The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-02-28

700 often the case, full scope for the indul-
gence Of personal hatred and revenge,
cloaked under the specious pretense of pa
triotism and public zeal. One of the most
opulent merchants of Port Royal, retired
from business, but occupying a situation of
great public importance, had made himself
obnoxious to the popular party by his
strict adherence to his duties as a citizen
and a magistrate. He had one deadly en-
emy, neighbor as wealthy as himself, but
whose infamous and licentious character
had caused him to be entirely rejected by
the family, not only as a suitor for the
hand of one Of Mr.. Ms lovely daugh-
tiers, bnt even as a common acquaintance.
Mr. Ms house was in .he outskirts of
the town, in the midst of lovely gardens,
and was furnished with taste and splen-
dor which only tropical luxury could sug-
gest. The house, securely shut up and
well defended, was considered so impreg
nable that MIR. M, his large family,
and his numerous dependents, considered
themselves in perfect safety when the in
surrection broke out, and never thought of
seeking safety by fight to a more distant
spot. Their cruel enemy, however, found
means 10 corrupt one of the inferior ser
wants, and by the aid of this traitor OBJ
tanned entrance at midnight for himself
and a well-organized band of miscreants,
to whom the certainty Of rich plunder
would have been a sufficient inducement
even without tbe specious plea that Mr..
M had been the adviser of some harsh
measures deemed necessary by the govern
ment to restore public order. The work of
murder speedily began, and in spite OF the
resistance offered by the whole household,
who uobly seconded their master, the fam
lily were driven from story to story till they
could go no further, having reached q
large room at the top Of the house, which
having no Quiet, left them no chance OF
escape. No mercy was shown either TO in
fancy, beauty or helpless old age every
individual of the doomed family was mas
sacred, and, after securing rich booty of
jewels and plate, the murderers would
have set fire to the princely mansion but
that body of troops came down upon
them, too late to save their victims, but in
time to save the house and much of it's
valuable contents from spoliation. The
prime mover in this fiendish deed was kill
ed in the conflict with the military while
trying to escape the house and grounds
became utterly desolate, and were Stunned
by all. Passers by after night-fan averred
thai shrieks of murder and cries for help
were invariably heard proceeding upward
from the bottom to the very top of the
house.
Such was its condition at the opening of
the year IS, when, the barracks at Port
Royal being full to overfowing, and at this
inoportune moment fresh troops arriving, it
was found expedient to quarter some of
them in the town. The Ihauntedlhouse,
from It's great size and close vicinity to the
town, was mentioned to the general com.
manding as suitable place, and it was
settled that large party of the newly ar
rived regiment, with their officers, should
be quartersd in the long deserted mansion.
All seemed TO go well the soldiers, glad
to be again safe On land, rOamed about at
pleasure and viewed with astonishment the
spacious rooms, the rich carvings, the
marble Btaircases, and the half fdecAyed but
still magnificent furniture profusely scat
tered about. The officers Of the garrison,
a pleasant entertainment for the newcomers
in one of the splendid saloons, and toward
midnight all was glee and convivialty. -
About this time loud noise was heard at
the outer gate, which seemed as it were to
fly open for the entrance Of numbers, then
q battering sound and confused demand for
admittance at the great door of the hall,
which opened in like manner of its own
accord then piercing shrieks as of people
ascending the great staircase, and the cries
of women and children flying madly from
a pursuing enemy. The amazed officers,
hastily snatching up their swords, rushed
in a body into the entrance hall, where
numbers of their men, attracted by the
fearful noise, were also looking wildly
about them. They saw nothing and only
fell chill current Of outer air which al
once extinguished all the lights. The
shrieks and noise Of people pursuing others
up the stairs still continued, but high up in
the house and we must now leave the
tenants of the lower apartments in state
Of alarmed bewilderment, and follow the
shadowy "rabble rout' to a large room at
the top of the mansion, which had been as
signed as a sleeping place for twelve of the
young soldiers who could not find accom-
modations below. They were all preparing
for rest when the tumultuous cries of peo-
pie ascending the stairs and of others in
hoS pursuit, made them fear that an insur-
rection had broken out in the town, and
though few of the bravest proposed their
making rush down stairs to the assistance
of their officers and comrades, they were
overruled, and the door Of the room was
hastily barricaded with heavy articles of
furniture dragged from their places for the
purpose. The noisc advanced, the door
was assaulted, every obstacle gave way,
and the astonished occupants of the room
felt themselves seized with strange, cold
horror as rush of air extinguished the
light, and all who stood in the way receiv-
ed heavy blows from invisible hands, which
left some of them senseless and the rest in
a state of idiotic bewilderment. Only one
of the number retained full and clear pos
had a perception of the ghostly nature of
what was passing. When the door was
burst open be was standing in the middle
of tho room and so escaped the blows