The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-04
A DRUGSTORE GHOST.
Strange Tales Told of Long, White
Hands That Box Ears.
New y orls Herald.


August Louis Pfanelstiel declares his ears
were boxed by ghost on Thursday night. lie
left his job as mortar aud pesIle boy yesterday
morning because Pharmacist Ernst A. Denick
Told him TO 90 into the cellar where the boxing
had taken place.
"I'd just as soon walk into fire as 20 down
there" said the boy. as he went forth 10 look
for signs reading "Boy wanted"
Not succeeding In his quest by afternoon he
strolled back TO Dencks drugstore. at Tenth
street and Second avenue, and the proprietor
gave his old place 10 HIM, with the understand
ing that duties in tie cellar would thereafter
be performed by some one else.
Pfanelstiel says Mr. Denick did not treat him
fairly. Every one but lie knew about The ghost
being IN the cellar. and he was hired because
lie lived al q distance.
II was The green soap cleaner, and that was
bad enough" said the boy. "Dut The ghost dis
gusted me, so just settled II right there That
would chuck up The job il ever / got out alive.
Now don't have TO go down, and Pm sorry for
the one that does"
Neighbors declare there is always a rattIiug
OF bottles In the basement OF The drugstore.
Pfanelstiel, IN telling of his experience, says he
heard The noise first. and then two long, white
hands reached out from among demlj0hnS and
cuffed his head from side 10 side until lie
thought il would fly of.
He was cleansing the pestle with green soap
at the time and IL would have made good
weapon il he had had nerve enough 10 use it,
but the only activity he possessed was III his
legs.
Al the top ofthe stairs lie met the clerk, who
has whiskers and looks fierce enough TO face
anything. He wanted the pestle which August
had dropped, and when the boy said "a ghost is
down there" the clerk Jumped loot nigh and
remained pale for an hour.
IL j. RondlU, who formerly kept the drug
store. and IS said 10 have committed suicide
while crossing the Atlantic for his old home, Is
represented by the ghost. lie has lost none OF
his foudneSS for wine. Ii is said the nightly
visits of The ghost might be recorded by high
and low wine marks In certain cask on which
Denick prides himself.
The ghost has been The sensation in that To-
cality for months. according TO Joseph knap,
who keeps the SIuyyesant laundry next door
in ! enth street. KNAPP was coming out of his
cellar few nights ago when crowd OF per
sons Oh the watch thought he was The spirit
and pelted him with ugly missiles.
An offer OF $40 by Colonel Brown. Brook
lvn druggist, 10 anybody who would go into
the cellar at the stroke of IL O'Clock midnight
hung fire for some time. 1t was finally ac-
cepted by 'Surly jim" He prImed himself for
the undertaking and walked down the cellar
stairs with Il step that bespoke courage. A
lew minutes before midnight he rushed up,
roaring: some medicine, for heavens sake.
I've got 'em."
joe KNAPP says he would take his Spilz dog
with him ana remain all night in the cellar for
Sl5. He doesn't believe In ghosts. The be-
whIskered clerk has recovered from his fright
and Is inclined 10 be logical saying:
There never was, 10 my way of thinking,
such thing as ghost. There are positively
no ghosts. Would l go down in the cellar at
yes. But OF course this case might prove the
exception 10 the rule, and looking at II from
tnat standpoint l would say II was better that
i should not"