Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-05-30
A GHOST STORY.
suuernaturaI Nantes tatiOns in Mr.
RobidsOn's New Home.
A Dumping on the Cellar Stairs a 6'9"
and Low Cry---SIamming Doors
and a Woman's Means.
NstC York Sun.

son removed from Medina county, Onio'
! g farm near Davenport. Iowa. Mr. hoOlI
. son made the purchase before his tamil
J. left Ohio, and bosght of the real estst
D agent in Davenport. 1t appeared that III
farm hands several times within O te'
wears, and that the last owner had lived Oh
. it less than fortnight. There was goo'
frame house on the place, the barn ant
sheds were in good repair, and the lane
was certainly rick and fertile.
Mr.. Robinson got the place at what nj
called great bargain, and he had few
questions to ask about the former owners
and why they left. As the honse had beer
tenantless for several months, there was
need of repairs. Robinson hired couple
of painters, and was with them about the
place for three days, all taking board OF
near farm house. On the evening OF the
fret day ore Of the painters went over to
the house he had left. The time was just
after SHUTDOWN The kitchen door was not
locked, and he went in that way to 90 up
stairs, leaving the door wide open. The
door leading IRON the kitchen to the cellar
was shut The door leading into the sit
ling room was open.
As the painter halted in the kitchen for a
moment to look at the new paper on the
Walls he heard sound on the cellar stars
which filed him with smszemsnt. 1t was
as if somebody was walking backward down
he stairs and dragging something which
bumped on every step This noise con
rinued until the bottom step was reached
and then there was dull blow, q halt cry,
aud all WAS still. The painter pulled the
door open and asked who was there, but all
was quiet At this same moment the
kitchen door, which be had left wide open,
and the sitting room door, which he had
noticed was open, both slammed shut.
Then, from some spot he could not locate
came the souuds OF sobbiug and moaning
The painter had the courage OF the av'
erage man. at he could not face that. DE
pulled the back door open and rushed ont,
all desire for an evenings smoke having
been driven from his mind. However, on
the way back to the other house he made
up his mind to cay nothing OF bis adven-
ture, fearing the rdicule which is always
Justly or unjustly het ped upon the man
Who becomes frightened over what he can
not zee. His pale face aud agltaled man
her were subjects for inquiry but he eX-
cused himself on the ground Of sickness.
The next morning he wondered II he had
really heard what he thought he bad. The
more he though of it the stronger became
his conviction that he was the victim OF
some temporary halluncistion. To prove
or disproye this he put up a job on his
comrada by borrowing his knife and leav-
ing it on the sill of one OF his windows tie
took notice as they quit work that every
door in the lower par of the house was
shut.
After supper the painter asked for his
knife, as was expected, and when told
where it had been left he set out for the
house. He entered also by the back door.
The knife was in the sitting room. AS he
crossed the kitchen, the sitting room door,
which he saw was shut, was violently
opened. The painter stopped in his tracks,
believing at first that some tramp was in
the house. After halt a minute the door
shut with slam aud the cellar door iew
open. Then came the sounds when
the other had heard, and
as they died away the back
door shut 10 with bang. The MAJ, IS
he readily acknowledged, flew out OF the
house with his hair on end. Not being 80
fearful Of ridicue, he returned to the other
house, called his companion out, and re-
lated his adventure. When they came to
compare notes they agreed that the house
was haunted There was no wind stirring
to operate the doors in that manner, and
If there had been, how could the noise on
the stairs aud the means and sohs be eX
plained2 1t was agreed to say nothing TO
Robinson or others, and this COMPACT was
held TO- The work ia hand WAS finished
next day, aud the men went home, Robin
son at the same time leaving for Ohio to
bring on his family,
What occurred after the family reached
the farm is CLEANED diractly from Robin
son and his wife, in the ght Of all circum-
stances, must be taken for truth. The
household goods were teamed out, and as
they got there late in the afternoon the
family were invited to remain at their
neighbours over night This WAS the same
farmer with whom Robinson and the
painters had stopped. After supper Rob
inson, his boy, II years old, and G pon
OF the farmer, two years younger, went
over to the house to unbox and
unpack some of the goods, taking couple
Of candles along. 1t was not yet dark when
they reached the house, and the boys start
ed out to make o tour of the place. They
had been up stairs about FIVE minutes when
they came rushing down in great excite
ment, declaring that they had heard q wo-
man crying. Robinson laughed at the idea,
telling them to lock more carefully and
they would find a cat The lads refused to
leave the room in which ne was at work,
out he was busy and paid no particular
heed to them.
Ii was midsummer, and the evening was
without breath of air to move a leaf.
Robinson had passed into the psrlor with
an armful of goods, and the boys stood by
an open box in the kitchen, when the eel.
lar door suddenly opened, They ran
screaming into the psrior, and their terror
wss 90 manifest that Robinson was for the
moment unnerVed. lie was sure that the
cellar door had been shut for an hour, and
when he walked out and found the door
, wide open, he was, to say the least, greatly
sstonished 1t might be some one from
; tie other house playing them trick. Ee
took a candle and went down cellar, but
/ it was empty of any living thing. He
finally concta1cc~~ .Hst some some m"Vs"snf nj
the boys had opened it, and as nothing
3 further occurred be worked for an hour
/ and went away laughing at the boys who
g Rugged him 80 closely.
e During the nexl day the house was SC
: ar settled that the family occupied it after
I supper. Everybody being tired out BY The
5 day . work, they were off TO bed at on earl
, hour. There was bedroom off the kitch
e en-, and in this the boy slept. There wa
q another off the sitting room, and this wa
] occupied By the parents, while the dsugh
2 ter, girl of II, slept up stairs. Robinson
saw to 1t personally that sll the DOORS YER
T locked There was no lock on the celia
4 door, but he saw that it was shut