The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-07-09
NO. 49,

against the glass doors, looking keenly
for the sight of the ghost. Some few
of strong imagination asserted they
could distinguish the lank form of the
late cutter, but their ghostly figures
were generally found to be some gar
ment hung up in the back part of the
shop, which in the obscurity resembled
the human shape. The fact that no
specter could be seen did not abate the
interest in the matter. In truth 10
rather augmented it. That the scis-
sOrs went on with their short, sharp
''clip-clip, the most obstinate had to
admit Anybody with half an ear could
testify to this. And what could pro-
| duce this sound if it was not the ghostP
Why, nothing. The logic was salts
factory to the average man, and so it
was put down as an indubitable fact
that DucOurneau' s foreman, the victim
of the scOurge, had returned to his old
haunts.
Soon the crowds increased about the
door of evenings. From twenty they
became forty, sixty and then a hum
dred. At first, with all their reputa-
ton for curiosity, not single female
could be seen in the Heterogeneous
throng, but soon three or four women
appeared and in a few nights there
were many. 1t was at this time that
the Ducourneau ghost began to attract
public attention, and the police were
ordered to disperse the people congre-
gated about the place. 1t had be-
come a nuisance. for the great thor
oughfare, st. Charles street. was OBJ
structed by the presence of so many,
and nightly the numbers were aug
menting. Those nearest the closed
doors kept up the excitement by shout
ing: "He's at work now hear him
hear him ~ and the throng would al
most hold their breath to catch tho
sound of the scissors. The police
found great difficulty in performing
their duty. Several were assaulted by
individuals, who thought the officers of
the law had no right to drive citizen
off the sidewalk, and frequently there
were threats of violence. All this did
not disturb the ghostly tailor. With
more punctuality than his earthly
brothers he worked ON his cloth vigOr-
ously, at least his scissors were piled
with an energy and zeal totally un-
known in the terrestrial fraternity. AT
last the mayor, having had the matter
called to his attention, resolved to no
longer permit the crowd to cOngregate
about the place and so announced.
This only increased the excitement,
and one September night thousands of
people filled the sidewalks and street.
From the old st. Charles hotel oppo-
site guests looked out of the windows
and portico down npon the mass of
humanity, amused at the morbid GU
riosity worked up by the sensational
report. Around the doors the pressure
L Il
within earshot of the spectral tailor's
shears felt himself very fortunate.
About ten o'clock the police reported
to the mayor that they were powerless
to move the crowd. If they attempted
it there would be bloodshed. That
vigorous and determined officer, Mayer
A. d. Crossman, was not to be thwartcd
by opposition. He had resolved to put
a stop to this demonstration, and stop
it he would. When his police acknowl-
edged their weakness, he had to resort
to other means. Quietly and without
giving notice to any one he sent note
around to the engine-house Of Red
Rover No. 16, then on Dorsiere street,
just behind the present store of Strauf-
fer d. Macready, in which he requested
that the hand engine, fully manned,
should be sent to the scene. In few
minutes the machine" was on hand
and was placed in position on st.
Charles, near Gravier street. The hose
was laid and the breaks manned APP
preciating the humor of the whole
affair, the firemen worked with q will,
and a strong inch and half stream was
soon leveled at the mob. At first there
wild imprecations, but the falling
water dampened all belligerent ardor,
and the crowd took to its heels. Du-
courneau's corner was vacated very
rapidly, and where the police had
failed, Red Rover No. 16 had conquered.
1t took but few minutes for the crowd
to realize the ludicrous side of the sit
uation, and good naturedly every body
went home.
1t was resolved to discover the cause
of all this excitement, and to ferret out
if possible the means by which the
sounds of the shears were produced.
a detective was locked up
in the store the next night after the
public bath, and ordered to report
every thing that transpired within. Al
ten o'clock the scissors commenced
their snip-snip-snip and the hair of the
detective began to raise. 1t came from
the direction of the dead foreman's
table. OF that there could be no doubt.
OuIumOUluR up All his COuIdRb Hb OLepb
closer, and 10! the mystery was solved.
The workmen had the habit of plac-
ing the plates in which their dinner
was served on the foreman's table, now
vacant, after their meal was over. In
so doing a knife, fork or spoon was al
most invariably left between some of
the plates so that those resting above
were SO balanced O slight touch would
bring their rims together and make
them rattle.
Two or three predatory rats, anxious
10 feast upon the remnants of the work
mems meal, nightly visited the pile Of
plates and in their endeavOrs to get the
nnermost particles out would shake
he balanced pile of plates and the me-
allie clipping sound was produced as
he china edges came together.
The next day the rule was established
% send the crockery back to the res
aurant after meals were over, and
ghostly foreman never
-evisited the shop. The whole city
aughed heartily over the spectral
ailor story. but the mayors generous
path still fingers in the memory of old
citizens even to this day Chns. T..
tn ~. o. Times Democrat.
"A writer in the ADqericas Bar says