The Dawson journal., 1886-01-21
A WESTERN Gn0ST STORY
Mistaking the Number Of q Room and
Getting in Bed With a Corpse.

The following strange stor,
comes from the city OF Burlington
Iowa, and is vonched for by rs-
sponsible parties: There lives 9
few miles out from Burlington, in
one of the suburban towns, mer,
chant called Jones, who, every
few months, goes into the city to
repienish his stock Of goods. Last
May he went to Burlington for
that parpose, AMI arriving late in
the afternoon, went direct to the
hotel he was In the habit OF stop
ping at and registered. He told
the clerk he wanted his old room,
No. 81, and. to have it all ready, as
he would not be in until late, for
he expected to visit the different
stores, select his goods, and then
finish up SO as to take the morn
ing train for home. The CLERK
told him he could have the room.
but would have for bedfellow a
Methodist preacher, who had al
ready been assigned to that room,
He replied that it made no differ
ence so he would leava the door
unlocked. He was out making
his purchases an1 came in very
late-a few minutes after twelve
o'clock. midnight. The light was
turned down pretty low, and he
proceeded to undress and get
ready for bed. He noticed that
his bedfellow had nothing but q
sheet over him, aud. although it
was not warm, it was not very cold,
and SO he got in He was almost
asleep when he heard his door
open, and, on looking up, saw
young man and lady enter and
take seats on the opposite side OF
the room. They had hardly en-
tered when tho young man COM
mence1 to make love to the girl
in vhe latest approved fashion =
kissing her, AMI telling her he
would die for har,swim rivers and
kill men.
Jones says it got 50 amusing
that he poked his badfollow in The
ribs to aw tksn him that he might
enjoy the fun, thinking it would
be as amusing to preacher as
any other mortal. The preacher
showed no signs Of awakening,
and the love-making went on
stronger than ever. H. punched
again and again, but failed to
awaken his friend. At last the
pair got SO far along that Jones
could not stand it no longer, and,
after giving the preacher kick
in the side, raised up and pulled
the sheet down OF Of his lace, so
he could see. As he pulled down
the sheet his hair stood on end
and his face blanched with hor-
ror, for there beside him lay the
corpse of a beautiful woman with
dark hair, and wrapped in q
shroud, and a silver dollar on
each OF her eyes.
When recovered from the first
shock be srrang from the bed, and
as he landed on the floor his face
was as white as the dead body in
the bed, and his hair on end. The
young man went out of the win
dow, taking the sash with him the
woman, with o shriek, fell faint
ing en- the floor. Jones grabbed
the chair on which were his
clothes and started out. AS lac
opened the door he saw his mis-
take, ss the number was "a instead
OF 81 A few steps, taken in quick
time, brought him to "a, and, en-
tering, he made sure that his bed
fellow this time was alive. He
didn't sleep, and rose early and
went down to breakfast, Here, il
the dining room, the whole con.
versation was about the mysteri
GUS action of the corpse. Some
who entered q few minutes after
declares the body had never NOV.
ed or been moved. as the dollars
we're still on her eyes. Others
thought the pair had fallen aslesy
and the man had dream of
ghost, and, rushing through th'
window, had frightened the lady
! jones never said q word, and tn