The Press., 1898-01-20
THE INN AT BIRNLEY
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.

In every city and town in the land you will find a mill, store or factory which seems to be hoodooed. The loca- tion is apparently all right, but whoev CT buys, leases or rents makes a failure. When George Walters of the town of Birnley decided to build an inn and be- come landlord, he selected what was called the best location in the corpora tion. He was a man liked by all, had a fair amount of money, and everybody wished him luck and predicted that he would do well. It was strange what a turn of luck came to the man. He had been successful in everything, but on the day he broke ground for the new enterprise he fell over some timbers and broke his leg Before the framework was up a workman had been killed. While the building was being complet- ed painter fell from a ladder and was fatally injured. The inn was opened with a housewarming. Some of the guests drank too heavily, quarrel oc cured, and the postmaster of the town was stabbed to death. The people ad- vised Walters to get out of it. He look ed upon it merely as run of i'll luck uhu OhS4A AAS W A4O OAOu O4 phoid fever. Then he sold the inn to a stranger named Grafton and moved away.
 Grafton had a wife and three chil- dren, and he had not been in the house 8 month when two of the children were drowned in the river near by. Fifteen days later the tavern stables were burn ed to the ground. The man realized that the place was hoodooed and got out of it, and it was taken by another stranger named Eldridge. This owner made low place of it, but for six months nothing happened to create much gossip. Then Eldridge was kill ed in a quarrel over cards, and that was the last of the Red Rose inn as an inn. It was offered for sale at almost any price, but the story of its ill luck had gone abroad, and no one would take it. It was finally put to use as warehouse, but after fire, which destroyed DOT tion of the structure, it was left an un- occupied ruin.
 It had stood thus for year or so, an eyesore to the town and a wonder to all strangers, when a man named Cum mings came along and made certain in quiries, which at once revived all the gossip. He had sister married to a man named Drayton. On a certain date the pair had set out from Columbus, O., to drive to q town in Illinois. They had their own carriage, and that they passed through the town of Birnley was proved by the fact that the sister mailed him letter with the postmark on it. After that letter nothing further was heard from her, though the husband had been seen in one of the territories alone. 1 was only boy then, and 1 can not remember all the details. Irecollect, however, of Cummings explaining that it was not happy marriage, that the woman had large amount of money with her and that he was sure the hus- band had made away with her at some point on the journey.
 No one ill Birnle y rccollected tho ar rival of the couple or anything connect ed with them-no onc but me. It so happened that 1 was able to furnish in formation. They arrived at 8 o'clock one evening while there WIS circus in town. 1 had helped the hCstler to put out the team ard Lad seen tLe nan and woman at supper Just at daylght-I having remained with the hOStler all night after we had taken ill the circus we were called upon to bring around the team. 1 saw only the man get into the carriage. l was sure tn: woman did not depart. When l spoke to the hostler, he took no interest in the matter. When l asked MT. LldriGge, the second land lord, about it, he replied that of course she went with her husband, though he was stumbling about and half asleep, and 1 am sure he did not see her. El- dridge had gone, the hostler had gone and was the only one who could give any details. remembered aud described the two people and the horses and car riage, and Cummings had no doubt that they stopped at the inn. From Birnley he proceeded on his journey west, seek ing to pick up the trail. He got trace of the man dozen times, but the woman had not been seen. After three or four weeks he Camo back to BirLley with the firm belief that the wife had been mur dered there.
 There was a river flowing through the town and a millpcnd below. The first move made was to drag this pond. The work was thoroughly done, and, though all anticipated that skeleton would be found, nothing of that nature was discovered. There was found. how-