The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-12-22
IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
A NEW WORKERS EXPERIENCE
WITH A STRANGE OLD CO.
LoNIAL MANSION.
A Nerve Racking Night-Some Start
ling Incidents Which Seemed
Impossible of Rational
Explanation.
By T. D. Sullivan.


it out of the papers. Now there is no
more reason for keeping quiet about
it, so may as we'll tell the whole story
for the first time.
The reason why l need not keep the
secret any longer is because big, old
fashioned red brick building was torn
down this year. 1t was once private
residence. then an Office building, and
now its site is the site of steel sky
SCraper That is the way New YORK
grows.
But at the time this narrative deals
with the house was residence-a big,
rambling, roomy old residence at that.
remodeled from a colonial mansion.
1t stood once in the suburbs, but the
city grew up around it. While this
marred its picturesqueness, it doomed
stood on the upper west Side) was to
be cut through, which would place the
house and it's surrounding strip of
ground in the desirable position of a
corner lot" Amy real estate man will
understand how this change would in
crease the vaIue of the property.
There was a young fellow, whose
father had been dear friend Of mine.
He had recently married. His bride
had taken a fancy to the house and her
husband, being rich and eager to graft
fy any whim of hers, had bought it in
at a sheriCf's sale of uptown property.
The purchaser is now a United States
congressman. | have not permission
to use his name. So | Will call him
Clarke. His chief opponent at the sale
was a real estate dealer-OGorman is
near enough to his real name to suit
present purposes. This O'Gorman was
shrewd. shifty, INSCRIPTIONS chap,
who had visions of the great future of
the upper west side; visions that later
came true. He had bought up various
parcels of land there and had seen at
glance how valuable would be the
bit of property which Clarke wanted.
So he bid stiffiy against the young
benedict. But Clarke's purse was the
longer and O'Gorman was beaten.
"If you ever get dissatisfied with the
old place I'll take it off your hands at
the figure of my best bid to-day" he
said to Clarke after the sale.
Clarke laughed at him; gave orders
for the houses renovation and sailed
with his bride for Europe on a six
months trip.
The Trouble Begins.
was sitting in my Office one day
about half year later when Clarke
In 20 ha
was bothered about something. After
our first greeting he came to the point.
I've made a bad investment in that
old Bartholf house." he said. The
colonial builders name had been Jan
Bartholf. and the house was still re-
ferred to in the neighborhood by his
name.
Doesn't Mrs. Clarke like the place
as much as she expected to-" I asked
him.
She hasn't had a chance to Judge Of
it." he said, land don't mean that she
shall. The house is haunted"
Haunted? What nonsense!"
THAT'S what thought when came
home last week from Europe and found
that not single days work had been
done on the repairs | ordered" an
Swered Clarke. II went to the con-
tractor and he calmly informed me he
wouldn't touch the job and that
could have my money back. He said
that ghosts had frightened his work.
men half to death; that he'd seen and
heard things there that couldn't be ex-
planned, and that every man in his
employ would strike If he ordered
them to work there"
And you believed all that rot?" I
laughed.
NO" replied Clarke, seriously, 81
didn't. thought he was lying. I went
over the house myself and-well, what
he said was true. You can guy me if
you like, old man. but the house Is
haunted and I'm going to get rid of It."
II suppose white monsters ciattered
their chains at you," hazarded, land
you ran a block before you identified
the hideous specters as pack of mice
scampering in the loose plastering of
the walls?"
IF you take 1t that way" he said,
offended at my guying. there's no use
inviting any more of your jokes by
telling you what really happened to me
there. I'm going to hunt up O'Gorman,
tell him the truth about the place and
see if his offer to buy 1t still holds
good. He may be willing to pay some
thing for it as land speculation. He
never could get tenant to stay there"
Now Clarke's absolute sincerity be-
gan to make an impression on me. I
saw he was terribly in earnest; that
he believed he was telling the truth,
and that he was really ready to sell
the valuable property for a song.
Look here, Clarke" I said, "Pm
sorry guyed you. But it all seems so
absurd. You know as we'll as do that
there are no such things as ghosts
Don't be foolish and give up the place
till you've made sure. What are you
going to do this EVENING""
Nothing especial. Why?"
Come and dine with me- Then we'll
take box Of cigars, bundle of can
dies and light lunch along and 60
together to this haunted house of yours
for the night. I've always wanted to
see a ghost. Maybe I can find some
explanation for it all"
Ny first idea, on hearing his story,
had been that O'Gorman, in order to
gain possession of the property he
coveted, had bribed the contractor to
spring that ghost yarn. But when
Clarke himself had apparently seen or
heard something to verify the crazy
belief the affair began to take on q
more serious aspect