The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-09-04


IN . HauntsA House.
Rseky Mountain News.
a nsighhoring city is just now IN
the throes of ghostiy sensation. It
appears from the aecounts which we
receive, that . week or two since an
advertisement was put in one of the
papers offering large, pleasant room
for rent on exceedingly low terms.
To all who called to look ct the room
the proprietor candidly explained that
the reason Il was tenantless and was
o6pEpd on such low terms Wa that for
Abo6t ok months past it had had the
reputation Of being haunted, and no
one has since been found who would
occupy IL moro than one night. Mr..
Rufus Kinlosk, young lawyer, scoff-
cd at the story, and rented the room
for year. On the first night 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 . heavy body, ~ if from the
ceiling, dropped with . heavy thud
upon his breast and clasped him tight
" With . cold and clammy pair Of
arms.
Young Kinloch, 30 soon IS he could
partially recover from the paralysis
produced by the sudden surprise and
terror, began . desperate struggle to
free himself. Over the bed they tum-
bled and wrestled, whence they finally
fell to the floor. Kinloch felt that it
wss life or death with him, and he
straised every dber IN his body to
shake OF his invisible toe. He could
plainly hear its breathings, which were
regular and not apparently Increased
BY the struggle. Its breath swept i'm
to his face - chilly - IN air current
nom. . mountain cave. Its body,
which he could feel, was without .
thread Of clothing, was evidently in
the shape Of . manis, but was a. cold
and rigid - > corpse. The only sound
vhich came nom Is was an oecasionsl
low, sspulchral laugh, which almost'
froze Kinloch to the bone. In his wild
efforts to cast it of, Kinloch knocked
the table over. The matchbox fell
md scattered its coutents OVER the
floor. Kinloch, with one hand, imme-
diately seized . match, but just a. he
struck It, and before it could blaze up,
the thing, withanother laugh, wrench
cd itself away. In an instant Kin.
lock had the gas Lit, but his visitor had
entirely disappeared. The doors were
al locked and the windows all fasten-.
ed, just - he had left them on going
to bed. He examined the ceilings and
the walls. but could not discover the
slighfssts sign of fngress or egress.-
Then he looked in the efa5s 50 that
h,s hair hed mot turned whItA ID eat
mp with the gas burning thsrestSt the
night. Next Day he carefully and
thoroughly examined the room and is
prepared to sMear -that no human be.
INK S80 KB4AA 8SAtAAAeS9AAS0 to-As 0AOSRs
through the doors or windows. The
sncceeding night. notwithstanding his
experience already, he resolved to.
make another attempt to solve the
mystery. Placing his pistol, candle
and box of matches ON table with
in reach Of his bed, he turned off the
gas and lay down. Not once did he
think Of sleeping. Finally the clock
began striking twelve. Again, as it
finished, the mysterious thing dropped
from above ON the breast of Kinlock,
and clasped him in its embrace.
Wrapping one arm around it in .
death-like grip, with his disengsged
hand, KinIoch grasped q match and
struck it. The thing, which seemed
to ksve . horror of light, made one
violent effort to leaye, snd then, - the
match hared up, lay painting, passive
and conquered. Kinloch deliberately
Lit the candle, held it over his prison-
e, and Nv. to his amazement, that it
swas-a nightmare.