The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-09-07
THE LOCAL NEWS RECORD
A Haunted House.

Situated some six miles northeast
OF the city on the old Preston road, IL
o ono story frame house whose weird
deserted look invariably attraclis the
attention ofthe traveller, and impresses
upon his mind that the house is
haunted. He has only TO inquire OF
those living in tho noiRhborhooa to
learn that his Impressions arc well
founded. tits as before stated ono
story frame with four rooms aud an
old fashioned gallery which fronts tho
road and sets back In the
yard half hidden from view
by trees and bushes, whose profuso
growth show that they have not been
trimmed In years. The staggering.
struggling fence that oncloses tho yard
IL rapidly going TO decay. There Ia u
forbidden air about tho promises that
the most casual observer never fails TO
notice. Mr.. Morosey, the owner of the
property has been uuablo to keep
tenant any length OF time because OF
the disturbance raised by o troop
OF ghosts that visit the place
once week, though there il not n
night that passes without supernatural
demonstrations. After trying num-
ber of tenants, the owner proposed TO
give an Englishmen, u plucky sort Of
man, three-iourths of tho crop If no
would live In the house aud work tho
farm. Tho Engliahmnn, Mr.. Frank.
lin, with his wife and two children, a
boy and girl, moved In about the Goth
of last month. He declared that If
n nl a srh bat
there were not enough In the country
to run him out, though he has since
abandoned what he terms e"blarsted
place" They moved In, apd.about 8
o'clock that night, whilo ho and his
family were lying In bed, counting
sleep In their new quarters, tho heavy
step OF man was heard on the gale
ry by himself and vito. A moment
later tho door opening into their room
was opened and slammed to with
great violence. The iOotfallB ap-
preached their bed and passing into
an adjoining room, whore tho children
were sleeping, banged tho door to that
had been left ajar. AS soon as the
first door opened and shut Mr.. Frank
lin jumped out of hia bed and SEEING
his shotgun, started to slay the In
trudcr, but hlB hair began TO raise
when he failed TO see tho visitor
whose footsteps were SO painfully au-
dible. He followed tho sound through
the children's room Into another, the
door of which was closed with n loud
bang, like tho others. Gaining
this room, tho footsteps ceased, Mira.
Franklin and her children, who had
followed him In thoir fright, and who
were clinging to him, had scarcely qui.
eted down, when q shot, like that OF a
pistol rang ont In tho room, causing
even the sturdy Englishman TO quake
with fear. The moon was shining
brightly, but no one but his little D.
year-0ld girl saw anything. She
screamed, and pointing her finger
towards ono OF tho windows, said
"rhere hegoos, papa, out tho window
man. See tho blood" And
the child screamed again and agar
a. she chung TO him. When cues
toned she said, "Now, tho poor mar
In the bed and tho bod and all 1,
gone" She said she saw man with
abroad brimmed hat and his pants IL
his boots, 80 to where sick man was
lying In bed aud, putting q pistol Il
his head, shoot him. The sick mar
threw up his hands when tho man ap.
preached him, with pistol. IL
hand, and pleaded with him not to XII
him. Tho sick man had wound ID
his side and there was a bandago that
partially covered 1t. Mr.. Franklin
was nonplussod, aud his wifo aud
children were on tho eve of leaving
the room when thoy heBrd some on,
at the well. The bucket was lowered
by some Invisible agency, aud whom 1,
came To tho top was tilted rs though
aperson was drinking out of Il. This
was too much for Mr.. Franklin, ant
aiming NJ APPOINT whore no thought
tho ghost would likely DO no bred. Iul.
mediately thoro was q general orasl
inside tho house, followed 10y n lout
boieterous laugh like that o
\ number OF drunken mon
On going In thoy found the iurnitur,
In all the rooms smashed into smith
Greens and everything torn to pieces
Day was dawning, and IA soon Az tn,
sun rose Mr.. Franklin lost no time II
moving his family and wrecked o.
fects TO more pleasant qusrtors, Ok
settlers say that during tho war n Con
federato soldier, who was suffering
from wound In tho side
had stopped thoro with Tn,
family that then owned the p!ac
to recuperate, and thAt no was muir
dered by the leader ola gang OF rob
bors, who had an old grudge OF year
standing against him.
The stery Is given pretty much q,
related by Mr.. Franklin, who has bt
come q confirmed believer In the ~
J pOYnntural