The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-29

flll N nun
| self. AZ one corner of the cellar found an
| old oyster can ia queer position. II seemed
| to be sticking 10 the floor above. but aztec q
| close examinations without, however, touch.
| ing il with my hands / made up my mind
| that IL was held up there by Il cord. | said
| nothing 10 my companion about this nor
| about another discovery made in the front
/ hall At one spot, where the plaster was oil
| from base 10 ceiling, | caught sight of a wire
| behind the lnths This led up and down. and
| the lower end was probably attached u some
| object. We did not go up stairs. The front
stars had never been flushed, aud the back
| ones were 50 dllapidatcd that we hcstated 20
| trust them with our weight. By IL O'Clock
We had taken our seats in the sitting room,
eyes and ears alert aud ready for any e,ner-
eency There was no lock or catch on the
door opening into the parIor, but it was 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 scmi-darkness and the house
as still as death
1t mnst 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
the sounds came from Il jewsharp. Ny com
pauion whispered that two female voices
were singing, while guitar played an accom-
paniment The music had scarcely died
away when the parior door opened as noise
lessly as tue swing of coffin lid was per-
fectly satisfied that II was the work OF human
hands, but was startled. l had not told
the detective that expected TO find Kelly in
the house had simply said that ! expected
TO make an important discovery. When the
door swung open the man started upin alarm
and whispered
"Great heavens. Let US be goneH
Iput my hand on his arm and waited for
the next move In about minute we heard
tlmkl tunkl tunkl ON the cellar stairs.
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 TO his feet, wheeled half
around and whispered
Look out for YOURSELF The cussed thing
is coming up out Of the cellar"
Keep still-lstenm replied, and when
the can had "tunked" one for each step the
sound ceased Then the pGrlor door slowly
and silently swung to. rs | have told You,
| was dead sure that all these things were
caused by human agency, aud yet / felt
creeping of my flesh, and my forehead was
damp with perspiration. The detective with
mo was as brave man as ever took up
trail, but such was the effect upon him that
has face was as white as snow, his teeth chat
tered, and be clutched me and pleadlngly ex-
claimed
If we stay here another minute we are
both dead mem"
| sat down and drew him down 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. | 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 out, and had to go along or be left
in the dark When clear of the house he
made run for the highway, and found
him on the further side OF it when ! came up.
Whats the matter" asked.
Good God, man, but my nerves are all
gomez he gasped. Il wouldn't stop in that
house another FIVE minutes for all the money
In the stotem
was satisfied that all the noises had heeu
made by human agency Some one had
taken possession of the house, and | had
feeling that il was Kelly. II was just III line
with his other sharp tricks did not tell
my companion what | suspected nor what
intended 10 do, but ! had all my plans laid
before morning. The old house was two and
q half stories, ana whoever was hiding there
was likely to be IN the garnet IL was also
likely that this garnet was reached from the
second story by ladder If the person was
Kelly OF any other sharp fellow, the ladder
would be drawn up, or any one showing his
head above the scuttie would receive rap.
II got squad OF men and surrounded the
house the occupant might get Oft by some
unknown way. or find hiding place UNI
known to us Ii We failed to find any one
the whole city would hold us up 10 ridicule
There was no window lii the garrett al the
back end OF the house 1t 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 l expected the occupant Of
the garnet would come down before noon, but
he did not show up. Ii was Il dark and
gloomy day i'll the fall, with frequent rain
SQUALLS, and about o'clock IN the afternoon
/ crept up the stairs i'll my stocking feet,
entered room near where the garnet
scuttie was locked, and began playing the
ghost for Some one elsgs pcsi-rir .sc;,
brought along mouth organ, and sounded
and hung on 10 few lonesome notes several
times over. Pretty soon / heard slight
movement overhead Then | took q 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 q few signs and groans.
The sounds above me became palmer, and
knew that some one was listening at the
scuttle.
gave him q few more notes, scratched on
the wall and floor, and in a few minutes
ladder was thrust down from the scuttle A
few deep drawn groans on my part brought
man down tho ladder, and as be reached
the foot Of iri collarcd him 1t was Kelly.
He 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 | 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. II
falt al.tal lao talt vary Shaopiob a. nm nfYsat