Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-06

agaid 1t was quite probable that he had
known of the haunted house for years, as
Its fame was wide spresd, and the fact Of
a new ghost showing up just at this time
made me suspicious. That night at 10
O'Clock, accompanied by local detective
I visited the place. It was rambling,
big farm house. situated twenty rods
from the highway, and the grounds were
covered with wesds 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 floor rotting away
and the plaster coming off. We passed
on to the sittiug-room, where the young
men had stationed themselves the night
before, and here found some blocks of
wood 70 sit upon. 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
movements that the hinges had been
freshly oiled.
When we came to inspect to cellar we
found little but cobwebs and dust. Each
of US had lantern, and each inspected
for himself. At one corner of the cellar
sition. 1t seemed to be sticking 60 the
floor above, but after a close examination
without, however, touching If with my
hands, made up my mind that it was
held up there by cord. l said nothing
TO my companion about this, nor about
another discovery made in the front hall.
st one spot, where the plaster was of
from base to ceiling, caught sight of a
wire behind the leths. This led up and
down, and the lower end was probably
attached to some object. Ne did not go
up stairs. The front stairs had never
been finished, and the back ones were
SO dilepidaUed that we hesitated to trust
them with our weight. By IL O'Clock we
had taken our seats in the sitting groom,
eyes and ears alert, and ready for any
emergency. There was no lock or catch
on the door opening into the parlor, but
it was shut. The two windows looking
out OF the room had been boarded up.
We placed our lanterns in q corner, and
as We watched and waited the room was
In mi-darkness and the house as still
as death.
It must have been near midnight when
the performance opened. we suddenly
heard faint notes of music, and the
sounds lasted for two or three minutes
L was satisfied that the sounds came
from jewsharp. Ny companion
whispered that two female voices
; were singing while q guitar played an &C.
Z com paniment. The music had scarcely
died away when the parlor door opened
as nOiselesslY as the swing of coffin lid.
[ was perfectly satisfied that il was the
work Of human hands, but was startled.
l had not told the detective that 1 ex-
pected to find Kelley in the house. I had
simply said that I expected to make an
important discovery. When the door
} swung open the man started up in alarm
and whis pored:
"Great heavens! Let us be gone!"
l put my hand on his arm and waited
for the next move. In about a minute
we heard funk! tunb! funk! on the ceiiar
stairs. / knew that the sound was made
by the oyster can being lowered few
inches from the floor and drawn up again
by the string, but my companion rose to
his feet, wheeled half arouna, and whisp-
cred:
"Look out for yourself! The cussed
thing is coming up out OF the osllar!"
keep still-listen!" I replied, and
when the can had "tunked" one for each
step the sound ceased. Then the parlor
door slowly and silently swung to. as
these things were caused by human agency,
and yet felt creeping of my flesh, and
my forehead was damp with pers piration
The detective with me was as brave
man as ever took up a trail, but suah was
the effect upon him that his face was as
white as snow, his teeth chattered, and
he clutchea me and pleadingly exclaimed.
"If we stay here another minute we
are both dead men"
[ sat down and drew him down eside
me, and as [ did so the parlor door open
ed again, and from the front hall came
groans and signs and Gull sounds of q
struggle. | knew the wire had seen was
being worked bohind the laths, but my
companion could stand no more. He
seized both lanterns aud started out aud
l had to go along or be left in the dark.
When clear of the house he made ran
for the highway, and 1 found him on the
further side of it when / came up.
"What is the matter?" asked.
GOOD God, man, but my nerves are
all gomez he gasped. 81 wouldn't stop
IN thst house another five minutes for
all the money in the statsP'
[ was satisfied that all the noise had
been made by human agency. Some one
had taken possession of the house, and ]
hdo q teeAiuS e1ab IL WAS hSlty LII was
just in line with his other sharp tricks.
[ did not tell nav com panion what sas-
pecsed nor what intended to do, but l
had all my plans laid before morning.
The old house was two and half stories,
and whoever was hiding there was likely
&c be IN the garrett. Il was also likely
that this garnet was reached from the
second story by a ladder. IL the person
was Kelly or any other sharp fellow, the
ladder would be draw2 up, or any one
howing his head above the scuttle would
get a rap. If got squad OF men and
surrounded the house. the occupant
might get off In some unknown way, or
find hiding place unknown TO US. If
we failed to find any one the whole city
would hold us up TO ridicule.
There was no window in the garnet a.
the back end of the house. 1t was hard
ly daylight before l approached from
that direction, entered the place with
great caution, and HID myself beneath
the kitchen stairs. 1 expected the &C.
, cupRnt of the garrgt would come down
! before noon, but ne did no. show up. 1t
was dark and gloomy day in the fall,
with frequent squalls, and saoout two
clock in the afternoon i crapt q D stairs
in my stocking feet, entered the room
where the scuttIe was located, and began
playing the ghost for some ones elese
benefit. I had brought along a mouth
. organ, and l sounded and hung on to 8
} few lonesome notes several times over.
Pretty soon I heard slight noise over
head. T tO0k a fiddle string made one