Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-07-07
A MYSTERY
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had stood on the same lot had been
burned in the great fire of 1871. the
one l bought having been built two
years later.
l made the acquaintance of Lloyd
Churchill the names in this story are
all aSsumedD steady, religious young
man, and invited him to dine with
me. Churchill, l understood, had lost
his sweetheart, Aline Haight, during
the Chicago fire, she having been
among the missing after that great
dinner that Churchill was very much
depressed, and LATER when we were
alone together, he told me that the
house which had stood on the ground
now lived on had belonged to David
Piggott, the only man he had feared as
rival for the love Of Aline Haight.
From what Churchill told me gather
ed that Piggott was wild fellow, and
Miss Haight was mild feminine type
Of CDR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" now
impressed by the piety Of Churchill
and now led away by the reckless
pleasure loving Piggott. There was
a mystery connected with Miss
Haight's disappearance in this-that
Piggott was also among the missing
after the fire.
Churchill never married. He died
in 1895, being with him at the time
Of his death, for 1 had become much
attached to him.
II am going to Aline," he said. 81
have always believed that she and
Piggott We're together on that terrible
night, that he held her for the time
being under his influence, but that she
died true to me-"
A few years after Churchills death
there were a number of burglaries in
Chicago, especially in my neighbor-
hood, and never went to bed without
fearing for what valuables kept in
the house. Among other things had
great deal Of old silver and jewels that
had come to me by inheritance from
different branches of my family. Since
I had no use for either determined to
have a vault made in my cellar for
their keeping. One morning 1 went
down there to pick out place for my
vault. In a recess so dark that was
obliged to use candle examined the
olN
rectangle about FIVE feet high by
three feet wide. I tapped the wall
within this rectangle, and instead Of
giving the sound of stone it gave the
sound of iron. Thinking it might be a
door, looked for a keyhole, but found
none. Procuring hammer, I tapped
upon different places till, striking GER
tain spot, there was click, and what
really turned out to be door sprung
outward about an inch. With my fin
gers pulled it open.
What was beyond 1 could not see,
for all was as dark as Erebus. The
dank, musty smell was certainly unin-
wiling. l held the candle inside and
caught confused view of what made
me start away from the opening, and
didn't pause before l had reached the
other end Of the cellar. But curiosity
soon got the better Of terror, and I
went back. This time I bent my head
and entered the space that lay beyond
the door.
1t was handsomely furnished apart
ment, though the hangings were drop
ping to pieces and the carpets eaten
away in spots. In the center was
table, on which We're dishes and traces
Of supper, though only traces, fer
every crumb had been consumed. On
divan lay the skeleton of two women
In the costume of young persons. They
We're locked in each others arms. On
the floor was the skeleton of man
and in an easy chair that of another.
I staggered to the doorway and re-
covered my equanimity in the cellar.
Then again my curiosity drove me
back.
On the table lay a folded piece of pa
per which had evidently been torn
from the back of letter. On it was
written:
Monday morning, Oct 9, 1871.
We, two --oung girls and two young
men. came here last night. Something
has occurred to bar the opening of our
door, and we are imprisoned.
DAVID PIGGOTT,
ARTHUR HUNT,
ALINE HAIGIT,
EDITH TURNER.
stood successfully before each skel-
eton to examine it. In the hand of one
of the girls / noticed that the bony fin-
gers claspec piece of paper. took it
out and on it read:
Lloyd-If you ever get this it is to tell
you that have yielded to temptation. but
die sure that If could live it would be
always for you and the good spurning the
evil. ALINE,
I accounted for the causes leading to
this singular scene in this wise:
Piggott must have been full Of those
absurdities that we often find in youth.
The fitting up Of this place, which was