The San Francisco call., 1897-12-22
Dwells in a House Re
ported Haunted and
Prepares for Battle.
Seances Had Been Held There
and Tenants Had Heard
Strange Noises.
NO GHOsTLY VISITOR SEEN
The Man Of God Swings His Bludgeon
In Vain, for No Midnight Dis
turber Appeared.

Footsteps at midnight have disturbed
the slumbers of Rev. John Reed and his
family for the past eighteen months.
stealthy footsteps on the stairway-all
vanishing when living beings ap-
preached. News of this disturbance
has spread beyond the quiet village of
Livermore and there are many rumors
that the house is haunted.
1t is now remembered by old citizens
that there have been evil reports about
the Bartlett homestead for nearly four
years. Other inhabitants Of the beau
tiful two-story residence, nesting
among stately trees, have often COM
planned of sounds of mysterious origin
rising from various parts of the house
during the silent watches of the night
and some have gravely wondered
whether the claims of the spiritualists
who formerly lived there were true
reports that some Of the Bartlett fam
lily had the power to call spirits from
the vasty deep"
The report that my present home
has long been the seat of disturbances
is true, said the Rev. Mr.. Reed yester-
day, though 1 am far from believing
that there is anything supernatural in
the sounds that have disturbed our
slumbers. Now, let it be understood
that we went to the house boldly. in
face Of the well-known report that the
place had been the headquarters for.
local spiritualists. the spot where
seances had been held and a supposed
visiting place for the departed We
did not have any belief in the stories,
though By no means pretending to
lyT7n all oh,
and Of mind"
According to the pastors narrative it
was not long until there were disturb
ances almost as violent as those first
reported by the Fox sisters at HYDE
Vile, n. Y, when American spiritual
ism was born. nearly half a century
ago He first thought the sounds were
imaginary, then he believed they were
caused by the weather, but he as
sumed a belligerent attitude on general
principles, being somewhat of an ath-
lete as we'll as student of meta
physics and prOpounder Of the good
old doctrines of Presbyterian theology.
L got my Indian club" said he,
which was the only weapon in the
house, for I was sure I heard foot
steps. 1 stationed myself at the bot
tom Of the stairway, for surely
heard footsteps, or something that
sounded like them. The sounds came
e~o N4SNA4AON4J co l. d PCiSOn Hdu walked
up the stairway, and my wife corro-
borated me in the matter. I imagined
there was a burglar, rather than a
ghOstly visitant, in the house, so l
prepared to do battle as best 1 could
The only explanation I have been
able to get was made by a local en-
gineer and architect, Mr.. Gale He
says the contraction of the timbers
makes the strange sound, because all
the steps are mortised into one piece.
Other families have heard the same
thing. 1t is not a new experience here,
but we are prepared to stand it, for
we have no fear, even if there were
possibilities such as Milton had in
mind when he wrote, Millions of sp1r-
itual creatures walk the earth, unseen.
both when we wake and when we
sleep The report that my wife be-
came so alarmed that she ran into the
street in the night because of the
noises is all false. She went to stay
during the evening with some friends