The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-03-08
GREBNVILLE GHOSTS.
Continued from Page One.
If which the balls found their way to


up, and as nothing ghostly made its ap-
pearance the reporters started to leave
the house AS they were descending the
creaking stairs, and had almost reached
the parlor floor, there came q rushing
sound which began in the upper part Of
and terminating with crash in the base
ment. Following closely upon this tap
ping was heard on one of the back parlor
windows.
The reporters halted and stood listen
ing Their hair stood on end.
Tap, tap. tapl went the mysterious
sound The wind howled mournfully
about the house, and they began to recall
stories of spirit rappings, banshees and
Witches and the like.
All desire of success on their search de-
serted them, and shey wished themselves
safe at home.
While they stood in this predicament
one Of them felt a ghostly hand touch
| him upon the shoulder. lie turned
quickly, but could see nothing. He shud-
dered and told his comrade what had oc-
| CURED. The latter raised his lantern
| above his head and looked behind him,
With laugh he pointed to a piece of
wire netting which hung down from de-
lapidated screen door leaning against the
| wall
With regained confidence the ghost
hunters started to investigate the wierd
sounds they had heard. While IN the
back parlor they heard the tapping again
1t came from the side window. Opening
1t they found that a piece OF the broken
lightning rod had worked loose from the
fastening and was blown by the wind
against the window.
Nothing was discovered to explain the
rushing noise until they visited the
| kitchen, where a brick in the fireplace
told the whole story. It had been dis
lodged from the chimney by the wind,
4 -. r1.3 ft.
| ment.
/ Satisfied that the stories concerning this
| house were mere bugaboo, the reporters
! extinguished the lantern and started for
the other habitation of ghosts. BY con-
| sulting their watches they found IL want
| ed but twenty minutes of two O'Clock.
! They arrived at the old Gaptier home
stead at about quarter to three The
moon was shining brightly as they neared
| the house.
GHOSTS AT LAST.
Their experience in the Clinton avenue
| house furnished them with considerable
/ confidence and it was with but little fear
| that they opened and crawled through
the first story window. They relit the
lantern and made their way to the top
| floor of the old house. All the rooms on
this and the second floor were explored
| but no ghosts were seen. Everything
| was all right. The ground floor WAS next
visited and as on the floors above nothing
unusual was seen or heard. Their
courage left them, however, when they
1 descended the steps that lead into the
dark and gloomy cellar
The old stairs creaked and groaned
under their feet. The reporter who held
the light was in the rear and the feeble
RAYS of the lantern lit up a small circle in
| the gloom and threw grotesque shadows
! of the two adventures on the Shiny wall,
| while the rest of the cellar was lett IN
4 a- T. III A
beams above, showing several iron rings
! covered with rust. to which the story has
it the old slave trader, Captain Brown,
| chained his slaves in colonial times.
/ The reporter who held the lantern
| Slipped on the last step and fell The
LIGHT was extinguished and the pair were
/ left in total darkness Hastily grabbing
/ the lantern the bearer rushed upstairs
the other reporter following closely at his
| heels. On reaching the ball they reIit
| the lantern, and summoning up courage
! once more entered the cellar. They were
more careful this time, and began to
| search the vault. Everything seemed as
| it should be, but while still investigating,
| they heard the stairs creak as under
! heavy tread. The sound lasted but
moment, and the reporters decided that
| it was their fancy, or that the noise was
caused by the wind, and returned to the
upper story. They went into the room to
the right and set the lantern on the floor.
| They were discussing the peculiar sounds
they had heard or imagined they heard,
! when there was sound of footsteps on
the porch.
This time there was no mistake. Foot
| steps were plainly heard and they seemed
to belong to three individuals. One of
these moved about the porch, another
| tried the door and the third ratified the
| shutters of the long French windows.
DARKNESS THERE AND NOTHING MORE.
Thinking it was some nelghbor who had
| come to ascertain who was in the house,
! the reporters fastened TO the window
where the rafting was heard and thre
| it open. There was no one on the porch,
nor could any one be seen in the inn
mediate vicinity. The searchers were now
thoroughly frightened, and when from
| the cellar came sound of rafting chains.
| they decided that discretion was the bet
| ter part of valor, and beat hasty retreat
TO the open road, leaving their lamp be.
hind.
| It was long time before they dared to
enter the house again to secure the
| lantern.
| When they did venture to return, they
| stayed only long enough to snatch it up,
| and to faSten the window They then
| left for home. This house has been
known to be haunted ever since the death
| of old Captain Brown at the beginning
| of the present century. And for years the
Gautier children were hushed TO sleep by
awful stories of the ghostly visitors COM
| ing, neatly adorned at each repetition.
from the mouths of gossiping old nurses.
Today there are few who believe the
| story of the ghosts, and those few are firm
in their belief and among them are num-
| bered the two reporters who had such a
peculiar experience at the house. The
%eatherbeaten old mansion has history
| that dates back to the days of the French
and Indian war" The house was built
| in 1850 by Tom Brown, a young Yankee
skipper, who had risen to the command
Of privateer and bought the vessel,
| which was engaged in the slave trade.
The old homestead is of massive build
| covers considerable ground aud faces the
| -Narrows.n There are two floors divided
into numerous low ceiled rooms. In 1772
the Captains daughter, Mary, who was
then sixteen years old, married Andrew
Gautier, son of one of the best families
in town and a student of old Kings Col
| lege-now Columbia He was then only
| seventeen years old, but as student OF
Kings College was great catch in the
eyes of the mammals OF that day, every
thing was satisfactorily arranged,
| and Mary Brown became Mrs.
Gautier. The years rolled by, two sons
had been born to Mary and Andrew
Thomas in 1774 and Daniel in 1776.
THE FIRST DEATH.
| In TIT the pretty young motherd died. She
was buried In the old ST PauPs Church
yard Five years later the Captain died.
and Mary Gautier's boys were left the
sole owners of his great estate. In 1891