The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-09


made up my mind that it was held up
there by a cord.
i said nothing to my companion about
this, nor about another discovery made
in the front hall
At one spot, where the plaster was Off
from base to ceiling, I caught sight of a
wire behind she laths. This led up and
down, and the lower end was probably
attached to some object.
We did not go upstairs. The front
stairs had never been finished, and the
back ones were 80 dilapidxted that we
hesitated to trust them with our weight.
BY eleven O'Clock we had taken our seats
In the sitting room, eyes and ears alert
and ready for any emergency.
There was no lock or catch on che door
opening into the parlor, but II wm shut.
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 semi-aark
ness and the house as still as death.
1t must have been near midnight when
the performance opened. We suddenly
heard faint notes of music and the sou rsds
lasted for two or three minutes WIS
satisfied that the sounds came from a
jewsiarp. My companion whispered tn st
two female voices were singing. whilea
guitar played an accompaniment.
The music had scarcely died away when
the parlor door opened as noiselessly as
the swing of a coffin lid.
was perfectly satisfied that 1t Was the,
work Of human hands, but was startled
had not teld the detective that expect
ed TO find Kelly in the house. i had
simply said that / expected to make an
important discovery.
When the door sWunO oman tho man
started up in alarm and whispered:
a Great heavensi Let us be gonep'
put my hand on his arm and waited
Tor the next move. In about a minute
we heard funk. tunki tupk. on the cell
lar stairs. i knew that the sound was
made by the oyster can being lowered a
few inches from the floor and drawn up
again by the string. but my companion
rose 70 his feet, wheeled half around and
whispered:
Look out for yourself, The cussed
thing is coming up out of the ceIlarr'
Keep still listenr' / replied, and
when the can had ''tunked" one for each
step the sound ceased Then tho parlor
door slowly and silently swung to.
AS have told you I WAS dead sure
that all these things were caused by
human agency, and yet felt a creeping
with perspiration- Tho 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 white as snow, his
teeth chsttered, and he clutched me aud
pleadingly exclaimed: ~
III we stay here another minute we are
both dead menu
sat down and drew him beside me. and
as did SO the parlor door opened again,
and from the front hall came groans and
signs and dull sounds of a struggle. I
knew that the wire had seen was being
worked behind the laths, but my com
psnion could stand no more.
He seized both lanterns and started
out, and / had to go along or be left in
the dark. When clear of the house he
made a run for the highway, and found
Kim on the farther side of It when came.
up.
What's the matters" asked.
Good God, man, but my nerves ars- all
goneT' he gasped. "I wouldn't stop in
that house another five minutes for all
the money in tho State"' --
i was satisfied that all the noises had
been made by human agency. Some one
had taken possession of the house. and I
had a feeling that it was Kelly. 1t
was just in line with his other sharp
tricks
i did not tell my companion what /
suspected nor what l 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 garret was reached
from the second story by a ladder. II the
person was Kelly or any other sharp fel-
low, the ladder wonld be drawn up. or
anyone showing his head above the scut-
tie would receive rap.
IL got n squad OF men and surrounded
the house, the occupant might get off by
some unknown way, or find a hiding
place unknown to US. II we failed TO And
anyone tho whole city would hold US up
70 ridiculc.
There WAS no window In the garret nt
the back end OF the house II was hardly
daylight before i approached from that
direction, entered the place with great
caution, and hid myself away beneath
the kitchen stairs i expected the occu-
pant OF the sArret would come down be-
fore noon, but he did not show up.
IL was dark and gloomy day in the
fall, with frequent rain squalls, and
about two O'Clock in the afternoon /
erept up stairs In my stocking feet,
entered a room near where the garret
scuttlo was located, and began playing
tho ghost for sorne one eiso's benefit.
i had brought along a mouth organ
and 1 sounded and hung on TO few lone
somo notes several times over. Pretty
toon heard = slight movement over
head- Then took fiddle string, made
one end fast TO a nail, and when had
hauled taut picked the string with my
thumb nail. / sent forth complaining
sounds, and added = few sighs and
groshs. e..
The sounds above me became palmer.
md ] k""'v that someone was listening at
the scnttls
gave him a few more notes, scratched
on the wall and floor, and in a fcw
minutes n ladder was thrust down from
the scuttie. A few deep drawn Groans on
my part brought man down the ladder
and ~ he reached the foot OF 1t collarcd
him.
1t WAS Kelly 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 I
had him outdoors. He fully believed
for the time that a spirit made the
sounds.
The Gaze was as had figured. He had
planned TO come to the house. and he in
tended to remain there several weeks.
He had affixed cord- to the top of the
parlor door TO swing il, and had arranged
for all the sounds we had heard.
II felt elated he felt very rheopish as
an offset. and when sentenced TO two
years In State Prison for his crime he said
TO me:
at isn't that I was caught, but that
was outwitted and bamboozled. Why,
man, hrd that whole plan in my head
for months, and I'd have bet hundred
to one that Ia xet safe of. Just think
what - fool l WAS 10 take up quarters in
n haunted house and then let some one
play the ghost on mci"
Tho Wrong Man Called
'I'll take yonr csramels and gum drops,
Mr.. Peduncle said Willie, candidly, as