Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-01

Experiences Of a Daring Sailor In Hunt-
ing Down n Real Ghost.
A. 8 Chatfeld was in the United
States navy several years and cruised
in every sea-
The experience that left the most
lasting impression on me was one had
with ghosts. said he to the reporter
"Now do not believe in ghosts for one
minute, but the experience had is one
am not able to explain away. There
is hardly day of my life that do not
think of it. We stopped at a Mexican
port, and hadn't been there very long
until we learned that the natives were
much excited over haunted house
that stood off by itself in a lonely part
of the town.
"All the brave men in the place had
visited the house to hear the ghosts,
and the experience was such that no
one could be induced to go back sec
ond time The second mate of our
ship and decided to investigate the
ghosts. We firmly believed that some
one was slipping into the house and
making the strange noises reported as
being heard The mate was man
who knew no fear, and we agreed that
we would go prepared to kill the first
ghost that made its appearance.
We prepared for the expedition by
cleaning and loading four good revolv-
ers and by providing a dark lantern.
In the afternoon we went to the house
and examined it carefully for secret
entrances Every foot of floor and
wall was examined, and we saw that
the doors were all securely bolted on
the inside, except the one to which we
had a key. Soon after dark we went
to the house and made a second exam
ination, and found it as we had left it
in the afternoon.
I'VE then took our seats in the front
room, with our face toward an open
door leading into another room. The
house was quiet as death. The mate
held the dark lantern, with the slide
on, and we each held revolvers in our
hands. After we had been there per
maps half an hour we heard a noise
like one makes in slightly pulling a
chair nearer table.
"A moment later the chair In the
room which we were facing seemed to
be picked up and set down again. Then
we heard footsteps, and pretty soon the
room resounded with noises. The scant
furniture, it seemed, was being thrown
pell nell, and the racket became un-
earthly.
"'Now is our time, said the mate in
whisper. At that he turned on
the dark lantern and sprang into the
room. The moment we entered it the
noises ceased and it was vacant. More
than that, the furniture stood just as
we had left IT, We examined the doors
and windows, and they were as we had
left them. The floor, too, was exam
iued, and no opening was there. Be-
fore we had finished our examination
noises began upstairs and in other
| rooms.
"a dozen men with heavy boots
seemed to be running up and down the
stairway. With our dark lantern we
ran up stairs and through the several
rooms, but could see nothing. When
ever we would enter room the noises
would seem to be in the next room-oT
all over the house for that matter, ex-
cept in that one room. To make the
story short, we remained in the house
until daylight and the noises continued
all night
I'VE chased from one room to an
other until we were almost completely
exhausted, and not once did we catch
sight of any living object. We couldn't
have been mistaken in the noises. 1t
couldn't have been imagination, for
neither Of us was excited or frightened.
Those noises were made in the house,
bat what by is the greatest mystery of
my life. indianapolis News.