Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-10-14
THE BLOODY HAND.
A Gruesome Tale Reported from
 @ Quiet Texas Town.

Mysterious Doines Which Made tho Hair on the Hoads of an Entire Family Stand on End-A Literary Gem Worthy of Mulhatton.
 On tho outskirts of this town, says Woodville (Tex.) letter to the St Louis l Globe-Democrat, is an old house which has l stood untenanted for years, but was re- gently repaired and once more rendered in- 1 habitable. A MT. E., who is a recent ar- rival in Woodvile, though well known in the county as an honorable gentleman, moved into this house about six weeks ago with his family, which consists of his wife, grown daughter and a little boy of seven. One night about week after they got set tied the child came running in from the hall, which was unlighted, into his mothers room, crying out:
 "Oh, mamma, somebody with their hands all wet caught hold of me-"
 His mother commenced to soothe his fright, when, to her horror, she perceived that the sleeve of the child's little jacket of white linen bore the mark of bloody hand.
 She called to her husband, who was sit- ting on the porch, and told him what the child said, showing at the same time the crimson marks. The two proceeded to search the house, but found only the usual | occupants. MT. Z was certain that no ono could have passed him, and the servants. on being questioned, declared that trey had been sitting on the back porch and had seen no one come in. The whole occur renee owas dismissed as a mystery that would in due course explain itself in some natural way, for both MT. z. and hls wife were people of strong religious convic- tions, besides being possessed Of cool, practical common sense.
 Scarcely a week, however, had elapsed when one night about ten o'clock shrieks were heard issuing from the room of the young lady daughter, who had just retired. When reached the girl was found to be near ly insensible from fright, and it was several l minutes before she was restored sufficiently | to be able to tell the cause ofher alarm. She had been standing before her toilet mirror In her night-dress bralding her hair, when, happening to cast her glance on the refec- 1 tion in the glass, she perceived mans hand all dripping with blood lying familiarly on her shoulder. Seeing this frightful sight and knowing that there was no living creature in the room beside herself, the ter rified girl attempted to run from it, but was mysteriously held fast by that bloody hand. Her night-dress was plainly impressed with the print of large hand outlined in fresh blood.
 | MT. and Mrs. z. were now thoroughly alarmed, for these things were wholly in- | applicable from any but supernatural standpoint. However, with courageous determination to accept none but purely natural explanation, they resolved to remain m the house awhile longer, but sent away | their children. MT. Z went to the owner Of the house and inquired if any thing in its history could account for the strange ap- | pearances that had been witnessed in it. | Mir. O., to whom the house belonged at that | time, informed him that he had bought 1t from family who had left the place sud denly-for what reason no one ever knew about eight years before.
 For time nothing further was seen or heard of the bloody hand and the Z.'s were beginning to congratulate themselves that it would trouble them no longer, when 1t began course of persecution that finally ended in driving them from the house. Mrs. E. would be awakened by the touch of clammy fingers playing over her lace; her husband found himself struck violently over the head whenever he entered room unlighted; the servants left complaining that their work was interfered with con- stantly, for the dishes were thrown to the floor, freshly laundried clothes spr1nkled with blood, and gory marks defaced the white. plastered walls. The door-bell kept up 0 perpetual ringing day and night, and occasionally there would be fearful crash, as if the very roof had fallen. Mr.. z. procured dog, which was kept in the house all the time, but one morning, after an unusually disturbed night, the animal was found dead with broken neck and look of almost human terror in it's wide- open eyes, One day Mrs. z. in broad day light was seized by her back hair and dragged violently from room to room until she repeated the Lords prayer aloud, when her invisible enemy relaxed its hold, and pitiful moaning or lamentation filled the air as of some lost spirit bewailing it's doom.
 The climax, however, was reached one magnificent moonlight night when MT. and Mrs. 2. were sitting on their porch quietly conversing. All at once the husband, without speaking, directed his wife's at tention to the floor. There was hand, severed at the wrist, and, with faint blue flight playing about it, writing with the in- dex finger on the white plank flooring of the porch. When the hand finished it's writing it seemed to wiring itself in the air in speeches. despair and disappeared flaming. A lamp was at once procured and the pair read the sentence traced by the hand in bloodi
 ''The wicked cry rest, rest, and there is no restV' |; Scarcely had they finished reading it when the lamp was snatched from the hand of MT. z. and flung violently to the floor, shrieks and walls. sad and terrible beyond describing, filled the air, and the husband and wife, conquered at last, rushed from the accursed house and sought refuge at 8 Tn eighbor,s. In short while the alarm ot fire was given and the house just deserted by the Els was found enveloped in flames. The lamp in it's fall had set it on fire and it was completely consumed.
 l Caring for Furniture.
 With care furniture may be kept looking nice for years, but without this care it soon becomes dingy and shabby. A thorough cleansing, once month at least, should be given to upholstered furniture that is in everyday use. Articles covered with plush or any goods with g pile may be brushed with bristle brush, but for hair