The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-06
POND GREEK
GHOST STORY
Last Days Of an 0Ib Land
Mark.
WITNESS TO THE CRIME
Hoodoo Seems to Lurk About
the Place.
WITNESS TO THE CRIME


itself from the gaze of all mankind. a
jagged wound has been made in its side
as though some victim of the demon
within has revived sufficiently to give
at least one vengeful blow before setting
off upon the joyless trudge across the
hot sands of destroyed hope and hap
piness.
1t is one of the first buildings erected
in the city of Pond Creek. It has been
consigned to the limb Of buildings of
bad character and an outcast from
among the reputable Of its kind 1t is
not a thing of beauty nor a Joy for
ever; in it is sold spirituous and other
kinds Of liquors and it has a history of
which the mystery loving and super
stitious love TO talk They say that
there hangs about there an atmosphere
OF i'll omen; and, it is alleged that within
it's rum seasoned precincts unhallowed
deeds of darkness have been born which
lived long enough 10 place hand writ
ing upon its walls which. interpreted
by the initiated reads: BAD Luck to
the Man Who Engages in Traffic Across
This Bar
On the day of the opening of the Chero-
kee Strip to settlement one Henry
Schnitzler q wholesale liquor dealer of
Wichita, Kans.. came down with a car
load of turntables. Water was not to
be had, and in consequence, Schnitzler
was able TO sell bottles of beer at fifty
cents apiece-handlIng it from the door
way of the freight car. This enterprising
thirst extinguisher erected the edifice, a
building 20x50 and one story in height,
and installed therein two men known as
John Simmons and Gus Neiman, as dis
pensers of the various hilarious beget-
ting beverages.
Could the smoke stained walls speak,
d is said that they could tell of many
ways that are dark and tricks that are
vain they have witnessed. Within these
confines dedicated to Bachus. there used
60 go the innocent farmer who after
exchanging wheat for dollars. would sur
render himself to the spirit of jollity,
| when his hard earned cash would last
J little longer than it took the liquid whose
principle ingredients were tobacco juice.
fusel-oil, strychnine andd water, and
called whiskey, TO fiddle his brain.
after about two years the place was
disposed of to John Eldridge and short
~ afterward a hoodoo which had taken
up its residence within it began its spe-
cial work
SIMMONS went to Colorado and died.
Neiman moved 10 a neighboring town
and soon was borne to that bourn
no traveller returns"
One night the usual company of con-
vfvial spirits were gathered in the place
engaged in such amusements as it af-
Iorded. The evening was progressed
with games and songs and bibulous in
dulgences until one of the company,
wei known barber, suddenly declared
his belief in the fact that he was being
unfairly used, and cried out for fair
treatment and a square deal soon loud
and strong words were spoken; the men
took sides in a wordy combat which at
length grew into one or physical force,
and amid curses long and deep, blows
we're struck. The barber staggered. not
from the effect of liquor alone, and fen
heavily on the floor He did not arise 70
toin the jewellers. Some one stopped over
and gave him a shake. when blood was
to be seen oozing from a long deep cash
In his head.
He is done for: some one declared,
with bated breath. and the boisterers
Ell and the fallen man was carried and
laid upon the railway track so that
passing train might grind the body TO
pisces and no tell tale mark Of foul play
be- even guessed at But the man was
not dead. Awakening to consciousness
be crawled a painful and weary way TO
fhe door of the old Home Hotel where
}weaizIy he cried for help. The inmates
/ thought that some drink bemuddlei
and belated straggler was cropping
his way homeward. little attention
was gig-en until he was found there.
Then physician was called.
But the man was beyond earthly
assistance He aroused several times and
vainlv tried 10 make known the names
of those responsible for his sorry plight,
but he died without being able to give
even a clue to his slayer.
The next morning the back room OF
the saloon was scrubbed; an unheard
of thing up to that time Two days after
ward a well known character WAS arrest
ed on suspicion and. although bloody
Ratchet was found on his premises he was
released and ordered 10 leave town. an
order he obeyed not without haste. Soon
afterward he appeared in Hutchinson.
Kans where he engaged in his old call
ms that Oh gambling for which he was
convicted and sent 10 the penitentiary
for a term Of three years.
A few months circled by and within
this bachannalian temple a well known
young man of manly beauty became en-
thralIed by its genius Of evil. and here
started on the primrose way OF daliiance-
For him Fl became the vestibule which
opened in,o tac realm Of the broken heart
ed. and L. regions where no bow Of phom-
ise bends above nor star sheds beam
Of hope. He died. death Of sad recoi-
lecttenS
John Schwartz purchased the old SYM
bog of sad fortune and continued the bust
nRss OF dram selling and certain accom-
pssaiments one Sunday afternoon while
children were passing on their way 10
tpiaee of religious instruction. two youas
srnen suddenly burst forth from the door
Z Wv of the sin shop In pursuit az the
other. and ran diaEonaliy across the street
where "A keen knife blade was seen TO
Fash in the sunlight and the next in
stent il was piunSed into the body Of
the one pursued. The assoilaut fed across
lots toward the river where he was
brought to a stands;m by the sheriff
sending several lca5 q messengers Will
zing in close proximity 10 the fuei,ives
head.
Again the place changed hands and
again the Hoodeo manifested its presence.
Two men. who shall here be nameless.
,,,;,,,ad the only kind of business that