The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-03-28
,ApErEcT4vEs STORY.


reer as a detective I had some sinsnia'
;ol,s given 70 me to work on, and th'
manner in which one Of them wss weFk
Cd and the Developments Of the case ma,
he interesting TO the reader.
Ahout three miles outside the limits o.
a large city in Pennsylvania stood a large
farmhouse. There had been 4 murder
committed there. and whisky had play
81 havoc with an heir. and the house
had stood vacant for-three years before
saw Il The farm had passed into the
hands of New Yorker on mortgage
and he seemed to hayeforgotien all aDoa'
Il. Naturally enough the cry of haunted
honse" was raised, and presently you
could not have hired neishbor to enter
the house in the day time. There were
people living within a quarter OF a
mile Of the place. and by and by they
began to tell some queer stories. On TWO
occasions parties Of three OF four went
out from the city TO stop in the house al
night, but in each instance they were
driven away by strange noises before
midnight. / lived in town forty miles
from the haunted house, and consequent
ly heard nothing Of il.
had case against an absconGihs
treasurer. lie had the fands OF a large
and prosperous lodge in his hands, and
got away with $1,000 belonging to il. lie
Furthermore borrowed about s2,0oO OF
his friends. and got $500 more on aforged
dran. This occurred in town about
thirty miles from the haunted house
The defaulter had bought a railroad tick
ct for Chicago, and had left behind him,
As If by accident, parcel addressed to
party in the Garden city. IL ought TO
have been reasoned that this party was
he under another name. and that he had
gone 10 Chicago as fast rs steam could
carry him, but reasoned just the oppo-
site. He had gone without his trunk or
clothing. but when ] came to overhaul
his things, his landlady figured out that
two clean shirts, several collars, stout
pair Of boots, and an old suit of clothes
were missing from the house. The boots
and old suit had belonged TO a boarder
who had died months before.
There were three highways leading
out Of town worked two Of them
without success. ON the third ] soon
found a farmer who had seen foot irav-
eler resembling my man pass on the
evening he aisscouded. Five miles fur
ther on became positive of his identity
he walked ali tia; nigh twith only two
brief halls before midnight TO inquire
abou; roads, bat once on his trail soon
picked up plenty of pointers. The alb
sconder's name was Kelly, and he was a
keen, shrewd fellow He had planned
the embezzlement and escape weeks be-
fore, and he followed out regular pro
cramme. He had left town dressed rs G
iaborcr. and carvings valise. He had a
light felt hat, black felt hat and cap,
and about once in ten miles he exchang-
ed his headgear lie was a smooth faced
man, but he had provided himself with
a goatee and side whiskers. l thus heard
Of him once as a smooth faced young
man wearing a cap aud having one arm
in q sling: next rs yoangish man with
goatee and a black hat again as a
fall-whiske,.d man with light hat.
confess that was badly puzzled and
about ready 10 despair when | came to a
farmhouse where he had stopped for din
ncr.E lie was then snoothed-saced and
wore a cap. and claimed.to be an agent
fora windmill company whose rights had
been infringed on, and wha were taking
steps to collect royalty.
fgWhen Kelly entered the kitchen fol
dinner a hired boy of color, who was no'
permitted TO eat with the family, wai
lelt in the sittingl room. His curiosity
regarding the contents Of the yalise wa'
aroused. and he picked the lock ano
ogcrhaued them. He was careful not Il
say ANYTHING of this TO the family, bu
when came along on my errand soor
discovered that he had a secret. Th'
sight of a silver piece loosed his tongue
and lac told me OF the hats and falls
whiskers.
Afler that had no trouble in follow
ing Kelly. no matter which disguise h'
assumed. There was a direct highwa,
from the town he left 70 the city will
the haunted house, but he did not keel
it. lie would branch or here and ther'
and make half circle 10 come bacl
again. One or two nights he slept il
barns. and 50 lost track Of him for fey
hours. On another occasion his fee; be
came sore and he lay 10y at tavern 70
two days, and then actually got ahea'
Of him.
While the towns were only thirty mile
apart, Kelly Travelled al Of 100 miles II
making the distance, and WAS twelv
davs about il. followed him mile b
mile, and owing TO a severe storm Wa
shirteen days. ! traced him into th
suburbs Of the city and There lost hin
and. though had the help Of three @
four local officers, we could get no iurihc
trace of him. At length We heard Of
person hundred miles away who bor
Kclly's description, and | was about I
start after him when overheard the 70
lowing conversation in a restaurant
80 the boys who went TO the haunte
hoase got . scare
AN awful scare. guess new gho'
mas taken possession"
"Saw doors open and heard groans an
various other noises"
~well, it's funny"
"Yes.n
II may seem strange 10 YOU that | :
once decided that | had located Kell
again Il Was quite probable that he ha
known ofthe haunted house FOR wears,
is name was widespread. and the fact
a new ghost showing NJ just at this tin
nAde me suspicious. That night at t,
O'Clock. accompanied by a local detectiy
! visited fhe place. Ii was rainblii
big farmhouse. situated twenty rods fro
the highway. and the ground around W
grown up to weeds and bushes. 4
the windows were broken, and some
the doors Stood open, and more gloon
place never sax. We entered 10y re
door and found the floors rotting awi
and the plastering crGmbling OH
xusl,ptl an To the sitting room where ii