Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-20

damp with persplration. The de-
tectiye 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 chartered, and he clutched
me and pleadingly exclaimed
"If we stay here another minute
we are both dead men "
sat down and drew him beside
me, and as | did so the parlOr door
opened again, and from the front
hall came groans and sighs and
dull sounds of a struggle. / knew
that the wire had seen was being
worked behind the laths, but my
companion could stand no MORE
lie seized both lanters and started
out, and | had to 60 along or be
lett in the dark. When clear of
the.house he made a run for the
highway, aud l found him on the
farther side of it when | came up.
"Whats the matter ?" | asked.
"Good God, man, but my nerves
are all gomez he gasped. 81
wouldn't stop in that house an
other five minutes for all the money
in the statew
| was satisfied that all the noises
had been made by human agency.
Some one had taken possession of
the house and | had 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 1 intended to do,
but | had all my plans laid before
morning. The old house was two
and half stories, and whoever was
hiding there was likely to be in the
garret. 1t was also likely that this
garrett was reached from the sec
ond story By a ladder. Ifthe person
was Kelley or any other sharp fell
low, the ladder would be drawn up,
or any one showing his head above
the scuttle would receive rap. If
| got a squad OF men and surround
ed the house, the occupant might
get of by some unknown way, or
find a hiding place unknown to us.
If we failed to find anyone, the
whole city would hold us up to
ridicule-
There was no window in the gar
ret at the back Of the house. It
was hardly daylight before I ap-
preached from that direction, en-.
tered the place with great caution,
and hid myself away beneath the
kitchen stairs. expected the oc-
cupant of the garret would come
down before noon, but he did not
show up. It was dark and
gloomy day in the fall, with fire.
quent rain squalls, and about two
o'clock in the afternoon | crept up
stairs in my stocking feet, entered
a room near where the garret scut-
tic was located, and began playing
the ghost for some one else's bene-
fit. I had brought along a mouth
organ, and 1 sounded and hung on
to few lonesome notes several
times over. Pretty soon | heard a
slight movement overhead. Then
I took a fiddle string, made one
end fast to nail, and when l had
hauled taut picked the string with
my thumb nail. l sent forth COM
planning sounds, and added a few
sighs and groans. The sounds
above me became palmer, and l
knew that some one was listening
at the scuttle.
l gave him a few more notes,
scratched on the wall and floor,
and in a few minutes a ladder was
thrust down from the scuttle. A
few deep drawn groans on my part
brought a man down the ladder,
and as he reached the foot of 1t |
collared him. It wac Kelley. He
who had played ghost on the others
had himself fallen into the trap
He screamed right ont at sight OF
me, and he did not get his nerve
back until | had him outdoors
He fully believed for the time that
a spirit made the sounds. The
case was as | had figured. lie had
planned to come to the house, and
he intended to remain there several
weeks. lie had affixed cords to
the top of the parlor door to swing
it and had arranged for all the
sounds we had heard. If | felt
elated he felt very sheepIsh az an
offset, and when sentenced to two
years in state prison for his crime
he said to me:
at isn't that | was caught, but
that was Outwltted and bamboo
zleed. Why, man, | had that
whole plan in my head for months,
and Pd have bet hundred to one
that I'd get safe off. Just think
what fool l was to take up quar-
ters in q haunted house and then
let some one play the ghost on
mew
! e.-
Some years ago it was the style
for people to dress up; of late we
notice that fashionable ladies are
inclined to dress down.