Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-16
LUCK INILL-OMEN.
Breaking a Looking Glass Is
Counted Unlucky,
AND BURGLARY Is UNRIGHTEOUs.

A Case Where the Two Combine to Give
Man His Rights and Make Him
$4,000 Better ORA GhostIy Robber
tim and Gets Himself Into Durauce
Viis-A Curious Story from New York.
NEW YORK, Sept 16.-Every man, woman,
and child in the town of Tollard was thor
oughly persuaded of the existence of ghost
until Saturday, when Constable George
Walker captured the wandering spook and
landed him safely in the lookup The spirit
turned out to be a tramp, who rejoised in the
name Of Julius Cesar Bragg. That closed
Mr.. Braggs case, but it so happened that he
figured in strange incident Five years
ago Elijah H. Berry, a well-to-do farmer,
died suddenly Of pneumonia He was a man
OF simple habits, and the quaintness of his
wearing apparel made him familiar figure
In the country round about. Mr.. Berry died
and left his wealth, $40, 900, and his fine farm
to his daughters and grandchildren. The
only money found was a number of bonds
and securities in bank with some $3.50 in
cash, in all amounting to 800, 00J.
The Old Mans VIII.
No trace of the remaining $4,000 being
discovered it was supposed to have no exist
rnce By the will all the property was di-
vided among ten persons, the securities be-
ing bestowed by name, and the farm of $50
acres also distributed. Charles Berry, the
son Of the old farmers only boy, who died
In 1862 in the army, was the favorite of his
grandfather, who, after giving him the
homestead and $50 acres of the farm, ex-
pressly stipulated that he should have the
residue of the estate after the requests
named had been bestowed This would in
clude the missing $4,000 if it could be
found, but that failing all Charles received
was the house and land. and the 81 so cash
in bank
Man in the House.
Time passed and the missing money was
almost forgotten. Friday night about IL
O'Clock, after Mr. Berry and his wife had
retired, the latter woke him up suddenly.
She heard burglars ghost in the garre
above. Berry listened and heard the floor
creak to soft and stealthy footballs He
listened and the sound travelled slowly
toward the hall Another instant and soft
tread on the stairs proved that something
was d. scending. Berry jumped out of bed,
opened a bureau drawer, took out his
revolver, and standing at the foot of the
bed, scanned in large mirror the reflection
OF the door, which was open.
A Ghostly Apparition. .
He had hardly taken his position. when to
his horror, stepping into his roo m came the
figure of his dead grandfather, wearing the
famous queer clothes Mrs. Berry saw the
apparition and uttered shrek The ghost
like figure turned quickly as if to flee, and in
the excitement of the moment Mr.. Barry
lifted his revolver and fired not at the
figure, but at its shadow in the ass. When
he recovered from the excitement caused by
his mistake, he rushed for the hall, but the
figure had disappeared. The kitchen door,
which had been locked, was found Open
Tho SIS. 900 Discovered.
Saturday morning Mr.. Berry secured a
screwdriver and took down the mirror, which
was disfigured with a bullet hoie to put in a
new glacs. What was bis astonishment TO
find behind the mirror, built into the
chimney, a small iron safe-like door, which
was locked. A blow from a hammer shiv-
cred it, and there, stored away in pigeon
holes, was the lost SIS, 900, in bonds and
greenbacks, where the cautious old farmer,
in fear of robbery and Of bank cashiers, had
placed it five years ago, dying before he was
dDic " uAsClt,t the SScTtl DlullC place.
Capture Of the Spook.
In the afternoon another sensation was
caused by Constable Walkers arrest of a
peculiar looking parsonage He had dirty
fhce, and a remarkable shock of matty red
hair, while his feet were barely covered by
shreds of shoes, yet he wore a rather ILL
fitting suit of gray cloth and corduroy
breeches These SO badly compared with the
remainder of his exterior as to rouse the
suspicion that he had stolen the garments,
and he was consequently taken in charge
At the lookup some of the old citizens de-
clared the clothes were those of Farmer
Berry. Mr.. Berry called and fully identi-
fled them
Julius Cesar Bragg.
The prisoner, who said his name was julius
Caesar Bragg, acknowledged that he had
stolen them the night before from Bsrry's
house, and took them in exchange for his old
toys because be found nothing else in the
garnet to take. He left his old rags in their
place These We're found IL was Bragg
whom Berry mistook for a ghost Even the
prisoner could not refrain from gleefully re-
ferring TO Berry's craftsmanship. Berry is
so tickled over the result of the affair that he
purchased the tramp new suit of clothes
and will intercede for his release