The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-08-18
HAUNTED
HOUSE WAS
ONLY A MYTH
New York Lads Arrange Statue
In Window, Smash Building
and DespOiI Interior.

New York. Aug. 1s.-There was
haunted house in East Forty-second
street for a few minutes last evening. but
the boys of the neighborhood soon laid
out the ghost, and In doing 80 practically
wrecked the building. For several years
the house at 2aa has been occupied by X.
Bastien, worker in plaster ana s'an
decorations. who had his modelling rooms
and studio In the same building In which
he lived Bastien was pretty wei known
among the persons who are acquainted
with the sort OF thing that he had TO
offer. and the plas<sr cast OF the front
elevation of the new Peter Cooper High
school which was exhibited by the board
of education and the contractors was one
of his wosxa
Some time ago Bastien got several con-
tracts In Havana for rebuilding and re-
decorating buildings there. including the
paiace. About Christmas he went TO Ha-
vana 10 carry out these contracts, leav-
ing his wife, Clara, and his mother. MIS-
Du Guines. to take care OF the house.
In March he wrote for them TO join him
IN the Cuban capital and they prepared 10
move from this country. 10 nars' Du
heartening and one day she committed
suicide In the East Forty-second street
house Mre Bastien was so upset by this
that she packed UP few necessaries
and went at onoe 10 her husoande new
home In Cuba.
the house in this city. and party OF
thieves entered It and made or with most
OF the lead pipe. This stirred up the
agents OF the house. j. Edgar Leaycrars
Il Son. and they wrote to MT. bastien
that he ought 10 do something to protect
the goods that remained In the house
Mrs Bastien came back to this country
and took from the house the thingI thae
she wanted to save She left some discard
ed clothing, letters and some examples OF
her husbands art locked the door ana
went back to Cuba.
Some OF the boys living In the neighbor-
hood forced their way into the house by
prying stones out OF the rear wall. They
found among other pieces o. stan work
q statue of the Virgin Mary. This they
moved up to the front window. opening
the shutters. SO that 1t could be seen from
the yard
Then they draped the window with
black cloth CLEANED from the clothing
that Mrs Bastten had left In tho house.
clothed the figure so that only the white
face showed. Az the boys arranged
things Il looked as though frightened
woman was stauO1nE IN tfie WibooW.
Then the word was passed around that
the house was haunted, and that anyone
who wanted TO have chance TO rock a
ghost' would do well to visit the house
in the evening. The news spread up and
down Second avenue and First avenue,
and when evening came there was nne
collection of half-frightened youngsters
IN front OF the house, ready to abate su-
perstition.
They had brought with them impie-
ments Of scientific research In the shape
OF brickbats, cobblestones, sticks and
stones. Al; OF them had been told that the
woman who committed suicide was
s.walking" the house, and that II would
be a public benefit to dispose OF the un-
easy spirit
Tha haunted house stands back from
che street, one OF the few old-fash!oned
residence buildings left In tho neignbor-
hood. On each side OF IL are tenements
which run out to the street, 50 that the
yard OF the old house makes court D
feet or more deep. and as wide. into this
the ghost-hunters poured
The ghost was In plain sight, as the
moonlight was reflected into its window
from the windows of the tenements. One
glance az It was enough for the hunters
and they began a bombardment Of the
building. which lasted until all Of theii
fuissiles were used up. And the front oi
the house was battered out OF shape.
Every window In the front was broker
and the sashes smashed. The stones and
iron bars which the boys had thrown Ia
some cases wene through tho house
wrecling everything In their path. Tht
statue OF the Virgin was broken into frag
ments The whole interior OF the FIRST anC
second noors was wrecked.
After djsposing Of the ghost the boy
entered the house and took what the,
thought they might need The interior. nj
well az exterior. n a SAD wreck. Blu
there was no ghost In H.