The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-25
A TRUE GHOST STORY.

AAe~A lilfLbS lllIbISCi
distinguished for cool courage and q
love Of adventure, and whom his
brother soldiers considered the best
pistol shotin the army, the converse,
ton happened to turn upon the al
most universal belief in the super
natural.
We discussed the genii of the tales
OF the east, the witches and ghosts SC
generally accepted q century ago, and
the spiritualists of to-day. Suddenly
+. turned to me and said: "Perhaps
you may be surprised if I tell you q
true ghoststory, one l can vouch fol
myself" Knowing him to be q con.
frmed skeptic upon all supernatural
subjects, ! smilingly assented.
"Youneed not smile," he continued,
"my experience was enough to shake
the nerves OF the bravest man living,
and to have rendered a timid one
mad"
Some six or seven years ago, short
ly after graduating from the military
academy at West Point, / was sent
with my command, part of q com
pany of heavy artillery, to take pos
session Of the little fort on Bedloe's
Island, in the harbor OF New York; the
island, you will remember, on which
Bartholdi's Statue OF Liberty is to be
placed. The place had been long de-
serted, had acquired IN evil name,
was known to be the resort OF thieves
and sfnussgglers, and, the New York po-
lice said, was the headquarters Of q
gang, Of river pirates. 1t was, indeed,
to break up this nest OF scoundrels,
who had found that, being United
States property, the old fort was
neye visited by the police, that
/ was to take possession of the is
land"
'It was q gray, raw day in Novem-
Der; rain had fallen in the afternoon,
and, when boats containing my little
command reached our destination, q
cold fog hung over the harbor and the
rising wind howled about the old bar
rack, adding to the gloom and in
creasing the dreary d~esolation of the
mildewed old walls. 1t was already
3 O'Clock and daylight beginning to
linda On | ~ do tln ~ -. -.
rations for the night asrapidly as pos
sible. Inside the tiny fort there was q
house, but in SO dilapidated a state
that but one room-ala large one, which
had probably once served as a mess
room-was habitable, and this the
bare floor, the broken ceiling, the
walls from which the paper hung in
strips made uninviting enough. In
this. however, being the best, my
trunk WAS placed. a stove put up,
which WAS roaring in a cheerful way,
lamp lighted, nIea, bedding, u table
and two chairs brought in, and |
started on a tour ofinspection. Ihad
told my sergeant to prepare the quar-
tiers for the men in n long, low building
outside the fort. which seemed in
fairly good condition. Soldiers are
rapid, because systematic, workers,
and before nlsht{all all were made
comfortable, and the supper servedto
them which did credit to the com
pnny cooks. / visited andinspected
every part ofthe island-a mere speck
IN the harbor, as you know-looked
into the old easements, went through
the ruinous old house from cellar to
attic, examined bolts and doors,
then, having given orders for the
night, closed the great gate leading in
to the fort and retired to my quar-
ters."
It certainly am not either a timid
or an imaginative man, but there was
something to thelastdesre depressing
In the place that night. The wind,
which had driven away the fog, howl
ed and mourned in the deserted place;
the rats trooped up and within the
partition walls, and there rose q
strange, earthly smell which reminded
me, l scarce knew why, OF new-madc
graves. Now and then Some sea-bird's
scream could be heard, or the distant
roar OF the foghorn OF some passing
ship vas added to the signing and
rroaninp Of the wind T sat dawn nd
read HE one or two nawsnanars +
CHANGED IL hays IN mn nnoi,pet saro+a
ont a few manonran polSo.' .as
INV irnnL ,;fted o,t tha +raM n'h;ah :
nlscea nno,a ~ E+4le 10y, VIII :
nmmber ~ art;oles ~ u, pu. .
little shelf and 1han a1IhaS,r usi = on .
at;ll aarlv Mt mnra thon - 1 Tas
lieye.SI made NV toiIet tnr tbe n;ob hi