The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-24
JACOB GARLAND'S
* * GHOST. X X

sO1 "a al experience VI q - A~--N
mine, and you can explain II as you
IKE, and the speaker, TAIL thlh,
cadaverOus looking man, unWouad
himself from his chair. walked 10 the
fire, took up a live coal IN the longs,
1t his pipe, reseated himself, crossed
one leg over the other, and havlnS
taken sip of hot whisky, prepared 10
commence his tale.
He was one of six or seven seated IN
front of great open fire in The Kitchen
of a small roadhOuse, hardly 10 be dig
nified with the name inn, IN western
Missouri The month was November,
it was a dreary. wet. blowy night ana
the rain heat against the side OF the
house heavily.
Now and then a shutter, loesed from
it's fastening, banged titfully, Almost
complainingly, against a window. None
Of the party moved to make II Iast'
however, as the warmth of the large
fire had charms of more potent ma
ture.
AS l said" continued the long man,
you can explain ii as you choose
can only tell the story. Landlord
The story. the story" chorused MS
audience. as they drew their chairs in
a half circle closer to the fire and Inc
stOry-teller.
"A friend of mine" began the long
man. quietly. about a year and a hall
ago moved himself and family TO
small mining town. where ne was 10
take charge as engineer and superln-
tendent of one of the lead mines CT the
group close by.
After he had been there a short
time there was call for more hands.
so he purchased a large, unoecupied
house in a somewhat isolated position.
the owner of which had died under sus-
picious circumstances some years be
fore, and the house had been occupied
by family after family in rapid roLa-
tion. They said the house Was haunted.
for long time it remained unoccupled'
and the owner was willing TO part with
il for a song.
1T had belonged to an old man.
Jacob Garland by name. who lived
there with his wife and one old colored
woman named Luenshy. Luensny
real name was found TO be Luereua
Maria Pendeton. The old couple lived
a most retired life, and Jacob Garland
was understood to have accumulated
quite property.
THE house was 8 somewhat preten-
tious one, set back from the road ana
surrounded by a good deal OF land. Be
sides the house there was small barn,
which. however, was empty. Directly
back of the house, perhaps an eighth OF
a mile. was a graveyard.
The old man was misery but no
one knew what he did with his money
as there was no bank nearby, and he
seldom left home, and then only for
short time.
HE appeared to have no relations,
at least none who visited him.
Zone day q stranger appeared IN
town and inquired for Garland's house.
He rode a good looking horse and led
another. upon which was strapped his
pack. 1t was evident that he had tray
eled from a distance. He was tall and
We'll made, with black hair and beard
and dark eyes.
Upon the house being pointed out.
he rode up to the door; il was opened
by Luenshy, whose black face took on
a look of surprise when the stranger
spoke. She ushered him in, however,
and the door closed on them. After
some delay il was again opened and
Garland and tbs stranger appeared and
proceeded to the barn. The horses were
stalled, and Garland and his guest
walked back toward the house.
''Once they stopped and the old man,
with bent brOWs, seemed to be saying
something unpleasant, but a reply
from the other seemed TO stop him
suddenly, and they moved on. The
door closed on them, and that was the
last that was seen of Jacob Garland.
THE next morning BrOnxville re-
ceived a shock. and a severe one. At
about Z in the morning the door of
Jacob Garland's house was suddenly
thrown open and Luenshy, her eyes
protruding, hurried TO the sheriff S
house. She found that official engaged
in the simple, but useful occupation of
ch6Tr----e wood in the back yard, but
her news brought his work TO a sud
den end, ana hastily DOMINIC his coat,
TO emphasize his official status, as it
was not a garment he usually wore, he
accompanied Luenshy on her return to
the Garland home. From her excited
words he gathered the following facts:
The stranger who had arrived the
day before was a distant relative of ia
cob Garland's, she understood, but be-
longed to a branch of the family with
which he had quarreled. He had
supped with Garland and his wife, and
then the two men had repaired TO a
room occupied by the old man as a
den, where he shut himself uD at
times, and was not disturbed except
for meals.
THAT evening the door closed on the
two and the smell of tobacco made it
self apparent Garland did not smoke,
so ii was evident that the relative was
making himself as comfortable as cir
cumstances would permit.
Mrs. Garland and Luenshy retired
at their usual hour. and at that time
voices were still TO be heard in the
room, and apparently in amicable con-
versation. The next morning Luenshy
was aroused by her mistress. who said
that the old man had not slept in MS
bed. Together the two women went
downstairs, and, finding the room
closed, knocked timidly at first, then
loudly, but without response. Summon
ing up courage. they opened the door
and there, in the dim light, sat Jacob
Garland dead, stone dead, with one
hand on the table, the other hanging
/ by his side.
mo marks of violence were on the
body, but on the table were two tUm-
blers, which smelled of whisky, the
only difference being that the one next
to Garland had. with its smell Of spirit
another odor of some foreign sub
stance.
This was the first case Of real mys
terry which had occurred since Sheriff
McGowan's inauguration into Office, 81
he proceeded with as much state and
dignity as he could summon upon sucl
short notice As few people lived il
/ that part of the town. no one had no
ticed the hurried departure of the col
ored woman, nor did they meet any
one upon their return
Closing the door after him and turn
/ ing the key solemnly-a quite unneces.
sary precaution, as no one would have
( thought of entering the house-ht
asked 70 be shown into the room
! where the body was. The hall int
which the front door led ran the entire
! length OF the house, and contained th'
stairs, u hat rack, on which hung Z
/ .lfIa rfdafal c,nr . nd -Hhaf Ctarla nd Z