Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-08
Catching a Vampire.
MIDNIGHT wREsTLE WITH AN UNIDENTIF
CREATURE IN WOODRUFF

A MIDNIGHT wREsTLE WITH AN UNIDENTIFIED
CREATURE IN WOODRUFF.
From the Indianapolis News
Il had a vampire hunt last night" remarked
A. F. Potts, as he took place in the incoming
Woodruff street car this morning.
'About o'clock my wife woke me up with
the familiar demand in whisper to know what
that noise was in the room.
"Rats" / answered, still half asleep. That's
what think she replied, accepting my inter-
probation literally, so get up Instantly before
they jump at the baby By this time had
myself heard strange, half-running and hop
ping noise upon the floor, and jumped up TO
see a strange creature about the size of a rat
but with a fat, bushy tail scud away under the
bureau.
"My suggestion for my wife to take the baby
and go into the adjoining room and leave me
to fight the creature alone, met her hearty an
prevail, and was left alone instantly. happy
thought occurred to me to bring up my Gordon
setter pup to Join in the chase. This did. and
arming myself with broom, began to stir up
| the intruding animal. The moment the pup
got sight OF that strange creature in the house
hopping past him he seemed to be paralyzed
and skunk under the bed and nothing that
could do could persuade the dog to come out.
and so was left alone in the fight not in any,
wise treasured by the conduct of the dog on
| whose instinct had counted for assistance. I
went at it again, poking it out of corners,
siashing at it as it flew past. getting more mys-
titled and excited at every view of it in the dim
light OF the room. Finally it ran to the door
and like flash up the panel for or feet.
dropping off with what seemed to nv excited
| imagination outspread leathery wings.
Then sat down to reflect and recall what
little knew of natural history. 1t could not
| be rat, for 1t hoped and had a long. hairy
| tail, and whoever heard of q rat running right
up door panel before your very eyes? 1t
couldn't be a bat, because bat does not run
| as this thing did. Then remembered a long
forgotten German legend Of a bat-like vampire
which steals into the bedroom to suck the
blood Of little children. The mystery Of H.
forgotten fairy story gave the situation ali the
| important elements of a regular nightmare
My wife's sensible suggestion from the adioin-
| ing room to shut the animal mp until morning
was very alluring Just then, and should have
acted on 1t II it had not occurred to me as a
duty to destroy what might prove some new
| and dangerous animal. 50 nerving myself with
the reflection that the safety of NV offsprinc
was involved, l arose to renew the conflict.
this time armed with long-handled brush OF
| some weight. There sat the animal whatever
| It was; in an exposed corner, curled up as
| though ready TO spring at me. My hair rose q
little as hurled my only weapon at the crouch-
ing thing in the corner, which by this time
| seemed to me to be possessed Of leatherv
| wings, fangs, hideous claws, and the eyes Of q
demon, and the brush, hurled javelin-like, hit
him and laid him ont straight on the door.
drought near the light the demon Of my
chase proved to be poor, innocent little gray
nytng-squirrel, which had dropped from q,
overhanging bough to the roof and found ~
way into the room. Ny wife was considerate
enough to 80 TO sleep without single obser-
vasion, and only want to mention that have
thoroughbred Gordon softer pup to trade for
canary bird Or . collar button, or anything
s4a