The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-07-01
HUNT MISER' s GHOST
WITH DRAWN PISTOLS.
POLICEMEN ONLY FIND = LOOSE
ROOF ScUTTEE RAFTING
IN THE WIND.
New York Herald. ]

New York Herald
With pistols drawn, two Jersey
City policemen Went in search OF
ghost in the house at No. is Mercer
street, Jersey City. where the body
of James Hope, wealthy recluse,
was found on the floor three months
ago. Hope hid gold in almost every
room of the house, which stands a
short distance from the headquarters
OF Bob Davis, the Democratic lead
the residents in the block that the
spirit OF Hope has become restless
over the removal of the boarded treas
ures.
The police laugh at this. and say
that all the mysterious noises came
from loose scuttle on the roof,
which ratified with the wind.
Hope lived alone in the house for
many years, and few days after his
body was discovered, gold was found
behind freplaces and buried in the
floor of the cellar. Thomas Shea was
appointed executor of the old man
estate and he rented the second ana
third floors to Clarence Hummelday
and Edward Epting. Early one morn
ing the two men went to the Gregory
street police station and asserted they
needed protection from Hopes ghost.
They said that for week the antlcs
of the spirit had been growing more
alarming, and the free use of q pistol
had not interfered with its uncanny
pranlis.
Hummelday told Captain Cody
that until week ago he had never
believed in ghosts, but a series OF
knockings had brought the conviction
there were live ones" in the spirit
world. Gwen with the doors locked
the ghost has entered our apart
ments,'' said Hunmelday. 1--WE have
heard mysterious footsteps on the
stairs and in the Railways, and we
have used a box of cartridges with
out result"
Its the ghost of Hope coming
back after his money" said Epting.
'It seems to me as if it must come
through the cracks of the keyholes,
for even when the windows and doors
are tightly closed it squirms in and
rummages around. We need to be
guarded against it. My wife and chill
dren are almost afraid to stay in the
place at night. and 1 confess I'm get
ting a little scary myself"
Hummelday said that few nights
ago a life-sized portrait Of himself
danced on the wall as if pulled with
a string, and investigation showed
there was no person in the room at
the time When he was searching
he heard footsteps in the hallway, and
running out found it deserted. Ep-
ting said that his wife, returning from
a shopping trip, found the apartment
entirely upsef, and all the doors lock-
ed Just as she had left them.
He ended by telling the captain that
on Sunday night he had heard foot
steps in the hallway, and, firing four
shots, found the bullets imbedded in
the wall No person was heard to
leave the hall, and when Eptins in
vestigated he found it empty.
Captain Cody told the men he had
not the slightest belief in ghosts, but
swayed by their emphatic declaration
he sent two men to search for 1t.
The policemen searched the house
from cellar to roof, and in the hope
Of falling in with what they called
material ghost" they peeked into
corners and dark closets, with their
pistols held in readiness for instant
use AS a result of complete inyesti-
CATION they reported to Captain Cody
the scuttle on the roof was loose, and
hat Slight wind would have caused
t to rattle. The captain told Hum
nelday and Epting that undoubtedly |
he ghost had been discovered, but
he men left the police station saying
such a conclusion was little less than
absurd. Mr.. Shea said he Believed
some hostile persons had been acting
ghosts in the hope of depreciating
he market value of the property.
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