Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-12-04

had never been rebuilt after the fire.
Cummings hired dozen men and had
the debris removed, but still the search
was unsuccessful. He had previously
gone over the house, which was little
better than ruin, but now be entered
upon closer investigation. The win
dows had been broken, doors carried
away, and the leaky Roof had let in the
storms until the floors were rotten.
Now and then half dozen boys enter
ed the house and clambered about, but
as rule it was avoided as an uncanny
place. Up to this time no one had hint
cd at ghost on strange things, but that
was to come.
Mr.. Cummings, constable and my
self entered the old inn one evening
after supper to make thorough search.
What the brother expected to find he
did not say, but he made up his mind
that his sister never left Birnley alive.
My persistency in declaring that she
did not go away with her husband and
the fact that the husband left at such an
unusual hour probably gave Cummings
the idea that she had been made away
with during the night.
On entering we mounted to the second
story and entered the room the couple
had occupied that night. We were
standing still and gazing about when
there suddenly came a sound as of wo-
man sobbing. ] bolted at once, but the
constable followed at my heels, and
when Cummings joined rs below he
was pale and trembling. 1t was a queer
sound we had heard, and after discuss
ing it for a spell the constable went for
q Mr., Hastings, who was a justice of
the peace. Hastings arrived to ridicule
our fears, and together the four of us
went up to the room. 1t was not yet
dark outdoors, but very gloomy up there.
The justice walked about, knocking and
rapping with his cane, and perhaps ten
minutes had passed when we heard
noise as of slippered feet crossing the
floor, followed by gurgling and sobbing
The sounds were SO real and at the same
time SO ulfcanny that the four of us
made for the stairs at once. When we
had got safely down, Cummings said
the noises had been produced by the
wind and wanted to go back, but no
one would 60 with him. 1t was agreed
to keep the affair secret and inspect
the house next morning, and after break
fast our number was increased to six.
The two others were merchants of the
town, and they had hearty laugh at
the way we had been driven out.
AT half past 8 o'clock in the morning
we gathered in that room. Most of the
plaster was off, the floor was sinking
and cobwebs hung from the corners
Queerly enough, access was had to the
garnet above through this the best room
in the house. There was the scuttle in
the ceiling, with the trapdoor shut
down, and / wondered that / had never
taken notice of it before. Cummings
had just remarked that he would like to
take a look up there in the garnet when
there came wailing. gurglipg, sobbing
sound which lasted for at least Is sec
onds. Every one of us had the same idea
about it, 1t sounded as if hand had
clutched woman's throat and choked
the life out of her
There was a move for the stairs and
GNtIy OlC . IdCG W as do Btt1G 0G bNethl
but Cummings made gesture which
checked the retreat, and there was a
long minute of silence Then there was
heard what might have been called
death rattle--a queer sound to make the
flesh creep. After it had died away
Cummings said:
Gentlemen, murder has been done
in this house. Let no one go away. We
will get a ladder and take look into
the garrett
The constable fetched ladder. and
Cummings was first through the scuttle.
The garnet was 40 feet long by 30 wide,
with the end windows broken ont and
daylight and sunshine streaming in.
There were loose boards over the joists,
and the garnet was the roosting place of
scores of pigeons. For two or three
minutes nothing was to be seen. Then
Cummings, who had made his way to
the west end of the garnet, beokoned to
us and pointed to an object lying on the
laths between the two end joists. 1t
was bundle Of black mold and bones
the skeleton of the missing woman.
She had been murdered in the room be-
low and carried up there, and one
might have looked into the garnet
hundred times without discovering tho
body 1t had been there so long that
there was only dust and bones to be
gathered mp and taken down for identi-
fication and burial The murderer had
stripped the body of all clothing, Int
ON one finger had been left ring, which
the brother had given her as bridal
present. There was not the shadow of a
doubt as to who the victim was, and so
great was the popular excitement over
the CHASTITY noises and the dreadful find
that 100 men turned to and pulled the
ruins apart and made big bonfire Of
the last board, Steps were at once taken
to apprehend the murderer, and has
trail was followed for many months,
but to this day his crime is UNPUBLISHED.
Not Pleasurabie Day.