Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16
HAUNTED NEW YORK.
Olive Harper Tells Of Ghosts Often
Seen and Heard.
SOME ARISTOCRATIC SPIRITS.
A GhOstly Game of Euchre and Murder in a
Hotel Bedroom.
ARISTOCRATIC SPIRITS
SOME
THE GHOST COUNTED HER DRESSE
WRITTEN FOR THE D1spArcH.1

thentic ghost story, where the relator has
seen the shadowy spirits himself or herself,
as it may be. I have heard many stories oi
supernatural sights, but nearly all have ap-
peared in some remote place and were seen
only by the aunt, cousin or grandmother Of
some intimate friend of the story teller, but
there are ghosts right here in New York,
several of them, and while those who have
seen them are almost as visionary as the
| ghosts, still they deserve certain consider
alton, and now feel impressed to give it.
Where the French Hospital has been, in
| West Fourteenth street. there is an inquiet
spirit Of some kind, and for long time the
house could not find an occupant who would
stay, and yet no one who has lived there has
ever actually seen anything. But, in the
middle of one night in each week, there is a
sound of q woman's sobbing, a hurried open
| ing and closing of doors, light footstep
running and the swish of draperies along
the hall, heavier step behind, painting
| breaths, scuf1e, a stihed scream, sound
| of heavy blows, fall, silence; only broken
| by hurried descent of the stair case and an
| opening and shutting of the front door,
and mystery, complete as to the cause of 1t
all.
A HAUNTED WELL.
In Spring street is o well, covered over
with slab of stone, and filed with rubbish.
| This well is now under shop, and think
the number is not far from 65, but I cannot
remember it exactly. Here the shadowy
| spirit Of poor Elma Sands rises once year
| and calls for vengeance on her unpunished
murderer. She was lovely young Quaker
girl, pure and sweet who was foully thrown
into this we'll many years ago, it was sup
posed by Levi Weeks, but the crime was not
actually proven upon him and he was hberat-
ed. The case was famous then on account
of the prominence of his family, and the fact
that he was defended by Aaron Burr and
Alexander Hamilton. She, poor girl, had
been of poor but respectable family and she
went out sleigh riding with him, her be-
trothed husband, and never came back.
Quite time afterward her body was found
in this well, her tender hands all bruised
and crushed by cruel boot heels to make her
let go her hold on the planks and fall into the
icy water beneath. The history of the crime.
and how she was placed outside her door on
bier, in Washington street, for the populace
to see her as she lay dead, is written in the
history of that day. Now, a sturdy German
carpenter works above the we'll where she
was murdered and never thinks of it.
In a pretty but old-fashioned house in
Stuyvesant Souare-ghosts like squares, 1
thinks another ghost. This house stood
empty for several years, and about six years
ago a gentleman, his wife and little daughter
moved in there, and while fitting up al
lowed the child to play about the empty
attic which had apparently been arranged
for a children's playroom long ago. There
was fireplace and a large freboard in
front of it. When the house was about fin
ished downstairs the mother began to pay
more attention to the little girl, and tried to
keep her down there with her, but the child
always stole away and went back upstairs
again and again, until finally the mother
asked why she liked to go up there so much.
She replied that she liked to play with the
funny little boy. Investigation showed that
it was utterly impossible for any person,
man or child, to get in. that place or be con-
cealed there, but the little girl insisted,
and told her parents that he "went in there"
pointing to the freboard.
MURDER REVEALED.
The parents were seriously concerned, be-
lieving that there daughter was telling them
an untruth, and threatened to punish her
for it, but she insisted SO strongly that she
saw and played with "funny little boy,
with lots of buttons on his jacket" that
they finally gave up threatening and re-
solved to investigate. The father, who is
an old sea captain, found out that this house
had been occupied by an English man
named Cowdery who had had three chill
dren, two boys and girl. One of the boys
was an idiot. This idiot was supposed to
have fallen into the East river, as his cap
was found there, and he had always shown
a liking for the river when his nurse took
him out Soon after this Mr.. Cowdery
moved W est.
This was enough for my friends friend,
who had the freboard taken down, and short
work in the wall by the side OF the chimney
brought the body of the unfortunate idiot
boy. The back of his skull was crushed in.
He still had the dark blue Jacket On, with
four rows of buttons on the front. The poor
little bones were buried and the affair kept
quiet, but the Captain lie t the house.
A lady whom ! knew well, had a strange
experience in the northern part of the city
near Washington Heights. She was guest
at Mr.. Beekman's house, and as there were
very many other visitors the housekeeper
assigned her to a room which had belonged
to the son of the owner, and be was dead.
My friend was young at the time, and she
could sleep anywhere, but she found it
utterly impossible to sleep in this room, and
moved by uncomfortable impulse she got
out of bed and walked restlessly about the
room until 1 o'clock, feeling at the same
time great depression of spirits, unusual
to bright, happy girl. Finally she threw
ucrrc1I 1ulO u Sc anu INSTANTLY lclb
a pain in her throat, and sufocation that
caused her to faint and fall to the floor so
heavily tnat the housekeeper and one or two
others came hurrying in. Later she dis
covered that in this room the unfortunate
son of the host had cut his throat in this
very chair. and had fallen and died on the
spot where she fell.
A sPooK's PASSION FOR DRESS.
This same lady, who is no visionary, but
one of the most common-sense women l ever
knew, had another curious experience in an
old-fashioned hotel which stands or did not
long since near McComb's dam. She and
number of other young folks had been in
vited to large party at house not over a
half mile or SO away, and the night before
the party several members of the family re-
turned unexpectedly from abroad, and there
was not room enough for them all. So
young married couple and this lady and her
sister volunteered to go over to this hotel to
pass Saturday and Sunday nights. The
small hotel was quite full and SO a room
which apparently had not been used for
some time, was prepared tor the two young
girls. The elder sat up while after the
younger was in bed, arranging her hair and
thinking. When the door opened noise
lessly and lady with what she thought was
a peculiar night dress on, and with long
hair unbound, came into the room and went
to a wardrobe in the corner and took the two
sisters dresses and threw them on the floor
and counted all the garments hanging there.
Then she went to the bureau and looked
over every piece of linen or other article it
contained, counting them in whisper. So
life-like did she appear that nv friend never
dreamed of thinking her a ghost, not even
when she went out Of the room and closed
the door after her. She was surprised at
such curious proceeding, but no more.