The sun., 1901-12-11
COPS CALLED TO LAY GHOSTS.
FAMILIES SCARED BY WEIRD
RAPPINGs AT 50 VESEY STREET.
The Police Made Light Of Matter Cntii
They Went There at Night TO watch
for Disturbcrs Door smashed In NJ
Their Very Noses. They Now Confess.


They Went There at Night 10 Watch
for Disturbcrs Door smashed In NJ
Their Very Noses, They Now Confess.
For three weeks the families OF Julius
Biesenthal and Jacob Zalisb. who 1--we on
the first floor of the house at SO Vesey street,
have been annoyed by mysterious rappings
on their doors late at night and in the early
hours Of the morning. Neither Biesenthal
nor ZaliRh nor their respective wives had
believed in ghosts before, but they believe
In them now. they say, and will ct atinue
to 90 believe until 1t has been shown that
human agencies are responsible for the
nightly disturbance OF their sleep.
They have called on the police OF the
Church street station to help solve the
mystery and at an early hour Yesterday
morning Detectives Cohen, Breen ana
McGovern went TO the Vesey street house
TO catch the ghosts. They were laughing
when they accepted the assignment from
their captain, but they don't think 1t IA
such a funny matter now. Here Is Cohen's
account of what happened to him and his
comrades during their early morning vigil:
sWe found the Biesenthal and Zal.sh
families I'm bad shape from the spirit rap
pings. Ra,ph and Ftta Bierenthal, the
children, werc 80 scared that they couldn't
sloep, and they were hugging thelr mother
The Zalish boy was also so SICK from illght
that his father had to call in doctor. lhey
told us that the rappings had been gong
on for three weeks. They all hve up one
f1iqht Of stair, from the street, the blNseh-
thnls in the rCar and the Iallshes IN the
front. You so up harrow staircase una
then there is "a hallway ruhnlnS the lehgth
of the floor.
"Thev told us that every night Just as
they were going sleep the rapplngs began.
They were always on the doors leading INTO
the hall and were very sharp ana Glstlnct'
They had tried 10 catch tine persons Nho
were reepon' Al le for the rapplngs time
and again, tl'y said, but no matter how
agile they were there was never any one
around wren they got out III the hali. lNlce
the door panels had been split, they SAID.
I'VE laughed ovcr the mattor and told
them all To go 20 hCd, which they did Then
We SAT in the dark close UP 70 me door 81
Biesenthal's apartment, so that we could
Jump out in a second and grab any one
who tried to got funny We were there at
2 O'Clock, and at 40 We began TO get tired
because nothing had happened.
we were thinking Of going away when
all of sudden ti.ero came two tCrrliic raps
on the door was 80 surprised that | al
most foil out Of my chair. hut with Breen
and McGovcrn | jumped out into the hall
We didn't see a soul ana dldn Lear SOUND
in the hallway, althOugh no one couiu HaNc
run down that hall without Us hearing
them The panel Of the door was spit
by the blow yet there was no mark any
where 20 indicate what had been used.
The Essentials turned out on the run
when the raps came and we had lot OF
trouble calming them. The Iaishes we're
scared, too. and wanted Tolce protection.
70 / went over TO their apartment and after
making everything dark sat right beside
the open door where ! could not be seen
from the hall. but could see all that went
on there.
"Mind YOU had the door open and there
right under my nose, Just as the clock IN
the kitchen vas on the last stroke OF o,
came a thump on that door that shook IT
on its hinges | leaped ont into the hall,
but couldn't see a soul and didn hear
any one making away either. Say, II gave
me the chills. ] consulted with my com
rades and we decided TO see 1t out. We
waited until daylight, but there were no
more rappings. no we went away
The three detectives went 10 the house
again at o'clock this morning and will
report to their Captain AT noon as to what
they discover. As far az car lie learned,
neither the Biesenthais nor the Zalishes
have any enemies in the house. girl
who lives in the house though told Mrs.
Biesenthal yestcsday that market oman
whose apartments are on the second floor
and who goes out early every morning had
made some of the rappingS with her slip
per, Tie market woman denies his story.