The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-06-26
a GHOST STORY.
But II Was Finally Explained IN
1 Natural Way.

am reminded Of the following IN.
stance said we'll known Washing
ton correspondent:
"The dread of the supernatural IL
that people evidence q fear to meet,
as it were, apparitions at close quar-.
ters, as though it were possible for
spiritual elements either OF good or
evil intent to render harm toa human
being, accounts largely for the fail
ure to run cleWs Of ghostly manifes-
tations to the ground, but as this
dread is an inherent element OF the
human makeup it is excusable.
There are many authentic instances
where people have been liter
ally scared to death, but there is no
authentic case on record, Of course,
Of an actual physical encounter be-
tween d human being and a supernat-
ural presence, yet there are those
who allow their superstitions to con-
troll rather than their reason. Never
theless, it must be admitted that APP
parently good grounds exist on the
part Of the neryously inclined, ast this
story will show.
"a friend, the members OF whose.
family were all spiritualists except
himself, suffered the loss Of a beloved
sister. On her death bed she prom
ised that she would, after she had
passed beyond, return to her family
in spirit and in some manner mani
fest her presence to them. This dec
laration all save my friend believed
would be realized, and for along time
thereafter the family were constantly
on the alert to detect the least unto
ward evidence Of her spiritual vista
ton. None came until about six
months after her death.
Zone night at about midnight my
friend, who was lying awake, heard
gentle tapping similar to that pro-
duced by trance mediums at their
seances. Itcontinued atinteryals for
some time, and then suddenly ceased.
After several occurrences OF the tap.
pings he informed his sisters Of the.
noises in his room, and who, upon lis
tening, joyfully declared that Mary
had fulfilled her promise AS Spir-
itualists communicate in the dark
with those who have passed beyond
the lights were not turned up, and,
such being the case, sound cannot.
be located and might come from any
quarter Of the room. The.sisters de-.
clared that the sounds cameout Of the
air directly above their heads, and
that they interpreted their meaning
according to the regularity or irreg-
ularity Of the tappinga.
.For three months the sounds soon.
tinued, and thenthey stopped as sud-
denly as they had begun. My friends
sisters stated that Mary had chosen
his room to impress him with thefa
that spirit manifestations were pos
sible. He declined to accept their
view. Shortly after the tappings had
ceased while feeling around his room
in the dark for d bottle ofmedicine
on a high shelf he struck the shelfa
slight blow. To his establishment he
heard The tappings renewed, but very
family.
'srurning up the gas he struck the
shelf d hard blow, and in response
came the sounds with which heWasso
familiar. His subsequent investiga-
tions developed the fact that the
sounds proceeded from d clock on the
shelf, ON the top Of which the key re-
posed in a small, thin china saucer,
and produced what may be classed as
'vibratory' sounds Of supernatural
presences.
"The room above had beensoccu-
pied for about the space of time that
the tappings had continued by a
proof readerwhose labors did notper-
NIT him to reach home earlier than
midnight. The house was ofwooden
frame and old. In walking over the
floor preparatory to retiring the proof
reader had stepped upon a loose board
which rested upon beam supporting
the wall. This beam was also loose,
and to it was connected scantling,
towhich the shelf in my friend'sroom
below was fastened. The commune
eating vibrations were sufficient TO
jar the clock, so that the key of pc
culiar round shape rolled slightly
with each jar, and striking the mar.
row sides Of the delicate china saucer,
gave forth the spiritual communica-
ton from Mary The proof reader