St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-06
Warns a jolly Card Party to
Break Up at Mid
night.
Strange Events Following a
Farmers Terrible
Death.
His Family, Stricken With
Leprosy, Decline and
Die.
Fearful Noises Heard in the
Place, and a Mighty
Specter Seen.

ClnclnudIl Enquirer.
The deniZens of Union township,
Butler county, residing near Pert Union,
for some time past have been consider
ably exercised over the fact that there
is haunted house in the community,
and that ghosts, with all the latest i'm
provementS, are nightly seen by its oc-
cupants.
1t is at present the sole topic of con-
versation of the neighborhood. One of
the most noticeable facts connected
with this mystery is that the strange
demonstrations are of almost nightly
occurrence.
The house is situated about one
fourth of mile west of Port Huron in
that region known as Miami Valley,
and is at present occupied by family
named Nash.
Many a neighbor who entertained
the belief that ghosts did not exist has
abandoned such belief after having
passed night beneath the roof.
During the year of 1874, a man named
his family, purchased the land and
erected the house, which is provided
with mill roof.
Mead, with his family, resided there
for number of years, and the place
was known as the ''Mead Homestead"
The family consisted Of the husband
and wife and two children-a son and
daughter.
The head of the family lost his life
there. He was engaged in digging a
we'll near the northeast corner of the
house, and had reached the depth
of thirty-five feet, when it caved in,
burying Mead under several feet of the
fallen earth. After several hours OF la
borious work he was taken out dead.
and was buried OH small knoll Of
ground about 200 yards north OF where
he lost his life.
Some five years after this event the
remaining members of tia family were
stricken with strange malady, much
resembling leprOSy, and all succumbed
to the fatal disease and were buried be-
side the father.
The farm theu passed into the hands
of Clark Mounts. who for number OF
years was employed as superintendent
OF the southern division of the Miami
canal. 1t was during the occupancy of
the premises by this family that the
strange scenes were first witnessed.
There is large hallway in the house,
from which ascends flight of stairs,
leading to the upper story, and at the
head of these stairs is where the first
manifestations were witnessed.
Unearthly Yells,
as of some one in great distress, can be
heard, and during these strange periods
a ghostly shadow in the shape of hui
man form would appear upon the scene,
and at given signal from this all tur-
MOL would cease, and for short time
all would be as still as the grave.
One dark cold night in the winter of
1871 a party of young folks, consisting
of two ladies and an equal number OF
gentlemen, were at the house, in the
basement story, seated around table,
engaged in friendly game of cards.
The house is so constructed that two
large windows are in the east side of
this room, the windows being SO ar
ranged that the sash may be lowered
from the top.
Among the party on the evening al
luded to was young man named Clark,
whose position at the table afforded him
full view of these two windows.
A fierce storm was raging without,
and, as the old family clock chimed the
hour of midnight, Clark raised his eyes
upward and gaZed out of the windows
in time to witness spectacle that al
most made him frantic with fear. The
upper sash of one of the windows slowly
lowered. and instantly what seemed to
be human hand was thrust through
the aperture and motioned, as if beck
oning. to the party to depart. Clark
made known what he had seen to those
around him, and they
Tried to Calm His Fears,
telling him it was all Imagination. The
table was then so arranged that should
the strange operation be repeated they
might all witness it.
1t was not long until repetition of
the scene occurred, and this time it was
witnessed by the entire party, being at
the other window.
The young ladies were so badly
frightened that they Immediately sought
another portion of the house, trembling
with fear, and soon took their depart
ure. All efforts to induce them to go to
the house after this nights experience
proved of no avail.
The query is, what is this, and is it
the ghost of old man Mead returning to
torment the occupants?
A party Of young men of the neigh
borhOod have banded themselves to-
gether with the intent to fathom the
my stery. if possible.