Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-01-15
GHOST STORIES UNVEILED.
Ghosts Proved to Be 8omsthing
Else.

Ghosts Proved to Be 8omsthinl
Else.
A few years ago / removed into new
and larger house with = young family
Some nights after my removal VA
awake ned in the middle Of the night b.
a distinct knocking twice or thrice re
peated at my bedroom door. ! called
out, "Who's thereT There was NO re.
ply; but after an interval Of few min
utes the knocking was repeated a. dis
tinctly as before. Again the same ques.
! ton, "Who's therer and again NO 70.
ply; but again came the knocking, II
possible more distinct and louder than
before. and just as if person outside In
the lobby had struck sharply and 10
peatedly with his knuckles ON the door.
l sprang rapidly from bed ON its being
repeated, and rushed to the bedroom
door and opened it, determined to catch
tine knocker. But there was was no ono
outside; and no one could have escaped
down the staircase, which was what II
called a we'll staircase, brilliantly lighted
with food of moonlight, which stream
ed through the skylight window. lam
not, and never was, spirit-stricken or
superstitious, but will confess my sen.
sation now became trying; my heart
began to throb, and ] returned to
bed with ears painfully awake. Again
came the knocking, clear and distinct
and methodical as before. Although
feeling very uneasy, crept silently out
of bed and stretched myself on the floor
with my head on the boards and 4 few
feet from the bedroom door, to find out
If possible from what part of the door
the knocking proceeded. Again it came
as before, and ! could distinctly refer it
to the lowest part or panel of the door.
l suddenly opened the door, but with
the same result "a before; and again /
lay in my former position. Again came
the knocking, three CT four distinct
taps; and now fixing my eyes steadily
on the spot from which the tapping pro-
ceeded. saw the knuckle bone of leg
of lamb, about the size OF very small
walnut, jerked repeatedly against the
skirting that lay slongside the door. The
skirting was thinner than the sounding
board cf a piano, and it was the sudden
tapping of the little bone against the
sounding.board that produced the NJ
peated knocking. But how was this
tapping producedf By mouse that
had found its way along the hollow
space behind the wainscot. It had
bored hole in the very lowest part of
the wainscot, very nearly on . level
with the floor, had found its little bone
left after the children's dinner, and had
dragged it to the entrance of its hole,
but could not get it through. It had
dragged through the tough bit of sinew
which is attached to the end of the bono
-popularly known in mutton - the
gentfemanIs bOne-and was trying b.
jerking it backward to bring the bone
itself through, and each jerk gave blow
agains. the thin seunding-b board, and
each blow gave out the sound or myste-
rious knock.
My next experience was, if possible,
more puEzling. In the neighborhood Of
Dublin, ON the rocky sea-coast of Dalkey,
there are several castles supposed to have
been erected by the Danes for the pro-
lection of their traders. They are still
in fair preservation, and have dwelling
houses of modern construction built
against them. One of these old castles
stands on the very verge of the sea, over
what was once rocky inlet, but it is
now harbor, along the opposite aide Of
which il q row of fishermen's cottages.
The dwelling-house attached to this old
castle with my family occupied in the
summer, for health's sake and to enjoy
boating, of which was fond. ] observ-
cd, some time after taking up my resi-
dence in it, that, no matter at what
time retired to bed-and generally
sat up one or two hours after the other
members Of my family had retired-the
servants from the kitchen story selected
the same moment for their departure.
This unceasing regularity became ct
last annoying, and / insisted ON knowing
the cause. The information given TO
me was that the old castle and house
were haunted, and that for NO induce.
ment would the servants remain after
/ had ascesded from the parlor. bad
no reasons for thinking there was some
ground for the fears. The pantry par
ticalarly, and the rest of the house with
it, were walked over by foOtsteps at
night. These were plainly heard, and
there was added an additional aggrava-
tion, for not content with this, the "su-
pernatural" visitor began to do mis-
chief, and generally in the gray Of the
morning made free with eatables and
pots of jam on the shelves, occasionally
breaking glass or plate. To add TO the
mystery, though the pantry was care.
fully locked every night, the depredae
tions still continued, and 1t length the
terror of each nights visitation became
greater and greater, and various stories
began to be circulated, one being that
the visitant was the spirit Of mum con-
demned tc suffer the pangs Of hunger
for some transgression. This was sup
ported by the circumstance Of IT,
old castle and grounds having
a. . convent. The only opening
into the pantry Was through I ventilator
in the roof, very high up, and adjoining
one of the lofty walls of the old castle.
Through this no human teing could OBJ
tain an entrance; but It Was entered BY
Z monkey, which came to It In this way.
One of the pilot-boats was taking on .
pilot to 4 ship, to relieve the ono on
duty, when the monkey. ick ! suppose
of the sea, and determined not TO lose
the opportunity, jumped into the boat.
and on nearing the shore jumped ont
again and sought the nearest shelt1f,
which happened to the old castle. The
ship was from the West Indies, laden
with sugar. The monkey, though
missed from the homeward-bOund, wAs
unDoticed BY the pilot crew, and finding
his way from the castle to the ventiiatOR
Of the adjoining dwelling house pantry,
s0uOhk II aslay hfs hunger there WhAn