Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-07-23
THE GHOST CAME.
How Poker Party Was BROKEN Up at
Critical Moment.


How Poker Party Was Broken Up ut .
Critical Moment.
The quiet Of this unusually peaceful
locality has recently been rudely dis
turbed, and that, too in an apparently
unearthly way, sufficiently startling to
scare the stoutest unbeliever. The scene
of the spiritual visitation Is an old
snloon on tho river road to Oorville,
long since deserted by oil save rats and
beetles
A year ago the house had the reputa-
ton of being haunted, but nothing
definite was known about 1t, and since
the stage line quit using that road the
place has been untenanted. Recently
passers-by have said that they saw
lights in the building of the conven-
tional ghostly blue, and heard hoarse'
choked voice singing and laughing late
ut night, but the knowing ones merely
winlsed the other eye and said "tramps'"
and that seemed to settle 1t.
Bert West and Bob Follett, two Their
malito boys, were out hunting ducks
and on their way home late in the even
ing were overtaken by the rain.
Stumbling along in the inky darkness
they ran against the old stage station.
Being newcomers they didn't know the
ghostly reputation Of the house and ac-
cordingly they entered. Striking
match they found u candle on the old
counter, and finding tho place dry and
comfortable and being we'll provided
with lunch they decided to stay until
morning.
From half q dozen packs OF cards
scattered about the floor they made up
full pack and proceeded to play poker
Bob had been having hard luck, but
had Just dealt himself hand OF three
aces and pair of kings when u blast OF
cold air blew through the place and sx-
tinguished their candle.
To their establishment the room did
not become dark, but was filled with a
pale light, in which all the objects in
the room were plainly visible. In this
peculiar light they could see figure at
tired in shirt and overalls lying on the
lounge apparently asleep
While they looked they saw trap
door in the middle of the room rise
slowly up and out Of the cavity below
climbed Chinaman. The heather was
thin almost to skeleton leanness His
eyes glared and his face, as he saw the
Agure on the lounge, assumed an ex-
preston almost devilish. He was al
most naked, having only few rags
hanging about him, and tottered with
weakness as he stealthily made his way
across the floor. In his right hand he
carried piece of iron rudely fashioned
to the shape Of knife.
While the two paralyzed boys watched
him he made his way to the sleeper on
the lounge and struck savagely and nc
peatcdly with his knife at the throat
and breast of the man before him. With
choking cry the sleeper awoke, crap
pied with the Chinaman and threw him
to the floor, stamping on him with his
feet savagely after he had fallen. Then,
after standing moment with the blood
squirting from his wounds, he gave vent
to q horrible choking laugh and fell,
apparently dead, to the floor:
As he fell the light faded out and the
two boys regained enough strength to
betalxe themselves speedily from the
building, leaving their guns and bag OF
game to be recovered later. They ar
rived at ThermalitO late that night and
next day went back after their prop
erty, which they found just as they had
left it. Even in daylight they did not
remain in the building longer than nee
essary, but noticed as they came out
that there was trap door where they
had seen the ghost emerge the previous
night.-San Francisco Examiner.