The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-04-27
The Tragedy of a
Haunted House.
GlkCHNN KILLS HIS PlETlER
And Is Slain by the Same Knife
With Which No Marderea
his Victim.

u. caxmer Is Ia Jail here eharged
with the murder % Frank ". Hoppe
April :. His defense - that the
crime was committed 0y q man al
ready nearly five years in ats grave.
The residents OF the nelghhorhood
ure 80 frmiy convinced Of something
supernatural In the killing. that Il
Is doubtful II a Jury can be found
In tho country 20 convict a prisoner
who alleges such Manifestations,
In the summer % iSg2 Hoppe and
ThomaS Barber formed a partner
ship. bought bunch OF cattle aud
engaged IN business as ranchmca.
Both we're bachelors ana lived In a
sodhouse cleVca miles north Ok this
place.
Fur two years they eot on we'll to-
Kcther, Then a dispute arose con
corning a division OF prohts Hoppe
left the ranch ard commenced suit
against his partner for an account
inE. Before the case came 10 trial.
a settlement was effected. the part
nerahlp was re-estahiizhed and the
men resumed housekeeping together
About two months afterWari
Hoppe rode Into town and gave hlm-
self up 70 the authorities Nifh the
explanation that Barber had ASSAULT
ed him and that he had killed him
IN seif-dafensa. ON visiting the
house the officers found Barber ty-
Ing where h. had fallen. lie had
evidently been sitting Or standing
On front OF a rude fireplace in TIE
cabin. ard had hsea killed BY a
katie thrust between the shoulders.
The fact that ne VAS stabbed IN the
back gave the ease an uRly look.
While Hoppe was In iail the knife
with which Barber Was killed disap-
reared In a most mysterious manner.
The night before the ease WAS called
the pro-ecuting attorney saw knife
In his safe. lie locked the safe and
sat down for an evenings work.
Before leaving he reopenef tbs safe
and was astonishcd 70 discover that
the knife had disappeared lie had
not LEFT the Office during the even
fng. nor had anyone hut himself en-
tered II. Nothing else In the safe.
which contained a considerable cum
Of money. was disturbed.
Soon after Hsppe's departure. u
began TO be whispered that strange
things were happening about the de-
serted cabin. Passing cattismen
said that groans. imprscatlons and
shrisks for ati issued from the win
dows. and that sometimes n hEure
was seen moving inside. The major
ity spurrsd by at top speed after
dark. The boider scdasd at tho
tales. but no one cared to iuvcAti.
gate closely. So far az known. tho
hut was never entered from the time
Hoppe left il until the night Of
Aprii 2
Hoppe himself and Casmer were
the FIRST TO revisit a. After spend
ing nearly Ave years on the Texas
cattle ranges. Heppe returned 70 ths
northwest and obtained employment
on a ranch nearly 100 miles north
% Earring ON the 81 they entered
Fresno county. Toward evening a
snowssorrn set IN. Both men were
exhausted and blinded by snow
Casmer suggested riding into Earl
ing for shelter on the way Hoppe
led him. either by accident or draigu,
toward his old sod house. Hoppe
proposed stopping there for the
night.
The house was in a very dIiapidat
cd condition. but the cowboys built
n FIRE on the hearth. produced thsif
provisions and a flask OF whisky ana
were soon comfortable. IL was late
when they arrived. and when. after
partaking Of their impr0mptu lun-
cheon. Heppe seated himself on q
stump In front % the IRE. on nearly
the same spot where Barber had
been stabbed ave years before. Cas-
msr thinks Il was between u and
o'clock
Casmar says ne had stepped 70 the
door to see whether there were any
signs OF g cessation u the storm.
when he was startled BY q yell Of
agony from his companion. Rush
ing inside he found the latter lying
on his face in front 81 the Gre. his
forehead actually IN tuH cmbers. and
a knife sticking In his back. Afraid
so stay In tine hogse longer. he
mounted his bronco and started for
Earring. lie was unfamiliar with
the country. and soon became hope
iessly lost.
Such vas the story which he told
when found early next morning,
wandering aiuiczsiy over the prairie
His rescusrg accompanied him To the
cabin. Hoppe was still on the floor
With the knife sticking between hia
shoulder blades on dra wing 10 oui
the spectators were h0rrifed 20 dis
cover that Il was the same weapon
which had 30 mysteriously disap-
psared from the Prcsho county n
peared from the Prcsho county
prosecuting attorneys safe.
CosnAr was brought into town and
locked up. Though he might have
pleaded seif-defensc with at least ne
good chance Of aequittal as Hoppe
he insists that the latter was killed
by an invisible as8ailaut. The knife
has been fully identified as the snvs
"a that with which Barber was slain
Public opinion Is strongly With the
prisoner.