Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-09-10
A MAVnn1ALlzuD SPECTRE.

down town IN sue moratng bJ the dles
waited railroad, being usually in \
hurry. In the evening. having more
time to spare, preferred going home
BY the boats that ran mp the East and
Harlem rivers, Tha air on the water
WA pleasant 10 me, and She kAleido.
SCOPE OF the lighted river front oontlnu
ally presented rev features OF interest.
One eveni4G when was on the boat
going up tkS Eaat river had . strange
and startling experience.
Night had set in early, ~ the day
had been dark, and the river front was
running pretty close TO the New York
shore, and was at my usual plAOs, on
that SIDE of the boat, on the lower deck,
As near to the water as possible, leAninR
on the rail and gazing alternately at
the water and at the docks.
II was when We were passing pier
little wBy above OorlAeI's Hook that
iuly strange experience began.
Tho pier that I speak Of Was PlAnked
up at the sides and ct the water end
with upright plAnkH, which were
probably fastened to strlpgers across
Ethe piles. had noticed that before, Rs
had noticed everything along the
river, being q minute observer. Al the
time speak OF there vas a bright Ian.
tern light at the head OF the pier,
doubtless intended 90 . ItxnAl for some
vessel that wAs expected 10 land there
Suddenly, while was gag ing ct the
pier without being specially interested
In 1t, human faoe became Visible 10
one Of the plsnks near the middle, 80 II
Il was framed there.
1t was q mans face, not OF all good
looking, with elarss and brutal feat
ures, and with wild nard starting eyes.
The light from above neither lighted II
no nor cast 1t into the shade, but en-
abled IL 20 be clearly seen from where /
atood Istolld add that the tide was
thsn low, ana shat the spot at which
the face WAS framed In the plank APP
peAred to mo 10 be . little below high
watsr mark.
The visiop-that WAS what 1 was
compelled 70 call twas 90 weird aud
unexpected that II startled me. Though
not At all ttmid, I am . nervous person,
and confess that 1t upset nae.
In another moment the boat passed
hey ond the pier. and lost the view OF
that p1lltd and sinister fAos, but not by
coy means the Femembrancs OF it.
l had been working very hard Of iate,
COMPRISING . good deal OF my sort OF
labor Into few hours every Day, and
there had been more or less worry
mixed with It, Sn1 the weather wGs
very hot 1t was natural, therefore,
that should believe that / was begin.
ming 70 be Ill, and that my illness If.
tioted me with the unpleasant faculty
OF seeing things that did not exist.
As there IL not particle of supeRsti
d tlOn In INV nalnRa Il tn1A ekaE 7
had been the victim Of an optical illu
sion, and that there could not possibly
have been any such face framed In the
plank Of the pier rs that which / hsd
supposed saw.
That was also the opinion of my wife
when related my experience 70 her
Though had reason to suspect that
che took more serious view of the
vislon than did, Bhe was Of the opIn.
ion that had beUn over " orkinR my se II
during the hot weather, and that
needed rtBt and recreation. There was
nothing for 1t, abe said, so good IS
country air and an Absence OF work
and Business bother, and she was de.
termined that should have the air aud
the absence.
left the mAtter'in her hands, CON
corning myself only with arranging
matters 30 that could leave the city for
while, and the result of her mschinR
lions was that our little family was
shipped off to farm house back Of the
OaIskills, where We could not even get
the daily papers until they were so
stale that cared nothing for them.
1t seems to me that led there As
easy and indOlent life, IS far as
business cares aud worry were con.
corntd, ~ 9 man could lead, and after
while the weird face which had
sten framed In the plank ceased to
haunt my dreams. Then considered
my selt cured.
We were In the country bat two
weeks, that being the limit Of the alb
senoe had allowed myself, and when
We returned TO town resumed my
former habit OF tai ing the elevated road
70 business In the morning and . Har-
lem boat home In the evening.
II WAS on my seeo1d trip up the river
by the boat that had = recurrence OF
the Vision which had 80 nervously trou-
bled me.
| Was on the lower desk again, stand
ing ct The forward Ruard rail, Watching
the a, wAyB interesting panorama of the
lighted river front, when the boat
passed the same pier above OorlAer's
Hook, and noticed the same lantern
hanging there.
Suddenly directly under the lantern,
aud little below hiah water mark, ms
had previously judged, appeared the
same weiTd, sinister, brutal, evil. look.
ing face which had teen there before,
pAllid and corpse like, with Wild and
staring eyes, framed there In the plank
~ when 1t first oonfrou ted me.
/ wss no startled and shocked by this
second vision that / staggered ta3k
from where / stood, and might have
fallen II . deck hand had not caught
me aud held me up.
"What's the matter, boz 81" he asked.
fare you sick?"
"I'm afraid that something lie the
matter With me-" l answered family.
"Dld you notice the pier We just
pasaed?"
THAT one where the lantern hanger
1 most always notice It. but didn't
look that way 10 night. Is here any.
thing the matter with it9"
"DId you ever see ghost theTe2''
mo; bat wouldn't be q biz surprised
to see something in that line. Il was
jutt eff that pier that q passenger ON
this boat jumped overheard and oom.
mttted suicide he was standing just
where you were bit ago. and all OF q
sudden he got over tue rail and into The
water he went We stopped the bJat
and did all We could to save him, but
nothing was seen OF him after he WeEt
overheard
nwhst kind OF q man WAS he?"
~ thought he had been ON q big FpTee
and that he had GOA touch Of the jlm-
Ems. He was g hard looking case, one
of the toughest su bieots ever sEw His
face Was as pale 81 . sheet, and his eyes