The weekly intelligencer., 1892-03-19
THE HOUSE IS HAUNTED.
The Murder of tho Little Lakes Recalled
Isy & pInr rltinm.

> va" hcF pi lne i.itiie IsiHeS h''"'S"
By hppnrition.
on "a rise Of ground sloping toward
swamp fringing the more northern
OF the bodies of water known us the
LlItlc Lakes. writes Il correspondent
OF thc Albany journal in the town of
warren stands dilapidated frame
structure. whose story of blood some
half dozen years ago appalled, the
civilized world. Here il was that
Roxalana DrtIsc. assisted by Il daugh-
ter OF II aud abctted by two shirtless
nephews. butcher"d, hacked aud
chopped her husband William Drusr
and then. with true hell born instinct.
boiled roasted and burned the remains
and scattered the ashes in the swamp
adjoining the premises. The story is
| a familiar one.
The miserable little frame farm
house wherein this tragedy was cn-
acted has literally been carried away
peacemcal by morbid-minded relic
seekers. The wallpaper with which
! Mrs. Druse covered the blood bes pat
tered walls. has been torn of and car
ried away; the lloor which she dau bed
with liberal coats Of paint To hide the
crimson stains has been hacked.
sawed and appropriated by the army
of cInker- Drained individuals who
have visited the place. just VIII nj
pleasure these people derive from
these so-caIlcd relies il is difficult To
determine The snake fence which
once surrounded the buildings has also
been carried off. but whether as
relics or for fuel by some poor but dis
honest neighbor is not known.
And now il is said that the old
house is haunted. IL would be dilli-
cult to imagine Il more favorable place
for spooks. even We're there no horri-
bic tale connected with it, Situated
in the rear of u great barren field with
q swamp at the back. and the high
way seldom travelled howevrr-some
500 yards distant. with topping chin
neys. happing clal boards. creaking
doors and great rents in the Sides
the building presents Sfuly uncanny
aspect But when are added the de.
tails OF q crime the awfulness oI
which six years of retel3ing has not
served to augment. grewsomeness
surrounds the premises which the
stoutest-hearted yokel does not care tc
investigate.
II is said that upon storm-swept
nights the place is visited by the
wraiths of the murdered Druse and
demon wife, There are sounds ol
pistol shots and groans of wild yells
and curses. There is the noise of {
falling body. pleas for mercy, fol
lowed by the dull thuds of an ax chop.
chop. chopping off hands arms, legs.
The whole horrid tragedy is agair
enacted. A brief silence ensues. and
then issues forth from the house q
ghostly apparition. which glides
around to the rear of the building
follows path swampward and disap,
pears. II has been noted that tn,
spook appears to be that of II woman
and it carries concealed large pack.
age OF some character. This is sup
posed to be the ghost of the mur
deress. and that the package she car
ries contains the head and cremateC
remains of the murdered husband.
: OF those still living who were con
nected with the tragedy, the daugh
ter. Mary. is slowly dying in prisol
of consumption; the little boy, Georgie
,, is still living with the kind-hearte
farmer who adopted him; Frank Gate
is living somewhere in the South an
Chester Gates the younger of the tw
nephews is making n good livin
from the sales of a liniment made frol
afavorite formula concocted by til
! old man Druse.