Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-05-21
A WELCOME GHOST.
BY JOHN KING pUER.

fashioned house which has since been torn
down to make way for hops. During
the greater part of the summer | was left
alone in the house with the exception oil
one servant, the rest of the family going
into the country. My room was on the
second floor back, but when the rest OF
the family left took possession of the
whole floor, although still using my own
room at night.
One summer night about the first OF
August l sat reading until quite late and
went to bed about midnight l could
not have slept long when was awakened
by loud, piercing scream-another and
another followed in quick succession.
They seemed to come from outside OF
the house, and / sprang to the window
to look and listen. The screams had
stopped, but L heard doors slamming
and mufflcd voices talking hurriedly.
was certain the screams came from out
side, and went to the front windows to
see if there was anything in the street
that would offer an explanation of the
extraordinary occurrence that must have
caused them. AS | reached the window
the street door of the next house west
| of ours closed with loud noise, and
saw two men hurry down the steps and
cross the street, down which they quick
ly disappeared.
Their departure was followed by per
feet quiet and silence. Satisfied that the
screams were probably the result of some
| drunken fight, went to bed again with
out Iurtner uuxicry ON riIo- -vut,i oots-vor,u
fell asleep, and by the next morning had
| forgotten the whole affair.
In the afternoon of that day arrived
at the house from down town about five
o'clock, and as l sat reading by the win
| dow in my room, Kate, the servant,
came in and said "There is gentleman
down stairs to see you, SIR"
l went down and found in the hall an
odd-looking man with a dark beard.
Although evidently young man, ne had
a worn, old look in his face. He bowed
and said: II hardly know, MIR. Barton,
how to ask the very great favor ! want
you to grant. / am Southerner, and
at the South we are always ready to help
strangers among us, but / know that
here in the North you are more careful
in your ways of doing things for people,
and do not welcome strangers quite so
quickly as we do. Now, what | am go
ing to ask you to do would be done
willingly by any Southern gentleman,
but don't know exactly whether you
will look at it the same"
The man puzzled me. AS he stopped
talking and looked up at me it suddenly
occurred to me that he had not told me
his name, nor how he came to know
mine. Before ! could ask him these
questions he said: "But all this time
have not told you my name, which,
| dare say, you are wondering at. 1t Is
| Pierson. | am from Savannah"
He paused and then | said: "To whom
am | indebted Tor your knowledge OF
me, Mr.. Picrson?"
He smiled and said: "To no one in
particular, Mr.. Barton, but have heard
great deal about you from different
people, and l thought if there was any
one in the neighborhood who would help
me you were the man."
| / thanked him for his implied compli-
ment, and then said: "You have not
told me what it is you wish me to do.
But come into the parlor, sit down, and
let me hear all you have to say"
We went in and sat down. Then he
turned to me and said ''Mr. Barton, did
you hear any strange noises last night"
/ started The incident of the night
before, which l had forgotten, came
back TO me with increased significance.
There evidently was mystery.
| He continued: II think the whole
neighborhood must have been aroused
by Mrs. Lamotte's screams. She was so
overcome by the d,eadful sight of her
husbands body, aid not having been
prepared"
At this point ws so much astonished
that l exclaimed Her husbands
body What do yoh meanr
The man stared ut me amazed and
said: "Is it possible you have not seen
an account of the dfeadful accident last
evening on the steanboatl"
then remembered having seen an ac-
count uf an explosion which took place
on a steamboat while lying at her dock
the evening before, and that one poor
man was fond crushed almost beyond
recognitionlin the wreck of his state
room. The victim, so Mr.. Pierson In
Termed me WAS his friend, Nh.
Lamotte, of Mobile, who had taken the
house next doos and was living there
with his wife ami his wifc's sister, Miss
Cooper. at the tine he met his dreadful
fate. Lamotte had started the evening
before for BostoL The boat on which
he was going hat burst steampipe just
as il was aboutto start, and Lamotte,
who was in his sate at the time,
was killed instantly by the explosion,
which had blown in the partition of his
room.
All this my ,isitor explained to me
with much detail, and also his unavail-
ing search for acoroner before removing
the body to tie house. The messages
he sent to the house TO prepare the be-
reaved woman there for news of the
disaster had never reached her. When
he arrived at the house with his dreadful
burden, the noise the men made In going
up the steps awakened both Mrs. La
motto and her sister. The latter came
downstairs to let them in, and Mrs.
Lamotte, who was looking down into
| the hall. when she saw them and realized
what brought them there, had given ut
terance to the piercing shrieks l had
heard.
| Itold Pierson / had heard them and
could not account for them at the
| time.
"Well, y he continued, 'that was not
all. Mrs. Lamotte went off into one
fainting fit after another, and altogether
It was the most dreadful night ever
spent in my life. To-day have been
making what arrangements / could to
carry out Mrs. Lamotte's wishes as to the
funeral. She wants to have him taken
out to Paterson, N. j., for burial, some
Of her family having burial-lOt in that