The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-27
POLICE REPORTER LAYS GHOST

days, when 1 was an habitue of College
Green and a patron Of the cab row in
front of the Bank OF Ireland. her hus-
band ran the Cherbourg hotel.
When I came 10 Chicago l had a let
ter 10 his widow. and, being short OF
ready money, I naturally fronted no al
the Chsrbourg. 1t was a West Side lodg-
Ing house and TO me it seemed a paltry
imitation OF the old glory OF the Dublin
house. But anyway, I got the glad hand
there, and l was happy enough TO pay s
a week for board and a room that was
50 small I had 10 undress in the hall and
back into il. But [ got a job as night
reporter on the West Side, and it wasn't
long before 1 felt quite at home in my
narrow but sympathetic environments.
The nearest place TO the station then
/ was COlllgan's. and I don't deny il.
spent quite bit OF my time there. For
one thing he had Switchboard, a rare
( thing in Chicago saloons, and myself
and the other night men became very
fond Of the game. Then Colligan was a
good Indian till he got drunk. but once
drunk, he was dead one. and We own
ed the place. That is, We would have
owned il but for Mrs. Colligan. She
was fine looking old woman, and a good
! soul, but she, too, had the fever for
red liquor. and when she got that way
/ IL was back to the mines for US re-
/ pOrters.
I'll never forget the night it happen
: ed. There was a big fire in the neigh
/ borhood. and we all worked like slaves
until nearly II o'clock. Most OF the re-
/ porters went IN with their stuff, but 1
! didn't. I teiephoned my story TO the
I office and then went back 10 Colligan' 5
| for the midnight lunch and cold bottle
Of pale. You know, 1 lived in the neigh
borhood, and hated to go downtown. Col
/ igan was half-seas over when L came
in, but l didn't know about his wife till
l had sat in TO the best there was in
the tureen. Then she came in and 1 saw
that trouble was due. There wasn't an
other soul in sight.
of course, when it comes to a real
fight between a man and a woman, you
know where I'm at, but I've been a po-
lice reporter too long TO interfere in
family row. l don't know exactly how
Colligan did il. I deliberately turned my
back and devoted myself TO liver and
bacon. But, anyway, when it was all
over, Colligan came out and said to
me:
Here's a story for you. The old VIC
man has fell down the back steps, and
looks dyin' TO me.
1 went out and took a look at her,
and then 1 walked over TO the station
and told Sergeant Kiley.
There's no use going into the Colligan
end of it, because the coroner's jury
found that she came 10 her death by
falling down the back stairs. Of course
1 knew better, but then 1 didn't want to
mix up in the case any more than 1
could afford. and as a witness I was at
least non-committal. Besides. COlligan
was a pretty decent fellow sober, and
l don't believe in holding up a mans
drunken vagaries against him. Do you?
We'll, any way. it came out all right.
We all sent flowers to the funeral and
Colligan made good by taking the Kelley
cure. 1 think he was onto himself after
the accident and as a matter of justice
to him it should be remembered that he
hasn't drunk a drop since. But all this
just preceded the ghost story
Il told you about me living up at Mrs.
Hurley's CherbOurg Hotel, didn't ! p? Well,
it was soon after Mrs. Colligan's funeral
that L noticed some queer doings at night
in the hall. You must know that I was
so strong with my landlady that I had
the privileges of the kitchen, the ice
chest and the cupboard at night when /
came home. My habit was To go into the
kitchen and get out whatever there was
in storage. Bacon and eggs, IL / wanted
to light the gas range, or cold meat and
milk if l didn (. The kitchen was at the
end of a long hall on the first floor, shut
eff by a thick door and always latched.
II
morning when / invaded this part of the
house, and it was part of my play TO
cook, eat and leave without making any
noise. 1t must have been about the sec
Ond day after the Colligan inquest that.
after eating my fill in the Cherbourg
kitchen. I quenched the lights and swung
the door leading backward into the long,
dark nall. l had done so a hundred
times before. but this time I distinctly
ell
way. There was no light, and as soon
as I heard the 'patter' of steps. 1 stop
ped and called, Who's that?' There was
no answer, but the sound Of footsteps
came gently along as though somebody
were walking away from me toward the
front stairway.
Il finally got courage to light match !
and go forward, but I saw no one and /
heard no footsteps. The next night, I'M /
der similar conditions, the same noise /
greeted my exit from the kitchen. This /
time / struck a light at once but saw
nothing. The sound ceased at once. |
quenched the gas, and at that instant, /
lie dull, but unmistakable noise OF shut /
fling feet resumed. The same thing hap
pened night after night. and I began 70 /
feel creepy every time ] entered the /
Cherbourg. For a time I quit my morn /
ing luncheon in the kitchen, preferring /
to buy a sandwich from the corner 1
wagon. rather than go 10 bed with the T
terror of having heard a
ghost.
In the meantime I was noticing Coln- {
gan. he was getting thin and growing 1
more and more in the way OF colIapsing.
knew what was eating him, but Of /
course I didn't want TO mix into his bus
mess. so I didn't say anything 4 weel.
ago I decided to try the Cherbourg kitch- /
en- again. I didn't want TO. but 1 had Il .
to do because / was broke and IL was
up to me 70 brave the ghost or 20 TO
bed hungry. I fried ham and eggs that ]
night and drank a quart OF cold milk.
Then I put out the lights and went for
tie door into the han.
7 had no sooner opened II than I heard
the old. familiar and, I must admit. she
terrible footballs. They seemed 70 start
from just outside the kitchen door and
90 hastily along toward the front This
Tine / didn't strike match and the
sound was painfully distinct and unmls-
.akable-like the footsteps OF woman.
IL CHANGED that tie moon-nearly full
was shining that night. At the right
side Of the long hall there was a big
window, through which the mOoDbeams
slsnted in cold radiance
Did you know that in the dark your
ives follow the location OF a sound with
almost absolute accuracy Wen. its
30. Anyway. that's my experience.
vas standing in absolute darkness. fol-
owing with ears and eyes the footsteps
hat echoed along the Eacarpetcd hall
Just as the sound seemed 70 reach the
side window and the moonlight saw the
lark. shadowy outline Of a woman back.
yhen & came into the fun glare Z tried
% veil. Who that? but the yen failed
md ms call was little more than Wits
'er But the figure stopped and turned
bout. facing me
And who do you suppose Il vas
ssed the police reporter. knocking the