Iron County register., 1899-08-31
HAUNTED HOUSE MYSTERY.
1t Was n Playful Skunk Having n
Game oE Football That MyaIi-
ReA the Tenants.

a mystery has been solved N house
rot far from San Gabriel. CAL said
resident Of 3 neigh boring little town. "a
mystery that convinced several sensible
persons that ghosts do live and walk
about o nights A certain rancher
wished 10 60 10 the beach for the sum
mer, So he rented his cottage fur SIX
months To some eastern people. and
there Is where the trouble began The
newcomers liked the place, but . few
days after they had moved In one Of
the members Of the family went % the
man who was working On the place and
asked II there was anything peculiar
about the house No. the ma1 re-
piled: why do you aSk@ Wei, said
the new tenant, we didn't sleep much
last night We went to bed early. and
not long after my boy came and
Knocked al nv door and said he heard
some one trying 10 get IN the house !
crspt out into the hall and then went
al over the house, but heard nothing,
so went back 10 bed. In few minutes
my boy called 10 me. and said that he
had heard q noise again By this time
the whole household was aroused !
went into the boys ROOM but still
heard nothing; then I put ont the
light and sat down 10 listen, and II
wasn't ten minutes before I heard the
noise. It sounded like z person crawl
ing along The floor Of the next ROOM
then something seemed 10 go bounding
along like q ball. and we heard II strike
the wall. Some Of the children. who had
=
Mysteries by this time crepI out into
the hall again ny revolver IN one hand
and some matches in the other, and to
ward the door Of the next ROOM Il
was moonlight, and as I peeped through
the keyhole I could see the room suf-
fused with light. but apparently there
was no one il IL: vet there was the
greatest soampeTjng around that you
have ever heard.
For a second continued the ten
ant, I could not see distinctly, but
when I looked around the room there
was no one there: nothing TO be seen
but ball. big rubber ball, q SORT OF
childss football. resting in the middle
Of the foor. I was dumfoUnded; the
windows were locked and there was no
ki1aCG LII N--iNA ~ ~-4AEs 81 L -A4-SAAAN
backed out and went into my boys
room, and told the family that II was
the wind. But that didn't go, for as !
was telling them this the ball went
scurying across the floor and the
phantom was after II A gain I went out
and This tine held the door open and
tried 70 look IN. I waited some mo-
nents, but nothing appeared, and that
was the last We heard Of Il that night
The following night the same
thing occurred. SO took the ball out,
and that ended the noise again, but
when l PIT the hall back the ghost
comes. and il has made he family So
nervous that they wish % leave the
place
That beats me said the astonished
workman = have been around 1he
house for two years and never heard
that II was haunted believe he add
ed. that can get away with any ghost
that ever walked, and if you viii let
ne 30 Up and Try tonight II guarantee
10 ind out the trouble
$50 i was arranged: the man slept
II the room which the boy had occu-
pied. and the ball was replaced IN the
haunted room. At II o'clock the man
was heard 70 go up and the ball started
10 roll about The ranch hand crept
10 the door Of the next room very care
fully and at first made 10 attempt &c
open il; apparently he was listening;
then he Slowly opened the door. lis
tened a moment, and closed IL and went
down the hall 10 where the tenant was
standing DO you want TO see the
ghos19- he asked Well. come on The
tenant followed him. and after waiting
for q few moments he saw. through
the crack OF the partially opened door
q little black animal suddenly appear II
Z broad band Of moonlight, and rising
up. strike al the ball with its fore paws,
sending II whirIing about The floor =
kitten calculated the new tenant, in
a whisper. No. q skunk replied the
man; a polecat-tha1's your ghost and
I would be careful how you run in On
him Il was true, and after some search
Z small hole was discovered through
which The animal had entered The room.
where il amused itself playing ball by
Iae light OF the moon " Y Sun