Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-08
MEXICAN GHOSTS.
The Mysterious Experience of United
States Sailor.

| 7tAtSb
A. S. Chatfield of the indianapolis
Drug Company, was in the United States
navy several years, and cruised in every
sea.
1.-THE experience that left the most
lasting impression on me was one / had
with ghosts" said he to an indianapolis
NeDs reporter. SNOW, I do not believe
in ghosts for one minute, but the ex-
perience had is one I am not able to
explain away. There is hardly day of
my life that | do not think Of it. We
stopped at Mexican port, and hadn't
been there very long until we learned
that the natives were very much excited
over haunted house that stood off by
itself In 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 60 back second time.
The second mate of our ship and l de-
cided to investigate the ghosts. We
firmly believed that some one in the
place was slipping into the house and
making the strange noises that were re-
ported as being heard. The mate was a
man who did not know fear, and we
agreed that we would go. prepared to.
kill the flrst ghost that made its appear
ance.
"We prepared for the expedition by
cleaning and loading four good revolvers
and by providing dark lantern. In the
afternoon we went to the house and ex-
amined it carefully for secret entrances.
Every foot of floor and wall was ex-
amined, and we saw that the doors were
all securely holted on the inside, except
the one to which we had key. Soon
after dark we went to the house and
made secret examination, and found it
as we had left il in the afternoon. We
then took our seats in the front room,
with our faces 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, perhaps, half an
hour we heard noise like one makes in
slightly pulling 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
PSit ihSAAj "hd blS ldChcb DGChllle uH-
earthly.
CHOW 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 il 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 examined,
and no opening was there. Before we
had finished our examination, noises
began upstairs, and in other rooms. A
dozen men with heavy boots seemed to
be running mp and down the stairway.
With our dark lantern we ran upstairs
and through the several rooms, but
could see nothing. Whenever we would
enter room the noises would seem to
be in the next room-or all over the
house, until daylight, and the noises
continued ali night. We chased from
one room to another 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 ex-
cited or frightened. Those noises were
made IN the house, but what by is the
greatest mystery Of my life."