Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-30
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s THE TRAGEDY !; ):
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s DORCHESTER !;
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!. Copyright. 1902, by w. w. Jacobs. !:
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Copyright. 1902, by w. w. Jacobs

GyY1T wanted few nights TO
I&I Christmas, a festival for
Y6sNSaI which the small market town
(8SIsS) of dorchester was making cx-
tensive preparations. The narrow
streets, which had been thronged with
people, were now almost deserted, the
cheap Jack from London. with the
remnant of breath left him after his
evenings eXertions, was making fee
BILE attempts to blow out his naphtha
lamp, and the last shops open We're
rapidly closing for the night.
In the comfortable coffee room of
the old Bears Head half dozen
guests, principally commercial travel
ers, sat talking by the light of the fire
The talk had driftcd from trade to
politics, from politics to religion and
so by easy stages to the supernatural.
Those ghost stories, never known TO
fail before, had fallen fiat; there was
too much noise outside, too much light
within. The fourth story was told by
an old hand with more success. The
streets We're quieter, and he had turn
ed the gas out. In the pickering light
of the fire as it shone on the glasses
and danced with shadows on the walls
the story proved SO enthralling that
George, the waiter, whose presence
had been forgotten, created very dis
agreeable sensation by suddenly start
ing up from dark corner and gliding
silently from the room.
"That's what 1 call a good story
said one of the men, slipping his hot
whisky. "Of course, it's an old idea
that spirits like to get into the COM
pany Of human beings. A man told me
once that he travelled down the Great
Western with ghost and hadn't the
slightest suspicion of 1t until the in
spector came for tickets. My friend
said the way that ghost tried to keep
up appearances by feeling for it in all
its pockets and looking on the floor
was quite touching. Ultimately it gave
it up and with faint groan vanished
through the ventilator."
"That'll do, Hirst," said another man.
Its not subject for jesting," said
little old gentleman who had been an
attentive listener. 1--WE never seen an
apparition myself, but know people
who have, and 1 consider that they
form very interesting link between
us and the after life. There's ghost
story connected with this house, you
know"
"Never heard of it," said another
speaker, "and I've been here some
years now"
at dates back a long time now
said the old gentleman. you've heard
about Jerry Bundler, George?"
well, I've just heard odds and ends,
sir" said the old waiter, "but l never
put much count to 'em. There was one
chap ERE what said he saw it, and the
gov'ner sacked him prompt"
my father was native of this
town." said the old gentleman, "and
knew the story well. He was truth
ful man and steady churchgoer, but
I've heard him declare that once in his
life he saw the apparition of Jerry
Bundler in this house,
"And who was this Bundler?" in
CURED voice.
"a London thief, pickpocket, high
wayman, anything he could turn his
dishonest hand to-" replied the old
gentleman, land he was run to earth
in this house one Christmas week some
eighty years ago. He took his last
supper in this very room, and after he
had gone to bed a couple of Bow street
runners, who had followed him from
London, but lost the scent bit, went
up stairs with the landlord and tried
the door. 1t was stout oak and fast, SO
one went into the yard and by means
of n short ladder got on to the window
sill while the other stayed outside the
door. Those below in the yard saw
the man crouching on the sill, and
then there was q sudden crash Of
glass, and with a cry he fell in heap
on the stones at their feet. Then in
the moonlight they saw the white face
of the piclspocket peeping over the sill,
and while some stayed in the yard 9TH
ers ran into the house and helped the
other man to break the door in 1t was
difficult to obtain an entrance even
then, for the door was barred with
heavy furniture, but they got in at
last, and the first thing that met their
eyes was the body of Jerry dangling
from the top of the bed by his own
handkerchief.
(Which bedroom was it," asked two
or three voices together.
The narrator shook his head. "That
l can't tell you. But the story goes
that Jerry still haunts this house, and
my father used to declare positively
that the last time he slept here the
ghost of Jerry Bundler lowered itself
from the top of his bed and tried to
strangle him."
"Thatll do" said an uneasy voice.
II wish you'd thought to ask your fa-
Their which bedroom it was"
"What for?' inquired the old gentle
man.
"Well, I should take care not to
sleep in it; that's ALL" said the voice
shortly.
"There's nothing to fear" said the
other. 81 don't believe for a moment
that ghosts could really hurt one. In
fact, my father used to confess that it
was only the unpleasantness of the
thing that upset him and that for all
practical purposes Jerry's fingers
might have been made Of cotton wool
for all the harm they could do"
"That's all very fine" said the last
speaker again. "a ghost story is a
ghost story, sir, but when n gentleman
tells tale of ghost in the house in
which one is going to sleep 1 call it
blamed ungentlemanly."