Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-26
the bureau. Still I did not attach great

went entirely out OF MY mind.
That night was reused in precisely
the same manner as before. In the morn
ing the table stood by the sofa again, and
all the things that had been on it were on
the bureau. This surprised me good
deal, and | must confess to feeling little
"crawley" about it still, much occupn-
ton during the day almost eifnced the
impression before night. The third eve
ming l spent with some friends, and re-
turned about II o'clock, and almost i'm
mediately retired, to go through exactly
the same experience, and then in reality
began to feel uncomfortable and not to
care about going to bed. determined to
fix things so nobody could move that Ia
BILE. 1 did not believe in supernatural
agency, and took a rope that had been
around my trunk and tied that table fast
to the leg of the bureau, and tied more
knots than l could have united in half an
hour, piled some things on the top, and
went to bed, leaving the gas fully turned
on. L nwoke next morning after having
been the unwilling witness of it all again,
and the rope lay on the hoor, and all the
things with it.
l declared to myself that would not
sleep III that room another night, though
1 did not think spirits had anything to do
with it. ] called n chambcrmaid and ask
ed her if she could not sleep in the room
with me. She said that it was against
the rules, but that she would speak to the
housekeeper. SO Katy did, and the house
keeper came down. | had n conversation
with her and asked her if any one had
ever complained in any way of that room.
She hesitated and finally said that a sick
lady once had insisted on being changed
to another room, but did not offer any ex-
plantations. / did not either, but decided
not to give up without one more trial,
and this night determined not to fall as
leep at all, and so l sat up reading, or
rather trying to read, until nearly II, and
then did not quite feel ms though |
wanted to remain in the same room, and
desired as much protection as the alcove
room wonld give. though there were but
curtains to separate the rooms.
So / sat up in bed there for about m
hour. All in an instant the whole thing
was before me again, and did feel some
what queer and chilly, but | watched the
progress of the whole tragedy again, aud,
as decided, for the last time.
| As soon MS was feasible in the morning
L sent for Mr.. Adams, the clerk, to come
up, and asked him if he would tell me
whether any murder had ever been COM
mitted in that room, and he declared there
had not but when l insisted on finding
out whether n tragedy OF any kind had
been enacted there, he admitted that once
n man had committed suicide in that room.
He had been sick and Respondent, and 80
had taken his life.
l felt sure, then, and told him so, that
that man had been murdered, and under
Just such circumstances as | had seen.
| Mr.. Adams could not give the details of
the position Of the body of the supposed
| suicide.
l was then assigned to another room,
| and as long as l remained l saw no more
of my ghostly vision. 1 promised Mr.,
Adams to say nothing about it, not that
we believed in ghosts, either of us, but
| for the hotels sake and l went my way
to Europe after few days, and remained
| there some years. On my return l sim
| ply passed through New York and had al
most forgotten the whole affair. After
| several years residence in America again,
and after travelling the whole length and
breadth of our county twice, it is quite
natural to suppose that should have for
gotten all about it. One day was writ
ing very lively, sprightly letter, and
feeling in particularly good spirits, when
all at once / pushed aside the letter, and
drawing another paper toward me wrote
out simple history of that affair, Just as
it was, and mailed It to the New York
SIM They took only time toverify what
they conld of the story and published it.
1t made considerable stir, and the report
crs visited the room and interviewed Mr..
Adams who admitted all that is here told
AZ 1lg nl, hnt Ia, fnlt I
was perfectly sincere and honest, and
particularly level-headed person, and one
not given to any OF the fallacies of spirit
ualism, and that he did not doubt that |
saw everything as l said. He Ind had
one or two persons who desired to leave
the room, but he did not know why. He
would not be afraid to sleep there, but
never had done SO. Then several persons
who had occupied that room began to he
heard from. all relating different expert
ences. though none had seen what had.
Catholic priest published an article
relating to it, and accounting for it all by
saying that he believed that the man had
been murdered and that the assassin was
still living, and that MS punishment for
bis crime he was obliged to enact it every
night in spirit while asleep, and that it
was well known fact that one mind had
influence over another to n greater or less
extent, and that his mind during its free
moments had forced mine to behold the
tragedy.
Some of the newspapers suggested that
it was the ghost OF Tammany others
declared it Bill Tweed, and some riliculed
the whole affair. VI.
IA English sea captain also published
his experience while occupying that room.
tie had been playing cards with a friend,
and while at the little table there came
heavy shower of apparently heavy arti-
Giles down on the table, scattering the cards
right and left. Another man had had pc
culiar, but not startling experiences
there.
Several years have passed since that
time, and l had almost forgotten that
had ever written or seen anything, when
about two months since the whole was
brought to my mind by strange and
shocking incident.
l was walking along one of the busiest
streets in New York, and it was very hot
and l did not wish to get unnecessarily
heated, when / became aware of an IN |
comfortable sensation, Ms if n cold hand
was touching me and leading me forward. |
A few steps further took me toward n lady |
Of graceful mien and figure, who was
standing by the side of gentleman whose
face and figure seemed strangely familiar
to me. l caught his look, which was fixed |
upon me, and he drew his lips back in an |
attempt to smile, which was so CHASTITY n |
sight that all who saw it shuddered, and
then he fell to the ground dead.
OF course everything was done that
could be done to restore him, but useless |
ly, and the doctor said he died in fit. III
was the only other woman present, and, |
as such, l felt it duty to stay by the wo-
man, who seemed to be stricken with |