Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-11
Who Writes Messages on the Wall in
Blood, Giving Warning Of In.
pending Danger TO
Former Loyer-A Wonderful Spirit Me.
dium Only Five Years 0ld-The
Haunted Desk.

DORIS Is SUBSTANTIALLY As follows.
Last Thursdsy night the younger married
sister, who refuses TO give her name, was
sleeping IN the north room upstairs, on the
east side Of the room, with her lille boy.
She was awakened by some one, as she sup
posed, pulling the clothes of the bed, and
called to her other married sister, Mrs. W.
S. Ashby, VINO was sleeping in the southwest
corner Of the same room, 20 know If it wss
she when, 10 her horror and surprise, she
received no reply, but the light, which was
burning quite brightly, was put out ss If by
a draught of wind. The younger sister
screamed, awakening Mrs. Ashoy, and after
great difficulty they succeeded in rellghting
the lamp, toe drsught being perceptble to
the latter lady. They were unable to ind
any cause for the draught, and, 1t being
nearly morning, remained up the rest oil the
night. In the morpipg young man who
occupied the south room front with Mr..
Williamson, when he was at home, created
still further condemnation in the ladies'
minds by complaining that he could not
keep the clothes on bis bed the night prevl-
GUS. The young man, who gave his name as
Herbert Rhiuehsrt, did not return to the
honss the following night friday on &C
count Of the annoyance, bot returned and
occupied the same room Saturday night, as
Mr.. Williamson was expected homo that
night.
Friday night the two married sisters re-
manned up nearly all night, and the only
inconvenience experienced was that oil hav-
ing the lamp blown OFT so often that they
sat with their hands full OF matches IN order
that they might relight 1t again. Durlng
the day Saturday, the disturbance had be-
come known 10 the ueighboThood, and sew
eral of the neighbors who called claimed TO
have heard rappings, which the younger Sis
ter also heard. On Saturday night, being
completely exhausted, the younger married
sister, who has been here about six months
under medical treatment, and whose home
in in Michigan, retired 10 the bed she occu-
pied with her child Thursday night, and the
elder married sister before retiring pro
ceeded to the room below for some purpose.
This wac between II and l o'clock, they say.
Shortly after Mrs. Ashby had left her sister
sne heard her scream, and rnnnlns up-stATs
met her at the door OF her room in her night
dress, the front OF which was sprinkled with
blood. the left sleeve fc1rched and stained
with blood, and the poor woman al
most deld with fright. The lamp
which she had left burning in the
room when Mrs. Ashby went down.
stairs WAS lying on the hoor, the chimney
| broken In atoms, and upon the west wall Of
the room, near the window 10 the north end,
was written in blood, which boh the ladies
affirm was still trickliDg down the wall, the
initials "M. F. r." The younger sister avers
| that she was awakened by what seemed 10
her a rushing wind, and the first thing she
saw was the lamp coming toward her from
the other end of the room, and no one visible
bearing it. As she screamed the lamp iell,
add she felt something grasp her left arm,
and in a loud whisper exciaim "DAngerP'
| "Dauperln twice in the darkness before her
| sister could get up stairs to her. Her sister
tried 10 have her cay whose voice she thought
| it was. but she refused TO tell them. An odor
of burning paper was go perceptible In The
room where the ladies had been sleeping
that a search was instituted, and 10 closet
pesr the door. at the head of Mrs. Ashby's
| bed. was found box which had contained
| her private letters from her husband, and
| from several gentleman friends, written
previous 10 her marriage. The letters from
| hef husband had been placed on top and
those from the gentlemen friends IN the Dot
| tom A hole had been burned through the bot
tom of The box as large as silver dollar, and
every one of the letters in the bottom OF the
box from one particular gentleman were
more or less burned, while those from her
husband were torn TO pieces. After con-
siderable reluctance Mrs. Ashby said that
the letters so badly burned in the bottom Of
the box were from an old admlrer who had
died six years ago IN Texss--a gentleman
whom her husband had never kuowni a
telegraph operator named Moses Il. FELTON,,
said TO have been a brother of Mr.. George
W. FELTON,, manager of the Western Union
| telegraph Office of this city. After the
scorched letters had been found the younger
sister said it was his voice that had called
danger" TO her twice during the manifesto
ton iust related. Along with the burning
letters, ss they claim they were siill smoking
when found, was feundilhe following mes
sage, partially burned aud blood-stsined, a.
ALEC we're the letters, written in large,
scrawlipg hand:
LIBBIE-Danger; come to me- your life.
NJ F. R danger.
Mrs. Ashby has not been living with her
husband for some time on account OF his
drinking and gambling propensities, and as
this message was intended for her she IN
ditsd postal card to a Mr.. j. G. Kenney,
room No. 80, 10 LaSslie street, said 10
be in chsrge Of a telephone department
there, who knew Mr.. FELTON, when he wss in
the flesh, requesting him 10 call at his esrli-
est convenience, as old friends desired to see
him, signing the postal, "Yours in haste,
Lizzie" and adding postscript, as usual, TO
call Monday evening or afternoon. This
VI,
mail matter in the kitchen on the sewing
machine. When Mr.. Williamson returned
Sunday morning he was very 10th to believe
that "Mose" Felton's ghost had been play ing
any such prsuks, and made thorough in
veetigaiion of the premises for burglars
tracks, but the ladies protested that no
money or vsluables had been missed, and
while they we're discussing the matter loud
rapping was heard in the back room
where the blood stained letters defsced
the wall, and Mr.. Williamson and his
sister Fastening 20 he haunted chamber
found the postal card Mrs. Ashby had writ
ten in the morning dangling from the curtain
string, burned go badly as to ob!iterste some
of the writing, and with il email gold
plated pencil, such az is worn on waich-chains
sometimes, with no lesden point. The ladies
requested their brother 10 take the pencil
and postal down, bu. be refused aud called
the ladv next door, a Miss Scott, who took
down the postal, and all repsired to The
room below again, when the TappiDg again
began. williamson then suggest-d TO his
sister, Mrs. Ashby, that she take the pencil,
which they claim belongs 10 DO one about
the house, and write m =sssge and leave II
in the room for Moses spirit, ard see if
that would satisfy him. Accordingly Mrs.
Scott procured piece of paper, and Mrs.
Ashby wrote, as near as she can remember:
"It ysu are Nose FELTON,, tell ms what you
want. Your initials on the wall are trans
posed" and signed her name to it. Young
Williamson rolled this message 10 the "dis-
embodied spirit" in another piece of paper
and placed il on the cur,ain-string from
whence, he claimed, it disappeared. Last
night The family did not retire at all, and
rappings were heard at intervals during the
entire night. Monday morning about II
o'clock rapping was heard iu the front room
up-stsirs, and upon repairing thither Mr..
Williamson found the following message:
LIBBIE-Death to you by W. 8. in July. Be pre-
parec. viii see you over the river. A. T. +.
Although the ghost has been trouble
some one, it cannot be denied il is very &C.
commodaiing. The inference the family
draw is that Mrs. w. S. Ashby is being
warned OF violent death at the hands Of her
husband.