Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-01-19

going to the house tor long time,
and after a while | entirely forgot
about my beautiful pets, that were
"'Those pretty little rabbits.
80 engaging in their habits
as the old song goes. Then Luke the
Laborrr' died, and the old man was
buried.
"The house was still unoccupied,
and rates and taxes, which are heavy
in England, had to be paid whether
the building was a source of revenue
or not. Tie premises became an in
cubus to poor mother, for so notorious
had the tale of its being haunted be-
come that no one would take the place
off her hands.
"What was to be done?
In this troubled state of mind
mother poured her tale OF woe into my
ear, her eldest son, then IL years Of
age. Strong and brave men refused to
enter the house. At least dozen diff
ferent men tried to sleep there but
one night invoriably proved enough
for them, after which experience
horses couldn't drag them there to I'M
dergo another season Of such distress
ing phenomena as presented them
selves during their nocturnal watch.
Whichever part OF the house the men
occupied it made no difference, for the
voices occurring in the other rooms
were SO great that sleep was out OF the
question. Knockings and noises like
scrubbing overhead, voices-male and
female-holding conversations, mock
ing laughter, weird lights, ringing of
bells, and to cap the climax, an old,
tottering, palsied woman would pass
through the various rooms, muttering
and mumbling incoherent sentences
an apparition plainly visible, but i'm
palpable as the air we breathe. This
apparition was seen, not by one, but
by hundred persons, and for aught /
know the same old woman continues
her visits to the houses even to the
present time.
"Then it came that mother be.
sought me to 60 over to the house and
find out who or what it was that was
continually scrubbing the room, night
and day. The sounds never ceased
and whichever room we entered, where
the noise appeared to be centered,
nothing could be seen, but the noise
would remove to another room at the
side or directly overhead. And this
in the middle OF the day-scrub. scrub,
scrub-one could hear the slop Of the
water on the floor with the piece of
flannel that is usually used in such
operations. took the key OF the
front door and went over and boldly
entered the house. To my surprise
the door was unlocked. / threw the
door wide open and started down the
hallway. l had advanced but few
steps when the door closed with a
crash. 1 ran back to open it again.
because I didn't care to be in the
premises without knowing there was
an easy exit, but found it locked. l
could not open it again, but I de-
termined TO see the ghost for myself.
In my excitement I paused at the top
of the stairs to decide which room /
should enter frat. Directly opposite
was door leading into large room,
and decided to start in my explora-
ton there. No sooner had the i'm
pulse seized me to open the door than
I heard the scrubbing noise. I hcsi.
tated a moment and then knocked
and asked to be admitted. There was
no answer, but the sc-ubbing stopped.
1 threw open the door. In the center
of the room appeared servant, wo-
man, scrubbing in the usual manner.
l asked her the reason she troubled
the house and she replied:
"Oh, sir, deliver me from her; I'm
bound to her forever and she keeps me
scrubbing day and niehtp
"'To whom are you boundr 1
asked.
"To her! to her! she cried, point
ing to some person apparently behind
me.
"I turned quickly and saw an old
tottering woman standing between
me and the head of tbs stairs. /
turned again to look at the servant,
but she had disappeared and, turning
again, the old woman was also gone.
The floor where the servant had been
scrubbing had not been touched with
water, although when l first entered
the place appeared very wet. At this
moment there was a scuffie overhead
and an order to again begin scrubbing
was given. 1 started up stairs on the
run, when the old woman again ap-
peared almost transparent. I could
discern objects through and directly
behind her. Knowing her to be a
spirit 1 sdjured her in the usual way
Of addressing such visitants:
"In the name OF the Father and OF
the Son and of the Holy Ghost, why
troublest thou this house?'
"How dare you address me thus''
demanded the old woman.
81 adjured the visitant again and
asked her why she persisted in haunt
ing the building. The apparition be-
came incensed and rushed at me,
passing through me. So potent was
the attack that l felt sick and faint
and with great difficulty endeavored to
reach the front door, for felt that
would suffocate did not get breath
of fresh air. A tussle ensued and
l became crazed with fright
For time l apparently fought my
psychological combatant with rapier
but so fast as vanquished the spirit
so fast would it appear in different
form, and ropow ty,a ottool~