The San Francisco call., 1897-08-17

around, ana have maze lnVeStiSdtioho
sufficient to satisfy me that none OF my
EN- ployes are carrying out practical JOKE
1T has come to be serious matter
with me, for my work is being lnter1ered
with and my stock is being ruined. gu
needn't smile that way-I mean every
word l am saying Why. do you know,
over thousand cakes of my most expen-
slye soap have come sailing down OH those
shelves, and by either coIliding with the
hoor. the ceiling or some employees heao
have been damaged so that they nave had
to be consigned to the scrap heap. There's
nothing funny about it, ana 1t WILL De
sorry day for somebody if catch them at
their pranks-that is, of course II they
are mortals.
The ghost? No, haven't seen that
yet. Two little girl in my employ, Lily
Coon bs and Annie O'Connor. are the ones
who have been fortunate, or rather un-
fortunate to see it. But Fhave seen enough
IN the way of flying soap to satisfy me
that something is wrong ana radically
wrong. l have searched everywhere IN
the nope of locating the cause OF the
manifestations, but have been no more
successful than were the two detectives
who made the investigation this alter
noon."
Lily Coombs of II Manning place, is
vlvaclous, good-looking girl OF Ia years.
She saw the ghost in overa lis and the
soap dance. Lily told reporter last night
all about them
Lily, was last Friday, and then L didn't
think 1t was ghost at all, only man In
overalls. On Friday, it was about
O'Clock in the afternoon, | was IN the
next room to tie room where the soap is
piled ON racks. There are two wide doors
between Us ana the doors were open. L
saw man in blue overalis and blue and
hi Ifn oh ~, {I,nr nlyr ~ O
was standing near the door leading to the
perfumery-room and he walked toward
the racks. l turned my head away for
moment and when looked Again he was
gone. He did not walk on the floor, but
he walked in the air, about so high from
the floor" Here Miss Coombs illustrated
by showing place on the wall about
three and half or four feet from the floor.
ION Saturday, resumed Miss Lily, 81
saw the ghost twice. The first time was
about IL clock and the second time was
about O'Clock. He did the same both
times. He was man about middle age
and had red mustache. saw the soap
Jump from the racks and turn around
three times in the air and fall to the floor.
Some pieces jumped up and hit US. The
sheets in the room used for making soap,
moved in and out without any cause. |
Then l heard the fiuttering OF wings"
Mrs. Coombs, Lily's mother, does not
believe in ghosts. But her curiosity was
aroused, and she paid visit TO the soap |
factory. while l was there" she said, |
81 made the remark, L ain't afraid of no |
soap, and just as said it, piece of soap |
came flying along and hit me in the head. |
Another piece hit me in the back. |
Another witness is Annie O. Connor, the |
16-year-old daughter of l.. O'Connor, a |
grocer Of 21l Eighth street. Annie is a |
bright girl and says she is not at all super
stitious. In fact she does not believe in |
ghosts and tells her story with all the i'm |
press of truth. "Three weeks ago I was |
wrapping soap in the room next to The |
room in which the soap racks are. l hap |
pened to glance at the rackroom and | |
saw q man standing by the door leading !
to the perfumery-room. He wore tan
overalls and dark-blue shirt, with stripes |
or checks on it. | noticed that he had |
brown mustache. The next time l saw
him was q week ago Saturday. On both |
occasions he appeared at the door leading |
to the perfumery-room and walked across |
the room and disappeared behind the |
soap racks.
Two or three other girls saw the ghost. |
Mamie Carmody saw the ghost, too. A |
week ago last Friday Mr.. Curtis and his |
wife and Lily COON BIS went cam ping in |
the country. 1t was while they were |
away one Gay | was III the factory sealing |
soap with ar alcohol lamp. When | got |
through l put out the lamp. and then l |
heard something rattle like dishes or |
crockery. l turned round to see what |
made the noise, and | saw yellow flower |
pot with a rose bush in it lifted up and |
down three times from the plate on which |
it was standing and turn around.
"That's what made the noise. l called !
Fred Erie the soap presser, and the boy |
Charlie, but they both laughed at me. At |
that time l heard 1uttering and rat
ting on the boards in the perfumery-
room like cloth swapping. There are |
six girls working in the factory and a |
typewriter girl, who is II or Is years old, |
l guess. Here name is Lola Wilson"
And there are others. Emma and Mamie |
Carmody of ia Tehama street. Charles
BENJAMIN OF 1909 Mission street and III. Il.
Lam bert of Alameda-all employees OF the
haunted factory-tell of thrilling ex-
periences they have had in dodging soap
cakes during the past few days, and there
fn ba hot rd