St. Paul daily globe., 1891-09-21
Sleeping in an Old House to
Be Awakened by White
Faced Ghosts.
They Are Horrified by Hear
ing Means and Groans
and ShriekS.
They Plainly See Drops Of
Blood Falling From the
Ceiling.

the memory OF the oldest people ABOUT
borne an uncanny reputation as the
scene of nightly orgies of departed
spirits. This reputation has recently
received fresh life from accounts given
in all seriousness of a fearful night
spent in the house by party of gen
tlemen, all prominent business men,
persons of undoubted integrity, who de-
clare themselves convinced that some
diabolical agency has possession of the
place.
The party was on a fishing excursion
and had camped on the beach, but rain
beginning to fall shortly after dark. theys
sought shelter in the ruined house. AS
they entered they were amazed to hear
tremendous shout as of derision,
which rang through the building long
and loud. They decided, however, that
| the sound was due to some peculiar
| echo, and having no faith in the spookS
supposed to hold revel there, boldly took
| possession of one of the lower ro oms,
and kindling roaring fire were soon
asleep.
1t appears they woke simultaneously,
each complaining of bad dreams. and
one gentleman said that he had been
narasSed by a terrific nightmare, in
which murder and treachery played
part, when each of his companions de-
clared that they had suffered from the
Same Horrors.
As they sat discussing this footsteps
were heard slowly pacing the room over
head, each step being accompanied by
heavy groan. Rushing in body into
the hall the men found that the staircase
communicating with the upper part of
the house had fallen down, and care
full search failed to show any other
means of reaching the second story.
Puzzled to know how the walker had
gotten into the room above, they shouted
10 him various inquiries. but he foot
steps and groans ceased abruptly at the
sound of their voices.
Returning to the fire, they were hor-
rified to see falling fron the ceiling
slowly trickling stream of what seemed
freshly shed blood, and which had
formed quite pool on the hearth. 1t
was now proposed by some of the party
that they leave the house and return to
the beach, but the less superstitous de-
clared their intention of remaining in
hopes of solving the mystery. The
blood continued to fail until it began to
run in streams about the room, when a
heavy groaning was again heard. but
this time appearing to be in the hall
OuISluC, liiopCNtlOH Va Ihob
showed it to be perfectly empty.
The groaning, however, was to be as
distinctly heard as ever, and presently
there was also sound of a woman'S
pitiful sobbiug, when the door leading
into the hall was violently thrown open
and there seemed TO be rushing about
the room being altering piercing cries
and pursued by another with heavy
blows and horrible cursings, though
this was only to be guessed at from the
sounds heard, as nothing at all was to
be seen.
1t was seen. however, as soon as the
party could conveniently control their
involuntary terror. that the floor was
covered with
Tracks in Blood.
These tracks were of two sizes, one
appearing to be that of woman shod
in high-heeled, elegant shoes, and the
other those of a man barefooted and
having enormous feet. Even as the
gone, together with the pools of blood
on the hearth, and for something over
an hour nothing further was seen or
heard, and hopes were entertained that
the house would be left in peace for the
remainder of the night.
But the lull was succeeded suddenly
by most frightful din in the room
overhead, in which 1t seemed as if
whole crockery store was being de-
moliShed. ShriekS of laughter, rising
into fearful howls at intervals, burst
forth over the racket being created, and
the sound of clapping hands and dane
ing feet could be distinguished above
the crash and clatter.
This continued some minutes, when
it ceased as abruptly as it had began,
and again there was silence for quar-
ter of an hour. At the end of that time
some one could be heard dragging
heavy burden across the floor of
the room above, thence into the
upper ball, and then it seemed
down a staircase with sickening bump
on each step, though as the only stair
way had been seen in rotten fragments
lying where it had fallen to the floor be-
low, this was known to be an auricular
delusion, though it seemed as il the bur-
den was dragged to the outer door and
flung out into the night. The steps then
seemed to reascend the stairs, pausing
in horrible mockery at the landing to
dance double shuttle with bare feet
the slapping of which resounded with
painful distinctness through the silent
house.
The men were by this time huddled
together in one corner Of the room. con-
fessedly so terrified by what they heard
chat they did not venture to stir for fear
of beholding some
Fearful Sight.
Col. Davis, in speaking of this, said:
ut may sound as if we were all super
stitious towards, but I'll defy any man
in the state to undergo what we have
without having his wits nearly scared
out of him." The party are unanimous
in declaring that to have been able to
see the cause Of the various noises
would have been less frightful than to
feel that something horrible and un-
| Speakable was moving about them
| wrapped in inviSibilty.
They were aroused from their panic
| by the sound of mighty wind sweep
| ing about the house. chilling them to
! the very bone, and shaking the rotten
| timbers of the old mansion until it was
! feared that the walls were about to crash
| in on them. A rush was made for the
door, but before they could find and
open it flash as of lightning filled the
house with an unearthly light, which,
accompanied by a clap of thunder, sent
the painting, terrified men running out
of the house in fear of their lives. E.
Carr states that in the flash of light he
| saw distinctly hideOuS, evil face star
| ing down at them over the landing of
the fallen staircase.
This is confirmed by Mr.. Reed, who
says he saw it, too. The party had
been prepared to find violent storm
raging, but on reaching the open air
were surprised to discover the night to
be fair and perfectly clear, with no
wind blowing and no cloud from whence
could have proceeded the lightning fash
and thunder claps they had heard.
Turning to look back at the house, they
saw it as they supposed. to be on fire,
flames appearing to be bursting from
oof and window, but the morning light
revealed the old mansion as somber and
Silent as Ever.
| Visited next day nothing was found to
| indicate that there had been aught of
| terrifying or unusual character the
4 so~A+ hNf