The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-10-10
The Haunted House.

family who reside there. For the past six
months strange stories have been ailoat
concerning the uncanny occurrences that
almost daily and nightly occur in this
house. Since April last the place has been
visited by fully 10000 people, who have
poured in from every neighboring city and
village, and from the surrounding country,
to witness the ghostly freaks of the spirit
that rules this household. A story is told
that an old Indian chief named Tiskilwa
was condemned TO death near the spot by
the whites, and that he stoutly protested
his innocence of the crime he was charged
with. After his death il was discovered
that he was innocent Before his death it
is said that he uttered the following proph-
ecy, which 1t appears that he is now fulfill
ing when six hundred moons have
passed, in the white mans year of 1885
Tiskilwa shall return TO the valley that
bears his name, and strange things shall
come to pass, and the peace of the white
man shall be broken" There is largely
prevailing belief that ii is all a humbug,
and that the Bar hlemans are keeping il up,
but these humbug howlers, when they are
induced to pay the haunted house a visit,
bring away with them very long and very
solemn faces. There is one of two things
positively true in regard TO this matter Of
the Barthleman ghost-it is either one of
the cleverest swindles kept up fully six
months without being detected by any one
of the thousands who have visited the
premises, and kept up for heaven knows
what purpose; or the manifestations ema-
nate from the world of spirits. The mani
festations have become more varied. The
stohe rolling from the roof continues night
and day. A flat stone the size of mans
hand recently fell from the roof, on which
there is clearly lined against the gray sur
face a vivid outline Of the east trent of the
haunted house, including even the summer
kitchen The rappings also continue, and
added to these are other and still more
startling sights and sounds. one day re-
Gently u large party from Princeton was at
the house. This was about four o'clock in
the afternoon. Suddenly during a lull in
the conversation a rattling sound was heard
on the roof One Of the ladies who sat by
the open door observed that, Judging from
the sound of the rolling, which was ftful
and slow the stone must he a queer shaped
one, and that She would watch il fall and
secure il as a souvenir, As said above, the
door was open, but the wire ly-screen was
closed. Down fell the object from the
caves of the porch. Il took turn in the
air after leaving the roof and flew straight
at the screen door, with such violence as to-
tear a triangular hole in the wires. 1t fell
a. the feet Of the lady, and proved to be an
iron railroad spike, 1t is the universal
verdict OF the large party who witnessed
this demonstration that no human hands
had anything TO do with it, The ghost, or
whatever ii is, has lately taken new
freak. Half a dozen times day it will
change all the beds in the house from the
belsteads to the floor, let them lie there
awhile, and then replace them, A large
party from TiSkilwa went to the house re
Gently to investigate this new demonStIa-
ton. The beds in two large rooms were
thoroughly Overhauled, and the rooms and
closets subjected to the most minute scruti.
ny. The party then passed out of the
rooms, closing the doors and standing
guard by them They left the bedding in
It's legitimate place upon the bedsteads. In
- minutes they opened the doors, and the
bedding lay upon the floor, 1t was not at
all disarranged A guard was placed out.
side TO watch the windows, and the same
thing was performed again and again. A
hired man sleeping in the house was awak-
ened one night not long ago bathed in per
spiration and struggling with an incubus
which he could not shake eff. When fully |
awake he realized that lie was in the EN-.
brace Of some tremendous invisible power |
He fought desperately to get away, and
finally rolled out of bed with such a thumb
that the household was awakened. The /
presence continued to struggle with and
hold him for some time after lights We're
brought. In short, it is very rare now that /
anybody visits the house without witness
Ing strange and unaccountible manifesto
tons. Another mystery is the Phantom
House. On any dark, rainy night a large