Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-10-12
A MYSTERY
OK IOLVED
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purchased dwelling houseton what is
called the north side. A house that
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 assumed) a steady, religious young
man, and l invited him to dine with
me- Churchill, l understood, hal lost
his sweetheart, Aline Haight, during
the Chicago fire, she having been
among the missing after that great
conflagratiOn. l noticed during the
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
q 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 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" now
impressed by the piety OF Churchill
and now led away by the reckless
pleasure loving Piggott. There was
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 | lad become much
attached to him.
II am going to Aline," he said. Il
have always believed that she and
Piggott were together on that terrible
night, that lie held her for the time
being under his influence, but that she
died true to me-"
A few years after Churchilrs death
there were a number Of burglaries in
Chicago, especially in my neighbour
hood. and never went to bed without
fearing for what valuables l kept IN
the house. Among other things l had
great deal of old silver and jewels that
had come to me by inheritance from
different branches of my family. Since
had no use for either l determined to
have vault made in my cellar for
their keeping. One morning ! went
down there to pick out place for my
vault. In q recess so dark that ] was
obliged to use a candle examined the
wall closely and noticed line forming
rectangie about five feet high by
three feet wide. l tapped the wall
within this rectangle, and instead OF
giving the sound of stone it gave the
sound of iron. Thinking it might be
door, / looked for a keyhole, but found
none. Procuring q hammer, l tapped
upon different places till, striking GER
tain spot, there was click, and what
really turned out to be a door sprung
outward about an inch. With my fin
gers pulled it open.
What was beyond l could not see.
for all was as dark as Erebus The
dank, musty smell was certainly unin-
viting. | held the candle inside and
caught a confused view Of what made
me start away from the opening, and |
didn't pause before had reached the
other end of the cellar. But curiosity
soon got the better of terror, and i
went back. This time | 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 a |
table, on which were dishes and traces |
of supper, though only traces. for
every crumb had been consumed. On a
1ivan lay the skeleton Of two women
In the costume of young persons. They |
were locked in each others arms. On
the floor was the skeleton Of man
and in an easy chair that Of another.
l staggered to the doorway and re-
covered my equanimity in the cellar.
Then again my curiosity drove me
back.
On the table lay folded piece Of pa
per which had evidently been torn
from the back Of letter On 1t was
written:
Monday morning, Oct 9. 1871.
We, two young girls and two young
men. came here last night. Something
ias occurred TO bar the opening Of our
ioor. and we are imprisoned.
DAVID PIGGOTT.
ARTHUR HUNT,
ALINE HAIGHT,
EDITH TURNER.
/ stood successfully before each skel-
ton to examine 1t. In the hand Of enc
# the girls | noticed that the bony fin
,ers clasped piece Of paper. took 1t
nut and on it read:
Lloyd-If you ever get this 1t is to tell
'ou that have yielded to temptation. but
die sure that If l could live 1t would be
llways for you and the good. spurning the
vii. ALINE.
l accounted for the causes leading to
his singular scene in this wise:
Piggott must have been full OF those
bsurdities that we often find in youth.
The fitting up Of this place, which was
doubtless more fascinating because 1t
vas secret; the bringing Of his
riends here to supper party on that
memorable Sunday night before the
-reat fire. could only have been con.
eivcd by one with wild fancies, ex-
RENE recklessness and no principle.
hut in under ground, they had not
card the turmoil above until the
Ouse fell ana closed their cgress. They
aust have lived as long as their supper
lste,l. for there was ventilation into a