The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-06-13

ed NJ, and no more was heard OF
'fhe ghost" for awhile. 1t happen
ed one evening that The tenants
gave party. There was a small
dance, and among the guests were
some guardsmen and otheroihcers.
There was some curiosity express
ed as to the haunted room, and
many of the guests, particularly
The military oues, laughed at the
idea OF any danger or ghost Fl,
nally the subject absorbed general
attention dancing was discarded
for discussion the believers out
numbered the skeptics. III bet
YOU five pounds" said young Of
iicer, "thaL | will 60 and remain an
hour in the haunted room and come
down unharmed." "DoneW eX-
claimed his opponents. "Dont :!
exclaimed the more timorous OF
his friends. The lady OF the house
and her husband both endeavored
to dissuade him. But he was firm.
He laughed ghosts 10 scorn and
jeslingly bade farewell to his
companions. He carried a candle,
and as he prepared to ascend to
the room, which had been lighted
with Gas, some presentiment seems
TO have affected him, but he laugh
ed away all remonstrance. you
won't frighten me with a regiment
of ghosts he said, but I'll secure
my retreat. Remember, if | ring
once you will be ready to come up
stairs, because you will then un-
lerstand that | have seen some
thing and may require assistance. "
They promised ard he continued: !:
"But if ! ring twice you will
at once know that am i'll peril,
and then you can come up as fast
as ever you can. | shall not ring
without reason They wished the
Young fellow good luck, and stand
ing in and near the drawing room
door, watched him ascend the stair
case. He lauE he'd them CHEEKY
''good-byp," entered the room,
which was fully lighted, and shut
the door loudly. The noise echoed
through the house, now silent, for
every one, even the servants, were
on the quj rire, and the ring of the
bell was anXiOuSly awaited. The
men stood on the landing; The la
dies generally remained in the
rooms, conyersing only in whis-
pers, and feeling, as one expressed
it, as il something was going to
happen. He had been gone fifteen
minutes, aud no sound had alarm
ed The guests. Bets began to be
talked of and wagers rendered
that he would moi ring, and that
there was no "ghostn al all. Sud
denly IA faint ting, ting" was heard.
There was no miStake-he had
rung the bell On The startling
notice the ladies began to run out,
and some of the men began to as
cend the stairs. A few were for
rushing up at once, but the cour-
age of their friend and their agree
ment held them back; still they
were ready for a dash up The flight
at the first Jingle of The second
bell. Some terrible minutes pass
ed; the ticking of The clock was
distinctly audible. Then a loud,
violent crash Of the bell; sound
of fearful significance TO all who
heard it. Two seconds sufiiced
fer The men TO reach the room and
burst open the door. This is what
they saw The young officer
stretched in his evening dress on
the bed, rigid, dead! His jaw had
dropped; his eyes were staring
open vacantly in mortal terror; a
dumb, stony fear and awful hOr-
ror stamped on his features ! His
left hand clulched the bell rope
which had summoned his friends.
But no presence was visible. No
form appeared TO alarm others.
/ There he lay, staring mad in death.
/ What he had seen-demon or spir-
! it-must forever remain a mysle-
ry. lie died, scared to death by
the awful apparitlon which he had
in some manner detied or offended.
Some time after, we believe in
1879, the condition of the house
and the mystery again claimed at
tenlion. Questions were publicly
addressed TO those interested, but
no reply was given, nor explana-
jion ever afforded OF this true mys-
terry of Berkley Square.