Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-08
DEATH ENDED II ALL.
Citizens Investigating GhostIy
 Rappings at New Jersey.

The RappingS Suddenly Ceased While the Committee Was in Wait ing-Death in the Family Said to Be Cause of Cessation of Ghostly Rap pings.
 New York, Feb S-Before the door of the house of George A. Reardon last night the ghost committee of But 1 Ter, x. J., waited. The night was in- tensely cold and the wind nercely blew
 tne Tapping greatcoats of the commit 1 teemen. They waited at the VeSlDuie 1 for q time and then walked about the 1 house. WaItin. 10 catch the sounds i which Butler associates with the viSl- ! tatons or spirits. The committee was headed by Edward J. N'eipar and 1 IHou.as Nabey, two Of the youE. len l oi the town who are interested ill psy chlcai research. They examined the
 porches and looked at the doors and | windows.
 1 SIr Mabey. who had made several | visits to the house when he had heard knock1ngs, was of the opinion that the night was not fayora ble one for the l supernatural mcntfestati tions. The committee found the worthy occupants of the house mourning over the death of Mrs Reardun'S mother, or which they thought they had been warned by the rappingS. Nils Rear,icn explained that on account of the family Dereavc- nlent sine did nor care to have tAe in- vestisation proceed last night. The com nlittee concluded to withdraw and ! leave the family for the night alone with it's ghosts. Tie RearGonS wenr | to bed ar 1O o'clock last night. at which hour no rappings had been heard. They received yesterday the news from A1eadtown, three miles from But Ter, that Mrs Abbie Wittie, tl& aged n sher of Mrs RearGon, had died W ed nesday. The aged woman will be bur i jed to-day beneath the frozen earth. which has beel turned to make her last resting place. Most of the nine Reardcns say that the death ot some one near and dear to tEem was the me.saGe which the GhcStly fingers IsouEd q upt easement aLd wall. W b n the funeral is over the ReaceGn.. with token will be lifted from their roof. Mrs Reardon Is not quite sure that the ghost has been laid.
 This haunted house wa. built i'll ] hurry from the hcdiess of other struc- tures. There is the relic Of an old col onial mansion, q few remnants of 3 left over Queen Anne cottage and a part of an old store building. Each consignment may have had it's own particular and familiar spirit. The structure stands on a hill overlooking the town. Before 1t is the graveyard, and at the rear extends deep valley. Far away may be seen the shingled roofs Of A(eadtown. The building is ] j.-] c,1 rf r., l yellow hue stands out conspicuoE&ly fEc1p it's so,nbre surroundings.
 1 The cellar extends under the entire house. with the exception ofA $ small
 Dortico In this cellar hang harness 1 chains, tug straps and wash boilers. 1 Several bantam chickens rCoSt there on
 . ish box under the lee of the white
 washed wall. The first floor of the | house consitS of raclor, dining rcon 1 and kitchen. On the second floor are
 three bedrooms. Of these three the
 bedroom in the southwest corner has
 borne the hrunt of the supposedly su- | pernatural knockinss. The visitation | began two weeks ago.
 ! Slr Rear,.on himself was the first to
 notice it and he went to the front door
 to answer what he supposed to be q
 knock He found no one there. Ere l Guent vistaticnS followed. The nois-
 es always continue until l o'clock in i tie morning. and then silence comes | to heal tbe blows Of those sepulchral l sounds. Three nights ago thcre came rappings louder than eve7' Hnd a1 day. light two children who were sleeping ! i'll the southwest bsuiouA.l anon~ |.
 find g great hole in the plaster ill the i wall The coverlet was StfeWn with l bits of mortar and n almost iulIaalpa-
 
 screaming from the room.
 l Alr' Reardon, his family and neigh ! hors have earnestly tried to solve the
 mystery of the rapDings. Sometimes
 tllere are imperative knocks and oftel, l the air rings with 2 loud, i1uplorln2 2
 cry James. the oldest son. has on ssv-
 eral occasions stood in tho shelter ot | rock, shotgun in hand. waiting, as
 he says, ito burn that ghost"
 Committees Of citizens, sometimes
 twenty-five strong. have sar in that
 upper room. They have heard the
 knockings and the 2Lostly cry. Ihe | house shakes as soon as they are as
 sembled. As soon as they rush out
 into the hallway the sounds inmedi-
 ateIy cease All Butler Is discussing
 the strange phenomena observed at the
 house on the hill.
 Opinion is divided. Some persons Of
 sceptical turn of mind say that de-
 parted and unfortunatae landlord | knocks for his rent. The present ten | ants are little in arrears. Mr Lee, q | widower. of A1orristown. owns the house. It was reported here yestef-
 day that the owner had offered re-
 ward of S25 for anybody who could
 lay the ghost A tall man in long
 overcoat. over the fur collar of which
 struggled a Irxuriant crop of black 1 hair, alighted this evening" from 8 l New York train. He carried black l box, on which were cabalistic charac-
 ters painted in white. He made many l inouiries, and when last seen was walking toward the graveyard.