The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-04-13
THE HAUNTER HAUNT
ED.

nv career as detective l bad some
singular jobs given me to work on,
and the manner iu which one of
them was worked, and the develop
ments of the case, may interest the
reader.
About three miles outside the
limits of large city in Pennsylva-
MIA stood large farm house. There
had been a murder committed
there, and whiskey had played sad
havoc with an heir, and the house
had stood vacant for three years
before l saw it. The farm had pass
ed into tue hands of a New Yorker
on mortgage, and he seemed to
have forgotten all about it. Natu-
rally enough the cry Of "haunled
house" was raised, and presently
you could not have hired a neighbOr
to enter the house in the day time.
There were people living within a
quarter OF a mile of the place, and
by the by they began to tell some
queer stories. On two occasions
parties of three or four went from
the city TO stop in the house all
night, but in each instance they
we're driven away by strange noises
before midnight. l lived in town
forty miles FROM the haunted house,
aud consequently heard nothing OF
it.
l had a case against an abscond.
ing treasurer. He bad the funds of
a large and prosperous lodge in his
hands, and got away with $4,000
belonging to it. He furthermore
borrowed about $4,000 of his
friends, and got $500 more on "a forg-
ed draft. This occurred in a town
about thirty miles from the haunt
ed house. The defaulter had bought
a railroad ticket for Chicago, aud
had left behind him, as if by acci-
dent, a parcel addressed to a party
in the Garden City. 1t ought TO
have been reasoned that this party
was he under another name, aud
that he bad gone to Chicago as fast
as steam could carry him, but rea-
soned just the opposite. He had
gone without his trunk or clothing,
but when l came to overhaul his
things, his laud,ady figured out
that two clean shirts, several col
lars, stout pair of boots, and an
old suit of clothes we're missing
from the house. The boots aud old |
suit had belonged to boarder who |
died mouths before.
There we're three highways lead |
ing out of the town. l worked two
of them without success. On the
third l soon found a farmer who |
had seen foot traveller resembling
my man pass on the evening he alb
seconded. Five miles further on l
became positive of his identity.
BE walked all that night with only
two brief halts before midnight to
inquire about roads, but once on
his trail soon picked up plenty Of
pointers. The absconder's name
was Kelley, aud he was a keen
shrewd fellow. He had planned the
embezzlement and escaped weeks
ahead, aud he followed out a regu-
lar programme. He lett town dress
ed as laborer, aud carrying va
lise. He had light felt hat, a
black felt hat and cap, and about
once 10 ten miles be exchanged his
headgear. BE was a smooth faced
man, but he had provided himself
with a gOatee aud side whiskers.
thus heard Of him once as a
smooth faced young man working a
cap and having one arm IN a sling /
next as a young man with a goatee
aud a black bat; again as a full |
whiskered man with a light bat.
confess that I was badly puzzled /
and about ready to despair when / /
came to n farm house where be had |
stopped for diuner. BE was then |
smooth faced aud we're a cap, aud /
claimed to be an agent for a wind
mill company whose nights had /
been intringed on, and who were
taking steps to collect q royalty. |
When Kelly entered the kitchen /
Tor dinner q hired boy OF color, who /
was not permitted 10 eat with the |
family, vas left IN the sitting room. J
His curiosity regarding the cOn-
tents Of the valise vas aroused, and |
be picked the Loeb and oYerhauled /