The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-04-03
- HAuNrEp rAvERN.
An Uacanny AEehouso which Bas BsS2
EreQusnEed by SHhSstly VIsttants-


an Uaoanny AIehouso which Has Been
EreQusntsd by SHhSstly Vtsttanta-
About half a mile north OF North
Egremonts Mass, on the road TO Aus
terlitz, n. Y, and close by the Joiner
farm, stood forty years ago an old tav-
ern, once occupied by q man named
Todd Strange stories were told OF the
house, and one tenant after another
left, giving no cause for its abandon
ment- An old gentleman by the name
Of 'tGrantheP'' Willard saw one evening,
Just after sunset and before twilight, an
old man, with broad-brimmed hat, blue
coat with brass buttons, and old-fash-
toned knee breeches and polished shoe
buckles, coming out of the old house.
His style OF apparel was thirty or forty
years behind the age, and ''Granther'
determined to speak to him.
The man came toward him. so that he
could see him very plainly. All at once
the visitor raised his right hand and he
vanished with lightning-lilze rapidity.
neighbOr OF ''Granther's'' once saw
an old woman leading a little child She
walked quite rapidly, but the man tried
to overtaIe her. When he got within
ten feet of her she was gone into thin
air.
A man named Webb had, a short time
before the house was abandoned as a
tavern, undertaken to stay all night.
He had heard that there was a door in
the room where he was to sleep that
would never stay shut He took from
his wagon a piece of halter strap, with
which he firmly secured the door.
Shortly after he had gone to bed he
heard footsteps outside the door, and a
noise as of some one dragging chains
along the floor. All at once the room
became almost as light as day, and yet
it did not differ materially from day
light. The door that he had so carefully
secured opened nOiselessly of its own
accord, apparently, and, while he could
see nothing, he could hear and feel that
footsteps were approaching his bed. He !
jumped out on the floor, and again the !
room was dark
Then he could hear noises in the eel /
lar, as if some one were digging and lay /
ing up a stone wall He got up, dressed |
himself and awakened the landlord, and |
told him that he could not stay there |
any longer.
"Pshaw!'' said the BOniface, fare You /
foolish enough to be frightened out of |
your sleep by few rats?'
rats or not said Webh st am /
going;' and he did go.
Several years after "Granther'' Mill |
ard saw the sights there was an alarm |
OF fire one night, and the ''old Todd |
tavern" was in flames. But little effort |
was made to prevent the fire from de- /
it.
The next day some men went up to /
look at the ruins. In the cellar there /
to be a portion of the wall .
that had been taken down and relaid. |
Several men pried at the wall with |
sticks and it fell down, and behind the |
wall was found a mans skeleton, bits |
Of blue cloth, some grey hair, and two or |
three hOrseshOes. Old men then remem- |
bered that forty years before they had |
heard that u traveller and Spectator in |
horses between the United States and /
Canada had been seen in and about the /
old tavern as lately as he had been |
heard of anywhere. But as more than /
a dozen different men had tried to keep
the tavern there was no means of fas-
tening the crime upon them.-Chicago
j Ournal.
-'Remember, boys said the new
teacher, who, being still new at the