rufus Kinloch, n young lawyer,
scoiled at the story, and rented the room
for year. On the first night that he
spent in 1t, little before twelve o'clock
he awoke suddenly with strong and
strange feeling that some one was near
him. Just then his clock struck twelve,
and simultaneously with the last stroke
u heavy body, as If from the ceiling, fell
with n heavy thud upon his breast, clasp
ed him tightly with a cold and clammy
pair of arms. Young Kinloch, as soon
he could partially recover from the para
lysis produced by the sudden surprise
and terror, began desperate struggle to
free himself. Over the bed they wrestled
and tumbled, whence they finally fell
to the floor. Kinloch felt that IL was
life or death with him, and he strained
every fibre in his body to shake Off his
invisible foe. He could plainly hear its
breathings, which were regular and not
apparently increased by the struggle.
Its breath swept into his face as chilly
as an air current from mountain cave.
Its body, which he could feel, was with
out thread of clothing, was evidently
in the shape of a mans, but was as cold
and rigid corpse. The only sound
which came from it was an occasional
low, sepulchral laugh, which almost
froze Kinloch to the bone. In his wild
efforts to cast it of Kinloch knocked
table over. The matchbox fell and
scattered its contents over the floor
Kinloch, with one hand, immediately
seized match, but just as he struck it,
and before it could blaze up, the thing,
with another laugh, wrenched itself
away. In an instant Kinloch had the
gas lit, but his visitor had entirely dis
appeared. The doors were all locked and
the windows all fastened, just as he had
left them on going to bed. He examin-
ed the ceiling and the walls, but could
not discover the slightest sign of ingress
or egress. Then he looked in the glass,
saw that his hair had not turned white
and sat up with the gas burning the
rest of the night. Next day he carefully
and thoroughly examined the room,
and is prepared to swear that no human
being can get admittance to it except
through the windows. The succeeding
night, which was that on Monday last,
Notwithstanding his experience already,
he resolved to make another attempt to
solve the mystery. Placing his pistol, a
candle and box of matches on table
within reach of his bed, he turned off
the gas and lay down. Not once did he
think of sleeping. Finally the clock be-
gan striking twelve. Again, as it finish
ed, the mysterious thing dropped from
above on the breast of Kinloch, and
clasped him in its embrace. Wrapping
one arm around it with a death-like
grip, with his disengaged hand Kinloch
grasped match and struck it. The
thing, which seemed to have horror
of light, made one violent effort to leave,
and then, as the match flared up, lay
painting, passive and conquered. Kin
loch deliberately lit the candle, held it
over his prisoner, and saw to his amaze
ment that it was-a nightmare Rocky
Mountain NeaOs.