The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-04-26

lew HOufS. On another occasion his
feet became sore and he lay by at a
tavern for two days. and then actually
got ahead of him.
While the towns were only thirty
miles apart, Kelly travelled all of one
hundred miles in making the distance.
and was twelve days about it. l fol-
d.him mile by mile. and owing to
a severe storm was thirteen days. l
traced him into the suburbs of the city
and there lost him, and, though l
had the help of three or four local
officers. we got no further trace of him. |
At length we heard of person hun
dred miles away who bore Kelly's de-
scription, and was about to start
after him when overheard the follow
ing conversation in restaurant:
80 the boys who went to the haunted
house got scare?'
"An awful scare. l guess a new
ghost has taken possession"
"What did they see or heare"
Saw doors open and heard groans
and various other noises"
"Well, its funny" ..
"Yes"
1t may seem strange to you that ut
once decided that had located Kelly
again. 1t was quite probable that he
had known of the haunted house for
years, as its fame was widespread, and
the fact of a new ghost showing up
| just at this time made me suspicious.
That night at ten O'Clock. accompanied
by local detective. visited the place.
1t was rambling big farmhouse. situ-
ated twenty rods from the highway,
and the ground around was grown up
to weeds and bushes. All the windows
were broken, and some of the doors
stood open, and more gloomy place
l never saw. We entered by rear
door and found the floors rotting away
and the plastering crumbling off. We
pushed on to the sitting room, where
the young men had stationed them
selves the night before, and here found
some blocks of wood to sit down on.
There was doorway leading into the
front hall, but the door was gone.
There was doorway to the parlor,
and the door was partly open. As we
looked into the parlor swung the door
to and fro, and knew from the move
ment that the hinges had been freshly
oiled
When we came to inspect the cellar
| t1n l,.,t H,1S
Each of us had lantern, and each in
spected for himself. At one corner OF
the cellar / found an old oyster can in
queer position. 1t seemed 10 be stick
ing to the floor above. but after close
examination. without, however. touch
ing it with my hands, l made up my
mind that it was held up there by a
cord. said nothing to my companion
about this, nor about another discovery
made in the front hall. At one spot.
where the plaster was off from base te
ceiling, caught sight of a wire behind
the laths. This led up and down. and
the lower end was probably attached
to some object. We did not go III
stairs. The front stairs had never beer
; finished, and the back ones were so di
!. lapidated that we hesitated to trus
them with our weight. By clever
, o'clock we had taken our seats in thu
sitting room, eyes and ears alert, an(
ready for any emergency. There wa
|, no lock or catch on the door opening
into the parlor. but it was shut. Tht
two windows looking out of the room
3 had been boarded up. We placed ou1
. lanterns in a corner and as we watched
and waited the room was in semi-dark
Fness and the house as still as death.
q 1t must have been near midnigh
q when the performance opened. w
! suddenly caught the faint notes of mu
+ sic, and the sounds lasted for two o
I three minutes. Twas satisfied that tn
1 sounds came from jewsharp. M
4 companion whispered that two femal
/ voices were singing. while guita
: played an accompaniment. The musi
4 had scarcely died away when the parlo
o door opened as noiselessly as the swim
!, of coffin lid. Twas perfectly satisfie
:. that it was the work of human hand:
a but was startled. had not told tn
" detective that I expected to lind kell
: in the house. I had simply said that
a expected to make an important disco'
n ery. When the door swung open th
d man started upin alarm and whispered
IL .Great heavens! Let us be gone!"
l. put my hand on his arm and waite
y for the next move. In about minut
we heard tunk! tunk! tunk! on I'll
" cellar stairs. / knew that the SCUM
IS was made by the oyster can being lo'
=. cred few inches from the floor an
i drawn up again by the string. but N
,e companion rose to his feet, wheelt
,e half around. and whispered:
as Look out for yoerself! The cusst
to thing is coming up out of the cellar
IN keep still-listenp' | replied, al
he when the can had ''tunked'' one 4
er each step the sound ceased. Tnen Il
Id parlor door slowly and silently swul
- 20 As have told Won I was de;