Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-29

A brooklyn Legend OF n secret Chnm-
her mud a Starved MnIhcn.

Of Flatbush has ever been disturbed by a
ghost, relates the Brooklyn Eagle, and II 1t
we're not for the haunted house, part Of which
stands to this day. and the testimony Of well
authenticated chronicles, nobody would be-
lieve Il. But there are those IN Flatbush at
the present time, intelligent, educated and
quite sane, who would make a long detour
rather than pass a certain spot there between
~ and 1 o'clock at night. That spot Is the
old site Of Melrose hall, on Bedford avenue,
between Clarkson and Winthrop streets.
Melrose hall stood, until five years ago, at
the end OF hat magnificent double row OF
pines in Melrose park, which Is At to show
the way to the palace Of a king. And a
regal residence 1t was $50 years ago, when 1t
was occupied by Colonel william AXtell, a
royallst and a member Of the kings council.
1t was the scene of sumptuous dinners,
splendid balls, costly private theatricals and
receptions that were attended by men famous
in civil and military life and women re-
nowned for their beauty and accomplish
ments.
The house was situated in park-llke grounds
that covered twenty acres. 1t was a large,
spacious, old-fashioned structure, with no
pretensions to architectural beauty. When 1t
is said that 1t was Of frame, with great
heavy, hewn timbers, the main building two
and a half stories high, with wings on either
side, the description is accurate and complete.
But inside it was a pretentious and costly
mansion. The great double oaken door led
into an immense hall, taking up the entire
length and depth of the main house. 1t was
wainscoted in dark oak, the polished floor
covered with rich Persian rugs, bear, tiger
and lion skins, and the walls were hung with
paintings by old masters, interspersed with
instruments of war and the chase. The
whole of the lower floor in the right wing
was taken up by the library, and that OF the
left wing by an oak-paneled ball room. The
living, drawing and guests rooms were in the
upper stories Of the main building and over
the library. There was only one apartment
over the ball room, and that is the one upon
which is based the ghostly history Of Melrose
hall. 1t had no visible communication with
the rest Of the house and the only light 1t
received was from two small diamond shaped,
stained glass windows, glazed in lead. They
were always tightly closed. The room con-
tanned the family skeleton.
Colonel AXtell, according to tradition, was
the second son Of an English nobleman, and
he married the daughter of a wealthy British
merchant. His iance was accomplished and
prepossessing. but unfortunately she had a
sister named Alva, with whom the colonel
fell in love. His engagement had been an.
nounced, the wedding day was only a week
on, but he was determined to marry his in
tended wife's sister. However, when he
found out that IL he had his way he would be
disowned by his family, and that from his
future father-in-law not a penny was to be
expected, he changed his mind, not so much
because he feared poverty for himself, as tina
he could offer no future to the woman he
loved better than his life. Shortly after the
wedding he received an important appoint
ment in the American colonies and had i'm.
mediately set sail for New Yorh. The mex
ship which sailed for that port from England
bore the colonel's beautiful sister-in-law, who
as the story goes, had disguised herself b,
putting on mems clothes.
Arrived in this country she dressed her
self again in women's clothes and secured
position as maid. She saw her sister anC
Colonel Axtell driving in a magnificent car
riage attended by a retinue of mounted
servants, and she decided to reveal hsrsel
to him, and did SO. They resolved neve
again to be separated. 1t was then tina
Colonel Axtell built Melrose hall.
The apartment over the ball room he fitte,
up with all the luxury and comfort tina
money could buy, and for three years it wa
the living tomb of Alva. The door of thi
room. covered by the life-size painting o
one OF the colonel's ANCESTORS, communicate
with his study, which no one, except an oil
negro woman, was ever permitted to enter
She was one Of the 100 slaves kept by tn
colonel, and was devoted to him, and no on
beside her and the colonel knew what tn
secret chamber contained.
Three years passed, when there was
serious Indian outbreak, necessitating Cole
mel Axtell's absence from home for a mont
or six weeks. Upon his return he foun
that the old negress had died a week afte
his departure, and he rushed to the secre
chamber, only to find Alva dead. or he
beautiful form there was nothing left but tn
skeleton. She had gone through the horribl
torture of starvation without uttering
sound, for fear of exposing the man fo
whose sake she had sacrificed home an
honor.
The sight gave Colonel Axtell his death
blow. He returned to the apartment q
midnight, the usual hour Of his visits there
| no rta AIyafC nni n"t Af = ~,,a
buried them at the foot of a great oak tree
Three days later he died, leaving a full cor
fession. 1t was during the night followin
the day Of Colonel AXtelps burial that strang
noises were first heard in Melrose hall.
The last stroke of ~ from the town cloc
had hardly died out when the inmates Of tn
house were startled from their sleep by
piercing scream. followed by distressin
means, that seemed to come from far off an
were yet so plain that the voice could b
distinguished as that af a woman. Servant
were sent out to ascertain the cause, an
they returned with livid faces and tremblin
limbs. The widow was told that the voic
came from the secret chamber. At | o'clocl
with one last terrible wall, the voice becam
silent. The next night it was heard agai
at the same hour. In the ball room foot
steps could be heard. No one had the coul
age to make an investigation, but soon
was generally known that Melrose hall wa
haunted by the spirit of the beautiful Alvi
whose story had somehow leaked out an
was gossiped about town. The place wa
henceforth Stunned as much as it had bee
sought after before, and Mrs. Axtell, a fe
months after her husbands death, sold tn
property and went back to England with he
children.
For a long time it stood empty. save fl
the ghost, and the residents of Flatbus
would gladly have seen it go up in smokl
Finally the new owner found a tenant, bl
he didn't stay long. Neither did his SUI
cessors, until a minister of the gospel. Re
DIR. Robinson, bought the place. He live
there from 1916 to 1879, and always asserte
that the ghost never disturbed him, becaus
he went to bed early and was a sour
sleeper. After his death the property We
bought by DR.. Homer l.. Bartlett, who CT
off both wings of the house, which was sti
in an excellent state Of preservation, ar
had the main building moved back sewers
hundred feet. The remainder of Metros
hall, which today fronts on Bedford svenu
between Clarkson and Winthrop streets,
now the home Of Rev. Stafford ]. browne.
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Siberian Loneliness.
Mile after mile as you travel along there