The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-20
MYSTERY OF THE METROPOLITAN

the Metropolitan Hotel in New York, which
is situated at the corner of Broadway and
Prince street, and assigned to room
''242" This room fronted on Prince street.
and was about ten feet wide by fifteen long
with an alcove for the bed adjoining the
main hall, while a narrow hall led from the
main hall to the room by the side of the al
cove | am thus particular in describing the
room because it has a direct bearing upon
the story shall relate.
This room has but one window, and beside
that is the fireplace, and both together take
up the entire wall space. An old-fashioned
bureau stood by the window on the left
hand on entering the room. A stationary
wash-stand, with a movable gas burner
above, was placed between the bureau and
the door leading into the little hall.
rather faded Brussels carpet covered the
floor, and small oval arble-topped table
stood in the center of the room. A couple of
easy chairs and two plain chairs also stood
about. On the right hand side of the room
was wardrobe, near the foot of the bed, just
outside the alcove, and between that and the
fireplace was lounge, This completed the
furnishing of the room.
had arrived from a railroad journey, and
was very tired, but in superb health. 1
never was one likely to indulge in vision;
and 1 wish it distinctly understood that am
not spiritualist and do not believe in spir-
itual manifestations in any way 1 relate
what [ have to say just as it happened, leav-
ing the explanation to any one who can ex-
plain it.
arrived, as I say, and was given this room
had my dinner served in the room, and sat
there until nearly midnight, writing letters
and then calling the bell-boy and giving him
the letters closed and locked the outer hall
door, and then the inner one, and after look
ing at several photographs of friends, left
them and my writing materials on the table
and went to bed, first assuring myself that
there was no possibility of any one entering
the room by the window. There were no
transoms, only a sort of window-blnd Stat
work over the head of the bed for air. l
left the gas turned up slightly, and the little
table by the side of the stationary wash
stand, where l had drawn it for the sake of
light, there being no other burner in the
room.
Being very healthy, tired, and not troubled
by bad conscience or digestion, went to
sleep almost as soon as l was comfortably
settled i'll bed, and l do not know how long
l slept. Suddenly awoke and sat bolt up
right in bed, and saw two men in the room.
The light was bright and they were seated at
the right-hand side of the room at the foot
of my bed. One was on the sofa and the
other on chair. and the little Handicapped
table was between them, and on this table
they were playing euchre | heard no words |
but knew it was euchre, because 1 under
stand that game fairly well myself
He who was sitting, or rather reclining, on
the cofa uuo daliNa to 10
in poor health, and he was dressed in a light
suit of clothes. He had thin reddish hair
and struggling beard. His forehead was I'M |
usually broad and high, and the rest of his
face was so thin that the pointed beard gave |
him a peculiar look. His hands were long |
and thin, and his left wrist was mishapen, as |
if it had once been broken and badly set
The other man was stout, dark, with pierre |
ing black eyes, and eyebrows which seemed |
to stand out straight. His hair was straight
and thick and very black and shining His |
mustache was thick and dropping At one |
corner of the MOUTH can't remember
which-was little scar like the letter V in |
shape, and his face and chin had that pecu- |
liar blue tnge that some dark men have |
when newly shaved He was handsome
withal. He was dressed in dark clothing |
They played out one hand and had played |
one trick on the next when 1 noticed they |
seemed angry and quarreling, though l
heard no sound and in all instant the dark |
man drew a knife and stabbed the other in |
the left breast. The knife penetrated to the
very hilt. He shivered little, his eyes
closed, and he was dead. Then the other
one rose and lifted up the inert right arm
and drew it forward and clasped the hand
around the handle or the knife and pushed !
the table closer until it held the elbow of
the dead man in such position as would |
keep the arm from falling again. Then he
gathered Up the cards, put them into his
pocket took up his hat and in an instant
the whole scene had disappeared, and 1 fell
back in the bed and knew no more until
morning
1 might give a long description of my ter
rors and work up thrilling tale, but as am
simply narratng facts l must say that l was
not frightened | was more surprised than
anything else, and the whole took place so
suddenly that L had not time to get fright
ened until it was all over, and when 1 awoke
in the morning it had almost passed from
my mind as l thought it but dream. But
when [ rose and went into the room 1 saw
that the table stood by the side of the lounge
and all my photographs and papers were on
the bureau Still did not attach great i'm
portance to that even, as had walked in my
sleep when was young. and in the press of
business the next day it went entirely out of
my mind.
That night l was aroused in precisely the
same manner as before and l saw the same
thing precisely. In the morning 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 1 must
confess felt little 'crawly" about it; still,
much occupation during the day almost
effaced the impression before night.
The third evening l spent with
some friends, and returned at about IL
O'clock, and almost Immediately retired, to
go through exactly the same experience; and
then in reality began to feel uncomforta-
Bile, and not to care about going to bed. |
determined to fix things SO that nobody
could move that table. did not believe in
supernatural agency. and l took rope that
had been around my trunk and tied that ta-
bic fast to the leg of the bureau, and tied
more knots than l could have united in half
a hour nilad fiji anS tlla toy. nd l