Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-23
BY GHOSTS.
Mysterious Manifestations that Drove
Out all Who Attempted to Live
in a Haunted House-Its
Strange Story.
Louisville Courier. journal.


Louisville Courier journal.
A house on York, between Eighth
and Ninth streets, has lately been the
subject of mysterious rumors. The
gossips freely sllege that 1t is haunted,
and there has been no end CT whisper.
iugs concerning Its supposed tenants.
Until q few months ago it was occu.
pied by a family named Basley, which
consisted Of o man, his W fe and six
children. Basley was either q Swiss
or q German, his nelghbors are not
certain which, and was a furniture
maker, employed In a factory or
Ninth, between York and Lexington
streets. He was o middle.aged man,
of steady, industrious habits, and as
he was an excellent workman and q
clever neighbor, he was quite popular
among the few who knew him. The
family did not, however, court &C.
quaintance, but maintained rather q
reserve.
Some months ago 1t was noticed that
Basley's health began to fail, though
he still went about his work az usual.
He seemed to be troubled about
something, and oonfided to q neighbor
bis belief that he would die soon.
the other e~ndeavored to dissuade him
from this Idea, but he chung stoutly to
it, saying that he felt that his days
we're numbered. He added that he
was prepared for death, and would
meet II with resignation. Sure enough
his presentment was realized, and it
was scarcely q month before he was
laid In the tomb. He had been a So
Der man and b good worker, In life,
and did not leave his family unpro.
vided for, and he had some little say
ings, and In addition q policy on his
life for $4,000. The money was paid
to the widow, and after a short inter-
| val she sold out her household goods
and leftIwith her children for. Missouri.
The strange part Of the story now
comes. The house which the family
had occupied was quickly rented out
to q family named Brown. They did
not occupy it long, however, before
they gave It up and moved away,
alleging that the place was haunted
They said but little about II, though,
as they seemed afraid of iidicule, and
II was not long before the house found
another tenant. The new conner stuck
to 1t q short time and professed to dis.
| believe the stories which were told
concerning the place, but as time wore
on they too became alarmed. Mystic.
rious sounds were heard at all hours
If the night; doors we're opened and
shut without human hands, and In
spite # locks and bars. Phosphores-
cent lights would flash In at the win.
dows and spiritual w~ailings penetrated
every nook, and Granny Of the build.
Ing.
THE TRAILING OF NsEEN ROBES
Would be heard across the room, Of
if the dead were passing through the
room In their shrouds; and it was even
whispered that the ghost Of the furni'
tu,e maker, looking wierd and ghast.
ly In the faint CLEAN Of light which
seemed to emanate from his form,
was seen on one or two occasions.
The family could stand II no longer,
and struck with supertitious " and
dread, they left the neighborhood and
subsequently, the city.
A reporter OF The Courier Journal
visited the house yesterday. 1t Ia 9
drsary, unromantic locality, only Z
short distance from q tobacco factory
aud the furniture shop where the mar
Basley used to work. The house is ar
uupretentious, double frame tene
ment, which was Just undergoing SONS
repairs and alterations, and had
notice tackled on the fence that the
place was for sale. Looking at it in
the broad light of the day, with the
sun shining down upon the puddles Of
dirty water in front and a group Of
ragged urchins playing near by, it was
hard to believe that 80 prosaic a place
should ever have BEEN the scene oi
ghostly manifestations.
The reporter knocked at the door Of
an adjoining house. 1t was opened by
q frowsy. headed woman with severaI
children clingipg around her knees,
Ia response to his inquiry as to the
house in question, she started at frs
and protested entire ignorance of the
subject. After some further ques
tioning, however, she acknowledged
people couldn't live there because II
was haunted, but refused to give any
particulars. Subsequently the reporter
met q man who was disposed to bt
more communicative, and from him HI
succeeded In learning all that hal
been narrated. He said the matte,
was not generally known, as al
the tenants who had ave occu
pied the place had moved away
but seemed to fully believe IL
the ghostly manifestations, for whicl
he declared there could be no othe
than a supernatural explanation. A
one time he said that q couple o
young men, who worked In the to
bscoo factory near by, resolved t
spend q night there and see II the tale
were really true. They kindl'd fire
and determined to cit up till morning
but they did not remain longer tina
midnight, as they were frightened a
most out Of their wits by the III
earthly voices, and oven believed the
saw more than one spook in the III
earthly habitation. Since then no on
has had the courage to repeat the
experiment, and the house has r,
7 manned untenanted.