Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-14

nothing 20 nv companion about this nor
about another discovery made in the front
! hall. At one spot, where the plaster was off
from base to ceiling, l caught sight of wire
behind the laths. This led up and down, and
the lower end was probably attached to some
| object. We did not 90 up stairs. The front
stairs had never been finished, and the back
| ones were SO dllapidated that we hesitated TO
trust them with our weight By IL o'clock
we had taken our seats in the sitting room
eyes and ears alert, and ready for any emer-
gency. There was no lock or catch on the
door opening into the parlor, but it was shat.
The two windows looking out of the room
had been boarded up. We placed our lanterns
in a corner, and as we watched and waited
the room was in seIni-darknesS and the house
, as still as death.
1t must 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 that
1 the sounds came from a jewsharp. Ny COM
panion whispered that two female voices
We're singing, while guitar played an accom-
paniment The music had scarcely died
away when the parlor door opened as noise
Iesslv as the swing of a coffin lid. l was per-
fectly satisfied that il was the work Of human
hands, but was startled. l had not told
the detective that expected to find Kelly in
the house. l had simply said that expected
TO make an important discovery. When the
door swung open the man started up i'll alarm
and whispered:
Great heavens! Let us be gonern
l put my hand on his arm and waited for
the next move. In about a minute we heard
1t 1t
knew that the sound was made by the oyster
can being lowered q few inches from the
floor and drawn up again by the string, but
my companion rose to his feet, wheeled half
around and whispered:
Look out for yourselfl The cussed thing
is coming UP out of the cellar"
Keep still-listenIn l replied, and when
the can had ''tunked" one for each step the
sound ceased. Then the parlor door slowly
and silently swung to. As l have told you,
l was dead sure that all these things were
caused by human agency, and yet / felt q
creeping of my flesh, and my forehead was
damp with perspiration. The detective with
me was as brave a man as ever took UP 4
trail, but such was the effect upon him that
his face was as white as snow, his teeth chat
tered, and he clutched me and pleadingly ex-
claimed
If we stay here another minute we are
both dead men,"
| sat down and drew him down beside me,
and as l did SO the parlor door opened again,
and from the front hall came groans and
signs and dull sounds Of a struggle. l knew
that the wire had seen was being worked
behind the laths, but my companion could
stand no more. He seized both lanterns and
started ont, and had 70 so along or be left
in the dark When clear of the house ne
made run for the highway, and l found
him on the further side of it when / came up.
Whats the matGer!' l asked
'GOod God, man, but my nerves are all
gouer he gasped Il wouldn't stop in that
house another five minutes for all the money
in the slater
! was satisfied that all the noises had been
made by human agency. Some one had
taken possession of the house, and l had a
feeling that it was Kelly. 1t was just in line
with his other sharp tricks. l did not tell
my companion what l suspected 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 garnet. It was also
likely LHdJ lilIS SdIftJ WIS IttICutl IiOiil tLIe
second story by ladder. If the person was
Kelly or any other sharp fellow, the ladder
would be drawn up, or any one showing his
head above the scuttle would receive rap.
If I got a squad Of men and surrounded the
house the occupant might get off by some
unknown way, or find a hiding place I'M
known 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 at the
back end of the house. It was hardly day
light before | approached it from that
direction, entered the place with great eau
ton, and hid myself away beneath the
kitchen stairs. | expected the occupant of
the garrett would come down before noon, but
he did not show up. 1t was dark and
gloomy day in the fall, with frequent rain
squalls, and about2 o'clock in the afternoon
] crept uD the stairs in my stocking feet,
entered a room near where the garnet
scuttle was locked, and began playing the
ghost for some one else's benefit | had
brought along a mouth organ, and 1 sounded
and hung on TO a few lonesome notes several
times over Pretty soon l heard a slight
movement overhead. Then l took a fiddle
string, made one end fast to a nail, and when
had hauled taut l picked the string with
nv thumb nail l sent forth complaining
sounds, and added few signs and groans
The sounds above me became palmer, and
! knew that some one was listening at the
scuttle
| gave him few more notes. scratched on
the wall and floor. and in a few minutes
ladder was thrust down from the scuttle 4
few deep drawn groans On my part brought
. man down the ladder, and as he reached
the foot Of it | collared him 1t was Kelly.
lie who had played ghost on others had him
self fallen into the trap. He screamed right
out at sight of me, and he did not get his
nerve back until l had him outdoors. He
fully believed for the time that spirit made
the sounds the case was about as | had
figured. He had planned to come to the
house, and he intended to remain there
several weeks. He had affixed cords TO the
top of the parlor door TO swing it, and had
arranged for all the sounds we heard. If I
felt elated he felt very sheepish as an offset,
and when sentenced to two years in state
prison for his crime, he said TO ME:
1t isn't that | was caught, but that / was
outwitted and bamboozled. Why, man,
had that whole plan in my head for months,
and I'd have bet a hundred to one that I'd
get safe off. Just think what fool was to
take up quarters in a haunted house. and
then let some one play the ghost on mer'-
New y ork Sun.