The morning call., 1892-03-26
ARE SPIRITS AT WORK?
Strange Manifestations i'm a Local
Hotel.
Hooks Removed From Doors and Floors Gov.
cred With Paper-A Mirror Turned
Face to the Wall.

For more than week the guests at the
Commercial Hotel have been treated to a
series OF mysterious manifestations which
have created moro or less of sensation.
and those who are familiar with the occur
rences are at loss 10 account for the cause
of them They are of such a peculiar ma
ture and so unaec0untable to those who
have investigated the matter that no nat
ural reason has been assigned, and some Of
those who are familiar with the circum-
stances have fallen back on the old theory
Of spirits.
About 10 days ago the day porter at the
hotel in making his morning rounds acct
dental!y discovered that some one during
the night had been playing sad pranks with
the doors of the toilet-roems. The doors, for
the convenience of those who use them, are
fastened on the inside with hooks. which
in turn are attached to the decreasing by
means OF an ordinary screweye. The dis
coyeTy made was that these hooks had
been carefully removed from their places
and screwed into the wall. This was on
the second floor.
Nothing WAS thought of it at the time and
toned places.
THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.
On the following day another discovery
was made which caused the porter to scratch
his head and think the matter over with
more than ordinary seriousness. In fact he
was badly ratified and grew uneasy. The
t0ilet-ro6ns had been tempered with again.
but this time IN different way. and on the
first floor instead of the second. In each of
the basins was found an upturned cuspi-
dor. placed there without any apparent
cause. Nothing else had been disturbed.
This occurrence follow ing so closely upon
the removal OF the hooks was regarded as
highly mysterious. and il WAS decided to
place close watch upon the rooms. For
that purpose man was employed, and the
employees Of the house were told to use ex-
ira vigilance to detect if possible the perpe-
TRAITOR Of the leeds.
When this was done il was believed that
the disturbances would come to an end, but
when the third morning came the mystery
was deeper than ever. The toilet-r0oms on
the second floor had again been visited dur
Ing the night, and the floor had been care
fully covered with strips Of paper
torn in various lengths and laid care
fully side by side. In addition to
this the chains attached to the basins had
been knotted carefully. and Sc firmly that it
was found almost impo sSible to unite them.
1he lights IN the rooms, which are allowed
to burn all night were turned on as usual
and but for the paper on the floor and the
knotted chains no sign could be found of
any disturbance in the rooms.
No CLEw YET FOUND.
Inc Waterman was called upon for an
explanation, but ali that he could do was to
stoutly assert that he had kept close watch
during the night and had been unable to
detect anything wrong. He was cautioned
TO use greater care and be on the alert This
be promised to do, and when night came
rubbed his eyes and redoubled his vigilance
On the following day the Waterman was
happy io- time, but he soon found that he
had been caught mapping again. The toilet
rooms were In apple-pie order, and nbthIng
had occurred TO disturb their usual c0ndi-
ton, but the bathroom was upset. A small
mirror. which hangs against the wall, had
been turned with its face inward, aud along
the floor of the bathtnb was ranged row OF
cuspidores. That was all that had been
meddled with, but the author of the mys-
terry was as far from detected as ever.
Night after night similar happenings have
been noted in spite of the utmost care IN
watch hing and thus far no clew has been
found to the alatter
The cause no one has been able to sur
mise and ali theories have proved useless in
the attempt to ferret out the author Of the
trouble. The natural inquiry is If there is
not some supernatural agency at work