The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-06-25
Invisible Spooks Walk About in
the Still Hours Of the Night
and Frishten Prisoners.
DREADFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS
COi0red Mans Slumbers Are Dis
turbed by Midnight Visitor,
Whose Footsteps Wake
Him Up.

A ghost has broken into the count!
Jail to disturb the mental equilibrium
OF one Charles jackson. colored. who 4
being held there for trial on charg'
OF assault with intent to kill The
ghost has not yet been seen, but I
has been heard. and jackson Is ready
to declare that he has felt Its pres
ence. Even Jailer Anderson is down tc
guess regarding the matter. and
while not at all fearful that he Is to
be supplanted by the invisible visitor
/. nevertheless has determined To- hunt
down his ghostship.
Like all other darkies. jackson 10 not
at all superstitious. and would never
believe in the presence Of a ghost
around his place OF habltation II the
ghost really were not there. But ne
Is so wen satisfied the jail is haunted
that a great and overwhelming fear
has taken possession OF him.
After jackson had retired to his
cot Thursday night and Jailer Ander-
son had tucked himself away in his
little bed in the frowning tower of
the bastile, and the god of sleep had
gathered both men into his arms, the
ghost walked. As II some prisoner
wearing heavy boots. the unseen visitor
stalked about the front corridor Of the
Jail, awakening the sleeping jailer and
the solitary prisoner. Mr.. Anderson
was the first to be disturbed by the
ghost. He listened to the footsteps
and very logically came to the con-
clusion that Jackson had come out OF
the side corridor in which he slept and
was making fire in the front corridor.
The sound of the footsteps indicated
that the person or thing responsible
for them was walking around the
stove.
Hey there, Jackson! What do you
want?" called out the jailer.
The sound Of Mr.. Anderson's voice
echoed through the long corridor, but
ELECTED no response.
The ghost continued to walk.
Nov, cut that out, Jackson, or I'll
lock you in a dark CELL" the jailer
continued.
But he received no answer. Then
he rose from his bed and went to the
window of his room, from which he
could survey the Jail. AS he looked he
saw Jackson crawling from his cell
in the corridor. The negro called out
to him, asking If he had been walking
around the Jail. Mr.. Anderson replied
that he certainly had not, and charged
Jackson with having created the COM
motion. This the prisoner denied. He
insisted that he had been awakened
by the sound of the footsteps, and that
If the jailer had not been in the front
corridor, then ghost must have been.
That settled it. The presence of the
ghost was made certain, and the Jack
son nigger's blood froze in his veins.
It was bad enough to have the peni-
Tertiary staring him in the face with
out any ghosts. breaking in to disturb
his slumbers.
And, to make matters worse, the
ghost kept walking for several min
utes. Evidently the ghost was pedes-
trian. After the conversation the men
went back to bed, but Jackson did not
fall asleep until the morning sun peep
ed over the eastern hills and filled all
the world with glory.
Il knew something awful was goin'
to happen to me" said Jackson yester-
day, explaining the visit of the ghost.
when dem other fellers was heah,