The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-03
SAW A PRIESTS GHOST.
Miss D'AquiIla Met 1t in a Cellar and
Fell in Faint.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald.
Members of the Italian Church of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel at Ferry and
McWhorter streets, Newark, were great
ly wrought up yesterday. The cause was
the allegede experience Saturday night
late of Miss Julia DAquilla, sister of the
pastor. Father D'Aquilla, who was found
unconscious in the cellar of the rectory.
She said when she revived that she had
seen the ghost of Father Ali, the formep
pastor of the church. who died in the
house two years ago. All day long a
stream of visitors called at the priests
house. while dozens of others stood on
the streets of the italian quarter and
discussed the incident.
MANY firmly declared that they believed
Miss D'Aquilla had seen ghost, and all
sorts of weird stories were told about
Father Ali in support of this theory.
Father D'Aquilla lives with his two sis
ters, both beautiful and talented women,
in the house at the rear of the church.
The sisters teach school and keep house
for their brother. Late on Saturday night,
when the priest had finished his duties
for the day, he entered the supper room,
where his elder sister, Maria, was writing
letters. He asked her where Julia was,
and was informed that she was probably
at private devotion in her own room.
search there, however, proved that
this was not so. nor could she be found
in the kitchen or any other apartment
The church, sacrsty and other places
were also examined, but there was no
trace of the missing girl. Her sister, how
ever, remembered that Julia had gone
down to the cellar after supper to put
some salad in cool place, ana procur.
ing a light she went downstairs. NO
sooner had she reached the bottom of the
steps than she cried:
SBrother, come here, quick"
Stretched at full length upon the stone
flooring lay Julia, apparently dead. Her
usually rosy cheeks wer pallid. Father
D'Aquilla at once alarmed a neighbor
and sent him for DR.. Malstesta, while
with his elder sisters aid he carried Ju>
liza upstairs to her room. She was uncon.
scious but after an hours hard work by
the physician recovered her senses. She
talked incoherently, however, ana acted
in a very hysterical manner. Her broth
er and sister thought she had become In
sane, and she appeared to be wild with
fright
After three hours she Gained down
and insisted upon her brother praying
with her
Then she told him in the most serious
manner that she had seen a ghost. Miss
Julia does not speak much English, and
brother and sister.
IT went into the cellar" said she, car.
rying a lighted candle in one hand and a
bowl OF salad in the other. Suddenly
was confronted with the figure OF a man.
1t was Father ALI who died in this house
two years ago. He held his finger up as
IL warning me not to speak. l was frozen
with fear as he came nearer to me and
| said:
What are you doing hereT
"Then he blew out the candle. tainted
| and do not remember any more, but,
| brother, / am sure It was Father All. l
can see him now looking at me-"
Julia's brother and sister tried to calm
her. and the physician gave her sedatives.
Father D'Aquilla laughed and told her
that the ghost was the creature Of her own
imagination. She continued hysterical.
and the physician would not allow any one
to see her all day yesterday. Father
D'Aqullla said that his sister had been
very nervous and had overworked herself
teaching.
The church members looked upon the
matter with much mystery and little
children would not pass the house when
they heard that the priests cellar was
haunted
Miss D'Aquilla was herself again last