Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-30
A GHOST STORY.
The Explanation Was Found in Stray
Chicken.

Ghost stories possess more or less fasci-
nation to US all. The following story, re-
lated by a reliable physician. is the re-
cital of an incident which actually &C.
Cured:
Il had always secuted the belief in
ghostly appartions and noises, but for a
time during a -be-forgotten night
of turmoil in my house my resolution was
sadly shaken. We We're just finishing din
ner, when the front door bell jingled gently.
The servant who responded reported that
there was no one at the door. She added
her face visibly pale, that she had an
swered the pull three times that day, and
each time had found no one on the steps
Of course, We all talked pleasantly and
learnedly about ghosts and of the uncom-
Portable manner they had of manifesting
their unwelcone presence. Then | re-
membered, and foolishly recounted to nv
1amlly, that year or so before we had
moved into the house the then occupa MT
had been called to the door and upon an
pearing, had been shot dead by an enemy
| also recollected that had been assured
by the renting agent that the stories that
L might hear about the house being haunted
were without foundation, especially as to
the spirit of the murdered man ascending
the front steps, ringing the bell and walk
house.
AS II In response to my tale the bell
again tinkled. This time l myself ran 10
the door. The mischievous small bow /
hoped to catch was not there | confess
to a slight tremor of nervousness. NV face
must nave betrayed me, as the features of
the feminine members of nv family he
came white. and l was soundly lectured
! .pr my .orgettulness In falling to acquaint
them with the fact that there was a ghost
in the house. We retired late but not to
sleep. 1t was quiet until shortly after mid
night. when we all heard with startling
uls.lnctness the front door bell ring. The
pell was situated in the servants quarters
IN the rear OF the basement. NV eldest son
and 1 bolted for the front door, reyolyers
In hand: OF course, We found no one there
ret, but found no evidence of either ghost
~ or human intruders. All remained quiet
until early dawn, when the bell sounded
again, this time loudly and vigorously
rms capped the climax of horrible
night My sister went into violent hys-
terlcs, my wife into commissions, and nv
daughters into various stages of feminine
fright The maid servant barricaded the
door and shrieked for the police I start
ed on run for the police station, while INV
e!dest son, Bob, rang up the nearest ply
stefan. TWO officers Joined me in my sprint
back to the house. As we entered the han
BOD ana the physician bounded up the
steps. AS We held an excited consultation
OF war beneath the brilliantly lighted chan
delier, with the hall door wide open the
bel! was pulled again. and with a vigor
and defiance to our futile human efforts
to reveal the 'spook's' identity and where
ahouts.
To say that We were all startled but
imperfectly tells the actual situation. 1t
was decidedly shaken, and even the Off
GERS seemed to think something was doing
The physician hurried upstairs to attend
the ladies. who were then in a state of alb
Ject collapse. With the officers. 1 made a
systematic search Of the house winding
up In the cellar. The first streaks of dawn
were entering the front and rear windows,
lighting up its dark corners and recesses.
AS we were carefully examining the east
front We heard the bell sound above us
once more. and at the same time we de-
tected a huttering sound in the west cor
ner on high pile Of coal
And there was the .ghost'-a chicken
with its leg caught in long piece of tam
g1ed wire. This piece of wire had in some
mysterious manner become caught in the
wire attached to the front door bell run
ming overhead. We extricated the innocent
cause Of our fright with a hearty laugh
1t was afterward learned that the chicken
had escaped from a huckster's wagon the
preceding day, had flown into our cellar
through broken pane in window, and
its leg becoming fastened in the wire. had
caused the bell to ring In its struggles for
release"