The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-23
STORY OF A MYSTERIOUS ISLE.
Probability of Two Murders Having
Been Committed ON IL.

| mainland, upon which a plantation had
been cultivated, but was now in decay
| except the mansion and! outbuildings.
These had been wellpreserved, and, hav-
| ing been substantially erected, of the best
materials and workmanship, were found
to be in excellent condition for occupancy.
tenant house had been built for the
| caretaker of the property, and he had
| cultivated enough of the land to provide
! subsistence for his family. but the man
sion had not been occupied for more than
! three years, the business of the proprietor
| having called him TO a foreign country,
| as he claimed and kept him there.
| The other moiety of the island was oc-
cupied by tobacco farmers, about ten in
| number. who employed many negroes OF
| both sexes and realized good profits. They
were industrious, Woodworking people,
and never failed in making large crops,
| their product ranking in the market with
| the best specimens of genuine Havana
weed. They were honest, thrifty citi-
zens, and favorably regarded by every
| body who knew them
Our st. Louis merchant may be called
Mr.. Ward for the purposes of this mar
| rative. Mrs. Ward was invalid, and
| the island home was purchased in the
| hope that the soft climate of its latitude
| would restore her health. She had de-
rived benefit from a Winters sojourn in
Florida, and the air of the island was
| judged TO promise even greater good
| Early in the Autumn of 1859 the man
| sion was thoroughly renovated, hand
| somely furnished, and therein the Ward
family established their lares and pen
ates in quarters as excelently appointed
as could be desired, and they felt that
| truly they had found cheerful. health
giving retreat of inestimable value. In a
| large sense they were monarchs of all
| they surveyed-of the thousands of
fruitful acres divided into fields by YER
dant hedgerOws, among which honey
suckles and roses half hid their blooming
charms; the forest of white oak along
the outskirts of which the state palmet-
10 stood sentinel; even the glistenng
beach made hard and smooth by the
constant buffetings Of old ocean; and
they felt assured that here no unseemly
thing could intrude nor anything make
them afraid. They could well appreci-
ate that pretty sentiment of Aspasia ad-
dressed to Cleone:
Like the ocean, love embraces the
earth; and by love, as by the ocean,
whatever is sOrdid and unsound is borne
away"
The family consisted of husband and
daughters, veteran housekeeper who
had been with the Wards several years,
and an invalid sister of Mrs. Ward a
maiden lady Familiarity known as Aunt
Ruth There was also a fun compile
ment of servants. Mr. Ward remained
on the island six weeks to get his loved
ones comfortably fixed for the Winter,
and then returned TO his business. leaving
the general charge of the place to his
elder son, Albert, young gentleman OF
excellent character and judgment. The
tenants. named Garlan. were left in oc-
Cupancy Of their former quarters in the
employment of the new proprietor. and
were socn found to be deserving Of this
favor
Mr.. Ward had been gone f:om the
island but nine days when a series OF
unaccountabie annoyances began. The
initial demonstrations were loud footballs
in various rooms Of the mansion after
midnight. and interlopers were sought by
the male members of the household I'M
der the impression that thieves had
broken i'm TO steal They found nobody.
although some of the searchers heard
footsteps apparently. within a few feet
OF where they stood whcreupon every
one upon the premises was aroused to
keep vigil till dawn OF day. The disturb
anCe continued more than an hour. ter
minating with the slamming Of all the
doors without visible agency. and a shout
of knocking laughter close to the ear Of
every mortal in the mansion.
All through the following day nothing
was discussed but this phenomena. and
the variety of ways I'm which they might
have been brought about by agencies es-
sentially mundane. but a majority Of the
family felt that they were chargable TO
supernatural causes. Mr.. Garlan witness
ed none Of them and although he had
been n resident OF the island for about
four years, had never heard of anything
resembling the incidents which affrighted
the Wards. The effect of this statement
was to embolden Mrs. Miner the house
keeper. and she volunteered 10 stand
guard through the succeeding night and
unravel the mystery at any cost. She
stipulated that lamps should remain
alight in every room during her vigil.
and she would see TO IL that the family
should not be thereafter molested by
things unaCcOuntable.
At about / a. m. Mrs. Miner was sitting
in the dining room reading. the entire
mansion illuminated as if for a social
gathering. but the remaining members Of
the household We're I'm bed. very nervous
and too fearful to sleep. yet fully on the
Qui vive for accidents. The housekeeper
was reading the Bible and praying that il
might prove a charm against the devil
and all his retinue. when, prestoi the
sacred volume was snatChed from her
grasp and thrown violently across the
room, She caught no glimpse of him or
her who INDUCED in this rude act. but
following it she witnessed
a scene which impaired accelerated mo-
ton 10 her nervous system. tall young
man, pale and emaciated, with very red
hair and beard, hastily entered the room
and eXtinguished the lamps. retreating
with great celebrity. Mrs. Miner scream
ed and fed to another room, but before |
she was seated there the same person !
came and turned out the lights. At the |
fourth or fifth repetition of this act in as |
many rooms the doughty housekeeper
tainted, but just then Mr.. Albert Ward, |
armed with a brace of revolvers and a |
lantern. reached the trail of the spooks |
At that moment out went all the lights. |
In the various rooms, except that in |
the lantern carried by young Ward. and |
all the members of the household had |
been visited simultaneously by the appa- |
rition with fiery name, if their subsequent |
testimony was deserving of credit. He |
had multiplied himself very numerously. |
and shrieks from dormitory apartments |
that in hideousness nothing /
more could be needed TO induce panic |
Aunt Ruth called loudly for help and de-
clared she was being abducted by the
arch-fiend, and when reclaimed she was
found prone just without her chamber
door. where, she said, the devil had loos-
ed his hold and fled before the approach
Ing lantern. She felt sure that her
scratches had drawn blood from his sa-
Ianic majesty, for they were given with
a will in defense of her maidenly honor,
The hurried assemblage in the dining
room of all the persons in the house
proved that the instinct of safety had
)verridden ordinary considerations Of |