The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-17
Is il A Ghost2

A gentleman well known in this city,
savs the Cincinnati Enquirer, and who
for short will be called Brown, was al
most scared out of his senses night be-
fore last by what he regarded as spirit
ranpines. He lives in the same house in
which he has resided for six years. He
has no family except his wife, hand
some lady of SO. He is on the road
travelling a great deal of the time, and
in his absence his wife and servant are
left alone. The wife has often told dur
inc the past three years of unusual
noises heard around the house while he
was away, but he never gave the matter
any thought.
One night little over two years ago,
during the absence of Mr.. Brown, the
wife was awakened by the sound of
heavy footballs in the diningroom, inn
mediately below They were plain and
unmistakable, like the tread of man
walking up and down the room in great
excitement Every step was heard dis
tinctlv, and the monotonous tramp,
tramp continued for fully ten misutes.
Mrs. Brown at first thought that her
husband had returned and was perpe-
tratino a Joke ON her, but a tremendous
knock, as from giants fist, on the
dining-room door dissipated the delu-
sion, and, frightened nearly out of her
senses, the poor woman covered her
head with the bed-clothes and waited in
fear and trembling for further develop
ments. Often after that many uncanny
noises were heard in different parts of
the house, but more generally in the
bedroom of Mrs. Brown.
Manifestations have been more fire.
quent the past two or three weeks, and,
as Mr.. Brown feelingly informed the re-
porter, the unknown has raised the
devil" On Wednesday night he bad
considerable writing to do and sat down
to accomplish it. At half-past O'Clock
his wife said she was tired and would
90 to bed, and going into her bedroom
closed the door and proceeded to dis
robe She had not been i'll the room ten
minutes when the rapping commenced,
each time bV three knocks first at the
window, then on the mirror in the dress
ino-case, and then on the headboard of
the bed. They came in such quick sue
cesSion and with such frequency that
she went out into the hall where her
husband was at work and told him what
she had heard. He Immediately arose
and led his wife back into the room,
put her 10 bed and remained a little
time with her to quiet her fears. AS
usual with his appearance the knocking
ceased After sitting for some five
minutes he Withdrew and partly closed
the door, but stood there n moment to
listen for a repetition of the noise. He
had his ear close up to the door, when
suddenly there came thud against it
that sounded as if produced by power
full blow from a clenched fist. He re-
coiled in astonishment, and then recover
ing himself opened the door and looked
in to see the source, but found no one
there. Partly closing it again he step
ped out and tried it over, with the same
result, attended with slighter manifesto
tions at the headboard of the bed, three
in rapid succession, repeated every
twenty or thirty seconds. After satisfy
ing himself that they were really rap
pings of some supernatural order he be-
came thoroughly alarmed and lay awake
almost the entire night, wondering
when he would be picked up and car
ried out by the unknown.
Mr.. Brown and wife are both unbe-
levers in spirituaism, and are lost in
wonderment that their peace and quiet
should be thus molested. He intends
to change his residence at once and see
if he cannot get rid of the manifesto
lions.