Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-09-11
INTERVIEWING A GHOST.
rHF pREsDFuL ram mar ms rom
40 a REroRrsR
A Tragedy OF the oiden Time over witch the
Nen ot suicide Was Deuiy Thrown.
Awomau IA the Case-pc
CIuc sud Death.


reporter received. with dire forobodtngs the
stern command to interview that ghost
Reporters, aS is woll-known, are slaves OF
duty. and tho ono Ia question would cheer
fully iuterN lew the devil IL 81 ordered.
ChCcrluluCss Is necessary in all cases to put
the interviewed at ease, and 81 the reporter
at eleven o'cluck that night, promptly he.
came cheerful and proceeded to tho stamp
ing ground Of tho ghost Tie moon was
very bright and the sky cluudless, while the
katydids kept up their tirelcss droning, and
the pleasant sound of the fountains in tho
lawns along his route, was varied Ivy the
voices, quite as musical, saying goodnight
to gallants at the garden gate.
At longth the spot was reached and the
reporter sat upon ire plug aud calmly
awaited the arrival OF the ghost or a cold.
The ghost came first Cold Chils ran up
the Watchers tack they came FROM the iron
plug 4 horrible wall, fun OF dire sugges-
tions OF blOOd-Curdlng possibilities, came
from u mOrUid-minded cat The watcher
held his watch in the light OF tho moon. 1t
was two minutes Of twelve. Time dragged
slowly on. one after the other the clocks
all struck their long twelve strokes, each
with the bold tone OF conscious reCtitude {;
although good quarter OF an hour elapsed
-
the hurried twelve heats OF noighbOring
house clock that formed the last. The steps
Oi pedestrians squares away we're heard ap-
preaching, they Ctrue and passed, and so the
time dragged on broken only by trivial IN
cideuls, until the relaxing vigilance OF the
sentry was aroused 10y something most un-
common.
IUr SENTRY AROUSED.
lie heard no sound of footsteps, nothing to
a Al
impulse he found himself stand ing erect,
with every faculty alert, gazing kcouiy up
the street lie could SEQ or hear nothing
and yet tue feeling that something strange
and Terrible was happening in that direction,
aud not far OH, was OyerpOwering. The quiet
shadows maSsed beneath the maple trees,
where high hank overlooks the road, were
quiet no longer An indlStinct uncertain
movement was going on among them, thAt
was not due to the gentle murmuring wind
which barely set the topmost twigs a tremb-
ling.
The moon had long since passed away, to
shed its silver glory ON the golden gate OF The
far Pacific, but to the watcher eye - trained
to darkness the contrasts OF shadow anu star
light were plain and there was surely some.
thing going or within that shadow. sud
denly figure stepped from II and, 10 the
mex NpreSsAbe horror OF the sentry advanced
towards him. 1t came on with steady
of man a tail thin man, wearing cloak
and plug hat He carried a cane, light,
thin, harmless cane. As he came nearer,
detail after detail showed that this man had
been under ground very respectable
length of time, for his costume was that of our
grandiathers and ne was, beyond all doubt,
very much OF a ghost The light WAS 100
poor TO distinguish the minuta OF ms ap-
pearAnCe, but he was dressed IN the very
height of the fashion Of his day, wearing
a al ed u
there was the indistinCt CLINT of brass buttons
His white beaver hat had q very narrow rim
and wide top l could not distinguish the fea'
lures, but his face WAS clean shayen, and sup
ported by an immense black choher that
enveloped his throat from shoulder TO chin,
leaving only a narrow rim OF collar, like the
ring between the top OF Il column ana Its
capital.
lie wore a very short vest of some bright
color, close fitting trousers on sptdery legs
and drawn down by straps passing under the
instep, such As are worn nowadays for riding.
lie advanced nOiseiessly and seemed To
bring along with him the damp, chilly odor
that is so noticeable wherever corpse Is
lying.
\ DEED OF NERVE.
And now, not for his own glory, but for
the honor OF the noble profession OF which he
is an humble member, is chronicled deed of
nerve and bravery that might make a soldier
proud. The reporter rose to the level of the
situation. He stepped squarely i'll the path
OF the advancing spectre and with a flourish
OF his pencil bade him "halt"'
1t Is only due to candOr TO state that the
harmless aspect OF this dude ghost did much
to reassure him. Sull he was an unknown
power, like the earthquake, and had a SINH
lar effect upon. the knee Joints lie did halt,
several PAGES away swung his little cane up
under his left arm, raised his hat in dignified
salute, which was returned, and in voice
clear and low, began to speak, "To you, sir"
he said, with flourish OF his large right
hand, I" ! extend my compliments upon your
courage"
Don't mention it, sir; merely in the line
OF duty. What were you doing under the
naples yOnder 2'
lie looked back in a dazsd way. " There /?
oh, | was getting myself together"
Horrors "Were you apart ~
" Now pardon me- kind sir, but tear that
if you do not iorbear from questioning | may
say something that will SO nightly alarm
you that you will not linger to hear me- For
many year have haunted this spot About
eighty-hve years ago was party in trag-
edy enacted in the house at the edge of yon-
der field pointing to solid block OF
houses across the way" and for a week Of
every year since then, at this season OF the
year, it has been my fate to haunt the earth,
in hope OF meeting with some living man
who would hearken 10 me-"
His manner was IA formal and stately az
his words, and yet neither we're still, but had
all the grace and dignity that was mastered
only by gentlemen Of the old school.
GHOSTS QUEER STORY.
After moments silence no resumed " !
had cronie who was the best friend ] ever
possessed. lis name was Thomas West,
and he was one Of tho brightest and most
brilliant lights then dawnlng upon the Ian
caster bar. 4 lawyer OF probity aud learn.
ing, and man Of courage 1t Is with pride
that l assure you sir, that he who now ad.
dresses you was houOred with this mans
warmest friendship. \ pride that Is over.
whelmed by the thought that by this friend.
ship most deplOrably occurred the combina-
ton Of strange fatalities that have brought
me so much woe.
"Mr. West was so fortunate as to have
fixed his affections upon a certain lady OF this
town, whose name shall DO held sacred in 81.
lence another pause. "M My time IL short
and / must hasten this sad tale !" his voice
had assumed a monotone, and rose and fell
like the gusts OF a summer wind.
My friend had a quarrel at a coffee house
with a certain gentleman traveller from
Rhode Island and a member of assembly
1t was over some trifling SUR that Mr.. Wes
saw tit to cast upon that contemplate prov
ince, which, a. you well know, has been
acting in manner to disgust all orderly peo
pie"
The reporter remembered the nickname O
those days, Rogues Island, and nodded as
sent. He ontinued
"a challenge was the result 1t wai
promptly accepted, and pistols, of course
chosen. On the night fixed tor the duel 1 Wa,
| in my friends room with him. lie wa,
writing letter of farewell to the lady, which
/ was to hand to her in the event OF his death