The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-27
A Disturbing GHOSP
Makes Its Headquarters in Mar
tins Ferry and Terities
THE MEMBERS OF FAMILIES

muni IIouse--Airs. Harry l,ibe,ds
| Experience Causes Her Illness.
I Doors Fly Open, Groaus, Etc. II.
The town OF Martins Ferry has, nc
cording to the testimony OF u number .
people, n real ghost who has beer
cavorting around certain locality In 4
very lively and .iisagrccable manner,
). frightening several people half out Of
| their wits, aud one OF these, Mrs. Harry
Ribold, Is III very serious condition M
the result OF some Of the socallcd ghost =
terrifying manifestations.
On the corner OF Second and Monroe
streets In Martins Ferry there stands n
large two.story brick house which was
owned and occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
August Rothermund up to the time of
their death last summer. Mrs. Rother-
mund died in June and Mr.. Rother-
mund In September. Both were well
known members Of the German Lutheran
church, and highly respected. Since
the death OF the latter, tho report is that
all sorts Of peculiar demonstrations have
been mado by some unknown agency
which Inns thus far bailled all efforts to
solve It. These demonstrations have
mostly occurred upstairs, where Mr..
Rothermund died. After his death; his
second son, Mr.. Lewis Rothcrmund.
newly married, moved into the upstairs
part, while his older brother, Mr.. VIII
liam Rothermund, and family, occupied
the down stairs portion and used the
household effects Of the deceased. Every.
thing moved along smoothly for several
weeks until one night while sitting in
her room alone, Mrs. Lewis Rother-
mund saw and heard the water pitcher
dance in tho bowl near by. From that
time on, the house, it is said, has been
haunted. A few nights later the ghost
which has caused 80 much trouble
walked up the front stairway, through
the hail and down the back stairs. lRe
footsteps being distinctly heard. From
that time on, frequent yisitations were
made and number OF the denonstra.
tions occurred. Mrs. Rothermuud spent
several sleepless nights and finally, in
order to live in peace, they moved out
Of the supposed haunted house.
SHEET noLLERs EXPERIENCE.
Mr.. John Morgan, u sheet-roller Mt tho
AItna mill who was not afraid of all tho
ghosts in the world, moved in the houec
soon afterward aud some OF the exncri.
ences Of Mrs. Morgan and her children
as told by them, were thrilling. The
bold, bad ghost made its presence known
and felt mostly at night when Mr.. Nor
gan wns Mt work. It terrorized the oc-
cupants Of the house and at times
rendered sleep impossible. .lS
Night after night the covers were
pulled from off Mrs. Nlorgans bed and
one night the thing is said 10 baye let
out the most hideous groans, Mr.. Nor
gan had an experience one night but
could not find his giostship. Mrs. Nor
gan says that on several DAYS when
there was not another person upstairs
selections would be played on tho organ
in the parlor; the window shutters
would fly open; the water pitcher would
dance; the locked doors would open
apd other strange demonstrations took
place, but she could never see the ghost.
though site often heard the footsteps. :
A STONE MASON TRIES 1T,
Sometime after Mr.. Morgan moved
ont Mr.. Harry Ribold, stone r,sson i,v
trade, who has been working for NI;tci
ell Bros, the Union Bridge contrac,ors
moved into the house. This wns ahont
one month ago and he is very sorry that
he moved in it at all, rs his wills haS
among other thrilling experiences one ons
that may cause her death, She hasyG.
the ghost time after time and while tl,nv
lived in the house the spiritual demon,
STATIONS were more uumerons and
varied than ever before and were os
such @ character as to irightcn any per-
son. Mrs. Rlbold, who recently became
the mother OF a boy, heard and saw y
locked door open on Thursday. She couli
not stand the demonstrations any louynr
and IN her weakened condition sprnnr I'm
and with her infant in her arms. thiniw
clad and in her stocking feet, rushed our
into the street, screaming like II maniar
and ran down Second street to ihn ros;e
dence Of Mr.. Whitlash,an employe in thn
Ohio Valley glass works, over one block 4
distant, where she sought refuge. Whnn
she reached the house OF Mr.. sWh;tIash
she was sight to behold, Her faco was :
rs white as sheet. She trembled from
head to loot and was 30 badly iricLtep-
eu that che could not speak; she was
almost still from the cold. DR.. w. r.
was called aud says hcr
condition Is very precarious and that
this experience would have killed ninn
women out Of ten. 1tN
OTHER STORIES ABourrur oIrosr IA,
During Mrs. Ribolds confine,,ort =,
the"hanntcd" house she was half crazaI al
with fright nearly all The time. Ln shn
would not stay in bed after tho ch;i,;
was born, could not sleep even wh"n
her husband was with her and was ,fra;d
to stay in tue house alone. u 3'' 80 WV
Pearl Whitlash, bright piyl wbo l..
been living with Mrs. Riboid, corrnhnr r'
ates these statements aud says sbo san,
and heard great deal more. she hsarI ""M
the ghost sigh while alonrside ~ 'u i",.
bed one night; saw his shadow W NJ nnr th..
wall, and was so badly frightened several
times that she couldn't speak. One m,
night she was awakened bv a stra,,a,,
noise and says the ghost actually snni,o
to her or she dreamed this, she does r noi,
know which. ia,4%.5 NS' O'' ''oe "oI..
Ella, 3.ycar.old child OF Mr.. Pj,.oy,
ran into Mrs. Ribold q room on Weauas'
day and cried out in terror. "SIa,nma
bnggee out ere, and would not leave ,h,,
rooui that day. ! s,5.,S, .','' '"'e ''.'D 'ne
j During l hanl. the time the Ribolds lived in
the mouse they were nirail To s,een i, m
the dark and kept lights burnin" s'sop "v,., IN
night. During this period The 'do foor
leading into the room in wh;cv, 'Uor W''
household goods Of the late Mr.. Rottns ."s
onan mund are, srs Kept, s;Ia, would often ~ vide
opsson oa soon ~n1a a'ter a.d !. vas locked and no
This room strange noiaes i,ayo i hodn IN
heard. - '''Se peeh I
Eola Sf !,t:1 Moore, q domestic in The fapjyy
o. Mr. William Rothermund, iiyinr % IL
the ttras story, has left the house s seysraI nj
'stses Ses,s on M account Of the ghost upstsirs Is