The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-03-28

! lock or catch on the door oichih- iiisp
1 the rarlor. but It was shut. The two
windows looking OFT Of the room had
been boarded up. We placed our Ian
/ terms in a corner, and as we watcheeiand
waited the room was in semi-daFkness
and the house as s;ili as death.
Itmust have been near midnight when
the performance opened. We suddenly
caught the faint notes Of music, and the
sounds lasted for two or three minutes.
was satisfied the sounds came from
jewsharp. Ny companion whispered
that two female voices we're singing,
while a guitar played an accompaniment.
I The music had scarcely died away when
the parlor door opened as noiselessly as
/ the swing OF colin lid. was perfectly
satisfied that It was the work Of human
hands. but was startled had not told
I the detective that had expected to find
/ Kelly in the house. bad simply said
that expected to make an important
discovery. When the door SWUNG open
the man started up in alarm and wins
pered
@Greai heavens Let us be gone"
put my hand on his arm and waited
for the next move. In about minute
we heard a tank. tunk tunk. on The
cellar stairs. knew that the Sound was
made by tie oyster can being lowered a
4 few inches from the floor and drawn mp
again by the string, but my companion
rose TO his feet, wheeled half around and
whispered:
look out for YOURSELF The cussed
thing is coming out Of the cellar"
keep siili-listen :" / replied, and
when the can had ~tunked" one for each
step the sound ceased. Then the parlor
door slowly and silently swung to. As |
/ have told YOU. | Was dead sure that all
these things were caused by human agen-
/ cy, and yet felt a creeping Of my flesh,
and my forehead was damp with perspi-
ration. The detective with me WAS as
brave a man as ever took up a trail, but
such was the effect upon him that his
( face was as white as snow, his teeth chat
tered, and he clutched mo and pleadingly
exclaimed
"If we stay here another minute we
are both dead men"
( sat down and drew him beside me.
and as | did 50 the parlor door opened
again, and from the front hall came
eroans and sighs and dull sounds Of
( struggle. knew that the wire I had
seen was being worked behind the laths,
/ but my companion could stand no more.
+ lie seized both lanterns and started out,
and had 10 90 along or be left in the
dark. When clear Of the house he made
a run for the highway, and found him
! on the further side oft when came up.
"What's the matter?" asked.
Good God, man, but my nerves are
/ all gone" he gasped. Il wouldn't stop
/ in that house another five minutes for all
the money in the state"
/ was satisfied that all the noise had
been made by human agency. some one
had taken possession Of the house, and |
had a feeling that it was Kelly. 1t Was
just in line with his other sharp tricks !
did not tell my companion what ] sus-
/ pected nor what intended TO do, but
had all my plans laid before morning
The old house was two and a half stories.
and whoever was hiding there was likely
TO be in the garret. II was also likely
that this garnet was reached from the
second story by ladder IL the person
WAS Kelly or any other sharp fellow, the
ladder would be drawn up or any one
showing his head above the scuttie
would receive a rap. If got \ squad Of
men and surrounded the house the occu-
pans might get Off by some unknown
way, or find a hiding place unknown to
Us. If We failed 10 find any one the
whole city would hold Us for the riaicule
There was no window in the garret at
the back end Of the house. Il was hard
ly daylight before | approached it from
that direction, entered the place with
great caution, and hid myself away be-
meath the kitchen stairs. ! expected the
occupant Of the garret would come down
before noon, but be did not show up. Is
was dark and gloomy day in the fall,
with frequent rain squalls, and about two
O'Clock in the afternoon ! crepi up stairs
in my stocking feet, entered 4 room near
where the garret scuttle was located, and
began playing the ghost for some one
else's benefit | had brought along a
mouth organ, and | sounded and hung
on 10 a few lonesome notes several times
over. Pretty soon heard a slight move
ment overhead. Then | tool, a fiddle
string, made one end fast to nail. and
when ] had hauled taut ! picked the
string with my thumb nail. 1t sent forth
complaining sounds, and had few
sighs and groans. The sounds, above me
became palmer, and knew that some
one WIS listening at thescuitie.
gave him few more NOES scratched
on the wall and floor, ond in a few min
utes a ladder was thrust down from the
scuttle A few deep-drawn eroans on my
part brought a man down the ladder, and
as he reached the foot OF il I collared
him. 1t was Kelly. lie who ohad played
the ghost On Others had himself fallen
into the trap. lie screamed right ont al
the sight Of me. and he did not get hi.
nerve back until ! had him oat doors
He fully believed for a time that a spirit
made the sounds. The ease WAS about a,
| had figured. He had planned to com,
TO the house, and he intended t) remain
there several weeks. He had aliixet
cords to the top Of the parlor door t,
swing il, and had arranged for all tn,
sounds we heard If felt elated he fe!
very sheepish as an Offset, and when sen
tenced TO two years in state prison for hi
crime, he said to NE:
1T isn't that was caught. but that
was outTiited and bamboozled. Why
: man, had the whole plan in my hea,
: for months, and Ia have bet hundre,
n to one that I'd have got safe off. Jus
9 think what fool was to take up quar-
:. tiers in haunted house, and then le
= some one play the ghost on mel"
= What the Warriors Wanted.