The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-01
THIS GHOST CH0KED A MAN.
WAS DRIVEN OFF ROWLING BY
wIFE,s sCALDING WATER.

and Made Things Lively in His
old Tenement-GambI Saw Him
Fade Like the Cheshire Cat-Ghost
Exercised.
From the New York Sun.
Perth Amboy, N. j., Aug. 29.-One
of the best authenticated ghosts in
the ghost history of ghost-ridden New
Jersey, has been exercised by the et-
forts of Father Januschek of the Slav
Roman Catholic Church here. For
several years John Mako, a Hunga-
rian laborer, lived in a two-story ten
ement in Mechanic street, near WASH
ington street. He lived as a just and
Woodworking man should. Three
months ago he died. So far as may
be learned from the reticent survivors
of his family there was no one in the
community to whom he bore i'll will.
There was nothing left behind which
might have been expected to tempt
him to come back.
But he came back. He came back
early and often. He came back as
often as Bird S. Coler has announced
his retirement from politics. Mako
couldn't stay away. There was some
thing about that ground-hoor tene-
ment, with its dingy yellow walls and
narrow backyard and ill-smeiilng open
sewers in front that exercised an
irresistible attraction for the spirit.
Marko's ghost at first attracted at
tention by low, but strenuous means.
The departed laborer had a peculiar
voice and even in means 1t could De
distinguished from any other voice
that the neighborhood had ever known.
The first time those means were hsard
everybody in the neighborhood knew
that Mako had come back because
something in the place to which he
had gone did not suit him. For a time
the popular feeling on the subject was
altogether negative. That is to say,
nobody expressed an overwhelming de-
sire to live if the home of the late
Mako. AS one little girl of the neigh
borhood said to an earnest inveStiga-
tor: Everybody says I think 1 let
somebody else live there yet.
But two weeks ago last Sunday night
matters came to a crisis. The tenement
is a double house. There are four
apartments in the building, and Gene
Matlock, brother-in-law to the ghost,
lives in the upstairs fiat on the other
side of the double house. A week ago
Sunday when Mrs. Matlock was in
shed at the back of the yard, Gene
started across the yard to speak to her.
He was grabbed by the throat and
thrown fiat upon his back. He shouted
for help as he fell, half strangled. Mrs.
Matlock came from the shed and saw
him lying before her with a shodowy
n
the house, took a kettle of hot water
from the stove and went back again.
She found Gene and the Thing wres-
thing around all over the yard.
What is the matter? Get off my
husband or / will scald you to DEATH"
she cried in Hungarian.
The face of the Thing which was
kneeling on Matlock's chest was turned
toward her for a moment. She recog-
nized the countenance of her depart
ed brother. He said nothing that eth
err she or her husband could understand
and because, as Mrs. Matlock pains
takingly explained to a Sun reporter to-
night, she loved a live husband a great
deal more than a dead brother she
waited until the ghost was uppermost
and then tipped out a pint of hot wa
ter on it's back. The Thing fed,
shrieking, up to the back door of the
fiat. which the late Mako had occu-
pied. and passed in without opening
the door. At least that is the story
Matlock and his wife told to the Sun
man.
II tell you" asserted Matlock, with
no apparent sign of anything but the
utmost sincerity, Mako. and see him
dead and in the grave, he come up and
grab me by my throat. My wife she
get the water and make him hot on his
back and he cry and get the hell out.
He got into the door on the right side
hand and the door no open when he
go through. hope / am dead tonight
If lie"
'"Tha' right" said Mrs. Matlock calm
ly
Are you sure" asked the reporter,
that it wasn't tramp or somebody
who was sneaking around the yard?"
Both the Matlocks laughed scornfui-
ly. The very idea was preposterous,
they said. with many shakes of the
head and grunts of disapproval. Gene
Matloek was inclined to be INDIGNANT