The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-20
NEW WILD SPO0K
Carpenter Refs Tumble
Brings a Big Crowd to
he Haunted House.


NEWARK, July 20, ls93.-Julius Ries
will be unable to work at his trade OF
carpenter for many weeks in consequences
of his fall from the roof Of No. l40
Wickllfe street shortly afies five
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon. He is fifty
seven years OF age and lives at No. 81
Livingston street. His back aud right
hip are badly injured. The case derives
a weird and peculiar interest from the
fact that there are hundreds Of people on
the Hill" who firmly believe that it was
Il ghost that showed him off the roof.
The house No. 140 Wickiiffe street is
BEGINNING to be known as 1.-The Ghost
House" Since its foundations were dug
the neighbors' attention has been drawn
TO IT In strange waYs. Several children
narrowly escaped death while playing
about the structure, and many other
qneer things ave happened in it. The
owner, Mrs. Stickuey, is erecting it for
her own use. She lives at No. l42. next
door, and owns the house No. 65 South
Grange venue which is rented by Fred.
Gruber, q good looking barber. with
dreamy eyes. A humber of the we'll
known Young men of The Sixth ward sit
in the shop in the evenings and Tell funny
stories. On Friday night last one OF
them told Gruber that while passing
THE Ghost House" he felt a sudden
shock to his head, aud be became certain
that spirits had materialized on the top
floor OF the house.
MR. G~RUBER'S EXPERIENCE.
MIR. Grubsr went 10 Investigate while
The crowd awaited results with bated
bIeaths. Hardly had he reached the
ioor OF 140 when a shower of nails came
down upon his head. He retreated to
his shop. and in less time than an hour
there were one hundred people OF the
spot staring aG the upper windows. Mrs.
Stickney could not understand what the
trouble was, but her daughter, Ada, q
plucky young woman. entered the build
ing III the rear 60 search 1t. She wore u
pure white lawn dress. She was seen by
the gaping crowd below IL that ssGtled
the matter. Without waiting to find
out who. the woman in While was, the
watchers ran in every direction and
came back with their friends TO see the
"gnost." 1t WAS late when they left the
spot.
On Saturday night another crowd gath
cred, and nails, pieces OF wood and other
missils were thrown from the roof by
some unseen power. While Hartung,
who keeps a saloon at No. 60 South Or
ange avenue, next the barber's. had to
hire two men to help HIM dispense
liquids. People offered him money to be
allowed to go on his roof. but he refused
to allow them.
Mrs. Stickney became alarmed and got
officer Howlett to keep the crowd away.
Her son was away from home and she
and her daughter did not go to bed until
early morning. On Sunday night the
crowd again gathered and was rewarded
by seeing a big piece of lumber descend
with n crash to the sidewalk. Young
Stiekney was at home that night. After
he had retired he heard q moaning. and
jumping out of bed. dressed himself and
hurried down stairs, only TO find that his
sister had been awakened by the same
dreadful sounds.
MOANS FROM INVISIBLE SPIRITS.
They went into the street, and still
heard the means. Charlie Jackson.
Archibald Sparks and Willie Hartung
volunteered to go into the building.
Fred. Gruber insisted on going in first.
He got q lantern, but before he reached
the top floor a shower of nails battered
in his white alpine hat He came down
stairs with a rush, and ran across tue
street to No. lob and awakened Eddie
Stems, and to No. 90 WIcklife street for
Theodare U~mbscheiden. Then wen all
through the house and found only an old
hat. NO sign of IN spirits could DE
fopnd.
When they reached the sidewalk the
groaning was heard again. All the neigh
boring saloons opened their doors, and
women aud children sat at the windows
refusing to go to bad. Stems suggested
that a delegation call upon Nine. Ritz,
the ~elairvoyant, to ask her to come and
exercise the spirits, but the suggestion
was not acted upon, and the crowd
lowered around the building all night.
1t became quickly noised about Tues
day night that a man had been pushed
off the roof oy one of the ghosts, and
from seven o'clock until midnight the
street aud across South Orange avenue
was well nigh impossible. Policemen
Freise and Bankert and three other Off
GERS from the Fourth precinct tried to
disperse the crowd but could not, and
several more kegs of bser were sold. The
noises were heard again. and although
the building was searched at intervals
nothing was found. All the stoops along
Wicklife street and South Orange ave-
hue were crowced with people who dis
cussed nothing but ghosts.
II is thought by the people that the
manifestations will continue as long us
they prove profitable to the business men
in that vicinity.
Captain Glort threatened to arrest, If he
can find them, the practical jokers who
are thus annoying Mrs. Stiekney and
her family.
mp RUpTSEII tS N1EnE WENC