Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-10-21
THE MAJORS GHOST
hcopyright, 1905, by r. B. Mcclure.


Sir Hugh Gallon, deceased He had
been a bachelor, and the property had
fallen to a relative whose whereabouts
were not known. 1t was only small
landed estate of about fifty acres, and
the house had hardly been kabitable
during the last five years Of the own
er's life. Left without a caretaker,
another five years made it little better
than q ruin.
When grounds are neglected and
overgrown and a house goes to decay
it does not take long for a rustic popu-
lation to give it a bad name and con-
meet ghost with it. 1t was so in this
case. Once a couple Of boys reported
seeing a mans face at one of the
lower windows, but the story passed
for what it was worth. Only a few
people would have it that the house
was haunted, but all seemed to tac,tly
agree that it was good place to keep
| away from.
One day Major Killaine came down
from London for a weeks fishing and
put up at the Sundial. It was not
long before the gossips posted him re-
garding the Cullom house, and what
was said seemed to stick in his mind
He said little, but that night after sup
per he took a walk over the highway
toward the house and was gone for
three hours. Next day he went to
Tunbridge Wells and Bought himself
revolver and a box Of cartridges, and
he was absent again for the next two
nights. Parties who recognized him
met him near the house and saluted
him. After his third visit he was found
in the house a corpse.
At the inquest later on the landlord
of the Sundial had an interesting
story to tell. He said that when Ma
jor Killaine returned from his first ex-
petition he called him into his bed
room and told him that he had entered
the grounds and even the house, and,
though he was not attacked as others
had been, he had reasons for believing
shat men were hanging about. He pro
posed to arm himself and solve the
mystery and bound the landlord to
secrecy. The landlord could not say
whether the major visited the place in
the daytime or not, but he knew that
his second visit at night confirmed the
suspicious born on the first. When he
went away on the third night he was
somewhat excited, saying that he ex-
pected to meet with lively adventure.
1t was suggested that he take one of
the county policemen with him, but
this he would not listen to. Whatever
it was, he wanted to meet it single
| handed
| It was a dark and rainy night in
| September when the major set forth on
his trip, and he took with him candle
and matches and a flask of wine He
had not returned at II O'Clock, when
the house was closed and the host went
to bed. Some uneasiness was felt next
day when he did not appear, and after
another twelve hours the landlord
went to the legal authorities. For
day they refused to interfere, but when
officers finally went to inspect the
house they found the major lying stiff
and dead in the lower hall. It was at
first believed that murder had been
done, but when the doctors came to
examine the dead man not a mark of
post norton revealed the fact that he
had died of heart failure. The house
was searched from top to bottom and,
though there were traces of human be-
ings having been around of late, there
were no other discoveries.
Here was a mystery within mys-
terry 1t was the opinion Of the country
doctors and the officers Of the law that
the major had overeXerted himself in
walking the two miles after hearty
supper, and but for his brother in Lon
don that would have been the verdict
of the coroner's jury and the end of
the case. AS soon as the brother came
down, however, he sent for detectives
and insisted on thorough probing.
The sleuths were at work for three
months, and it was while they were
still at work on the case that they
made the arrest of a noted burglar.
The man was picked up almost by ac-
cident, and it turned out that he held
the key to the mystery.
Some weeks previous to the majors
/ coming country bank had been rob-
bed Of large sum in gold by two men.
They stole a horse and buggy to carry
their plumber away, and the police
were baffled for a clew. It seems that
they drove to the house and secreted
their plumber in the cellar and hid
themselves III an upper room. They
were aware of the majors first and
second visits and were prepared for
his third. With phosphorus they drew
skeleton on the unpapered wall of
the hall and covered it over with a
blanket.