The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-10
TIE HAUNTED BED-CHAMBER.
strange Experiences in an Old Hotel
in Savannah.


r. +,a MORNING NEWS recently reminded
me of promise had made to publish the
Sets and details of very painful expert
- had in an old house in this city where
ronted room in 1885.
NV family having all moved into the
country, where l had purchased very
,,rottv place, 1 found that my business in
town would not admit of my going out to
aoss the night at hcme, only perhaps two or
,bree nights in each week, 30 | rented
..oom from Mrs. -, in the old P
,,o+ol The room l selected was in the sec
ond story, in a wing that extended on the
.igbt of the main building. My room being
.ho last room on the row, south overlook
:.o the square from its end window, while
n,' one side across the street was grand
"a church. and on the other side, to the
ooet of the square, was the theater. There
.Sara three windows in the room, the one
soutb looking down into the square, one on
The east over the yard of large academy,
where the children played during recess,
and the window on che west opened upon
tho corridor or piazza that extended the
uhole length of this wing of the building.
This piazza was enclosed by blinds, VIII Oh
-rofected the Ioonis from the glare of the
~ and added to thea secluded cozy air of
confort that pervaded this portion of the
building. 49,.
rished by my landlady) found bed with
GOOD. soft mattress, aud wire springs be-
heath. a bureau, washstand and two chairs,
Tntering the room from the piazza, upon
opening the door one saw directly opposite
nice little CRATE, and on their left hand
was the solid wall that divided my room
from the one adjoining. There was no
Window. door or other communication be-
tween my room AID the next room.
Being of cautious temperament, l fast
ored the sash down securely in the window
that overlooked the piazza, as 1t was only
about two feet above the floor. My bed was
over in the corner opposite the CRATE, with
the head to the south, and the foot of the
he'd was at the door, with the closed window
NJ the piazza on my left hand as lay in the
lad. / am thus particular in my descrip-
mon of the position of the furniture and
the location Of the windows, so that the
curious who read my little story may grasp
the situation or surroundings, and form
their own theories of matter that will
never cease to excite my wonder and agltate
my mind.
NV custom or habit was to work at the
Office quite late at night, and instead of
going to supper would return to my room
and nv man Jour porter would have a fire
in my CRATE and a little supper prepared,
consisting generally of milk and fruit or
cake or such light refreshments. No; never
any liquor.
L. After living there a week and getting
quite accustomed to my quarters, one night
there came up shower which awakened
me- and heard drip, drip, drip, like drop
ping of water into the room. Upon exami-
nation found that the rain was dripping
through the ceiling from above, and |
placed the washbowl on the floor to catch
the rain and save the carpet. A rainy sea-
son having now set in the room seemed to
have a mouldy smell that was not alto
gether dissipated by the cheerful coal fire
that glowed nightly in the CRATE. | forgot
TO mention that my son, who also worked at
the railroad, had taken the room immedi-
ately adjoining tine one occupied, but after
remaining a month he sought and found
other quar- ers. Returning, as | did, so late
at night from work, | had no time for feel
ings of loneliness or gloom, as | was gener-
ally so tired that after eating my simple re-
past Immediately retired to bed, to sleep
toundly until morning. After my son had
given up the adjoining room observed, in
passing to my room, that a tall, dignified
old lady had become my neighbor, but as l
took no interest in the house or its occu-
pants, | paid but little attention to this
lady or to the other ladies.
One night soon after my son left, re-
turned to my room as usual, and after
drinking a tumbler of milk and eating a
small piece of cake / went to bed-and now
commences my strange experience. Some
time during the night | was awakened by
feeling some movement about my face, as if
something was passing over my mouth.
While | lay thinking what it could have
been that disturbed me, l felt a movement
under my pillow like that of hand eau
tiously feeling for something. | was not in
the least alarmed, but jumped at once to
the conclusion that it was large rat at
tracted by the lingering, greasy odor of
milk in my moustache, and had crawled
over my face, and now had taken refuge
under the pillow. With this thought in my
mind | slammed my hand down on the
pillow to hold the rat, and hastily jumping
from bed and lighting my lamp, raised the
pillow, expecting to find the rat-dead; tut
there was no rat to be found, and naturally
concluded the rat had escaped, and | re-
turned to bed with the mental resolve that
would either drink no more milk upon
going to bed, or be more particular in wash
ing it off my mouth.
trouble had now commenced, for it was
only the next night that | was awakened
by feeling some movement under the bed,
and while trying to account for this new
disturbance, | felt pressure directly I'm
der my body raising me and the mattress at
the same time. / smiled at the annoyance.
for at once supposed that it was the hugo
Newfoundland dog that belonged to the
house that had got under my bed, entering
the room unobserved wnen | had come in,
and, after taking comfortable nap, had
woke up and was stretching himself
Launching" his back under my bed, and so
had raised the springs and disturbed my
rest SO, up sprang, lighting the lamp,
intent upon. getting tho dog out OF the
room. L-oking under the bed, l was sur
NAL or thing | felt a little puzzled, but
went to bed and to sleep again very soon.
After several nights of similar experience
1 began to feel excessively annoyed, and,
attributing these nightly disturbances to
my late eating, concluded l would quit
eating at night before retiring, as it might
Somehow be connected with these strange
disturbances, and was possibly con-
nected with some arrangement of my
digestive functions. | mad noted with
some interest that these manifestations al
ways took place at about the same hour, as
would hear the church clock strike 3 just
after was awakened.
So night after night with but little vari-
uon Or intermission / was subjected to these
annoying disturbances.
One night was awakened by a shaking
OF the bed this was long before the earth
quake, and, sitting up in bed, distinctly
heard an agonized voice exclaim: "Ohl
my God" Always ready to offer some
M Co. @N..., h KanxG