Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-15
CHASED ey A eoNY GHOST.
Weird and Blood Curdling Adventure OF
"A Policeman with a Phantom.


During a heavy fog one night Lieutenant
Glass, of the Twenty fourth district, found
himself short of fourteen patrolmen, who
were laid up with the grip. In response
TO his call at headquarters a number OF
subs from the down town districts were
sent 20 fill up the gap, and among them
was Suboflieer Hamael, from the Second
district. Hamael was put on Officer Moore's
beat, which covers that lonely and par
TALLY deserted district known as Snyders-
Vile
On Richmond street, above Victoria, on
the northern outskirts of Snydersville,
stands an old, dilapidated farm mansion,
which for many years remained tenantless.
An air of mystery surrounds the place, and
strange stories are told of still stranger
sights and sounds that have been frequent
ly seen and heard about the old building,
which is fast iapsing into a mass of ruins.
Officer Hamael, who has the reputation
of being very brave man, knew nothing
of the stories attaching to the old mansion.
so when he was passing the place while
patrolling his beat, and had his attention
drawn toward it by screams issuing from
the HI chen, he started without hesitation
to investigate their origin. Cropping his
way through the fog his helmet was twice
vines trailing in the path. The screams
grew louder and came apparently from a
woman who was no doubt being murdered.
The house and grounds were enveloped in
total darkness Trying the door, he found
1t unfa Stoned and walked in the now ap.
parently deserted kitchen. Only low
moaning could now be heard, and before
proceeding further Subolficer Hamael took
out his matches 10 make a light The
first ore sputtcred and went out. The sec
ond one did likewise. The third cracked a
little, but stubbOrnly refused to light. All
was now quiet, the heavy fog made breath
ing difficult and Hamael sought the outer
air.
y strange cracking sound suddenly per-
vaded he air and some unseen person lifted
his helmet from his head. Looking around
a strar &c spectacle met his gaze. An I'm.
clothed skeleton stood by his side and on
its bralleS skull rested his helmet. Being
a brave man the officer tried to think of
what h. had last eaten TO produce such a.
startling optical delusion, and finding him
self sober he attempted to take the hat
from the skeleton, but every time his hand
came c ose to the griunng. open Jaws his
right arm was seized with a sensation as if
he had received an electric shock. Draw
a vicious blow, but the club passed harm
lessly through the phantom, while a green
ish blue flame rolled from the end of his
club anC he found himself unable to longer
hold it in his hand.
y strange feeling of dread as if some i'm
pending danger was about to materialize
caused him to shrink away from the place,
leaving his club glowing with a c,reenish
blue flame lying ON the graveled walk
But to his surprise the bOny skeleton fol-
lowed close on his right side and seemed to
indulge in low chuckle. Going around
to the front of the house a new trouble
arose. The skeleton stopped, and pointing
one long bony finger to one of the upper
windows again uttered that low chuckle
as of fiendish delight. Looking up at the
window he officer saw the room was lit up
by brilliant light, and the cries of a baby
being strlngled could distinctly be heard
The bareheaded sub made another at
tempt to enter the house, and was closely
followed by the helmeted skeleton. At the
foot of the stairs the skeleton offered the
sub his helmet, but on attempting to re-
place it on his head he found it had grown
too small, and his short hair stood out so
1t would not stay on. Throwing the hat
aside hewas astonished to find it commenc-
ing to ascend the stairs a step at time
and turning completely over at every other
step.
Officer 1amacl and the skeleton followed
the hat. and when they had reached the
first landing the hat began to descend n
step at time in "A manner the reverse of
that in Which it had gone up. Determined
to regain his helmet he started down after
it, but could not quite touch it. Up and
down stairs the hat, skeleton and officer
went many times until great beads of cold
perspiratiDn stood out. not alone on his fore
head, but all over him. Again the screams
OF a woman in distress reached the officers
ears, and he determined to go back to the
station house at Belgrade and Clearfield
streets to summon assistance. He pro
ceeded on 4 run while the skeleton kept
close by h side.
At last he marble steps ut the entrance
to the station We're reached. Politely hand
ing the now thoroughly astonished and
frightened sub hi, helmet the skeleton dis
appeared IN the dense fog. On entering the
hearing room of the station the sub was
most universally guyed by his brother Off
GERS until the battered and damaged he'll
met was offered III proof of the truth of his
strange story. After the fog cleared up
the next day the locust club was found
lying on the graveled path leading around
the old mansion to the kitchen. but no
marks on j. were left to show where it had
struck the rafting bones of the skeleton
Philadelphia Times.