Rock Island Argus., 1906-07-07
DAILY STORY
A GHOST AND A LAWSUIT.

used to stand on the brow of hill
house familiarly spoken of as the house
with the red wing.
BY and by there was lawsuit and
the place was sold TO Squire Hender
son. He in turn sold it to one Saunder-
son. Saunderson made some of the
rooms habitable. secured tf1 services
of an old woman for housekeeper and
one March day became resident.
A month passed away without any
unusual incident. Mr.. SaundersOn
made repairs to the fences, had the
trees trimmed up and arranged to re-
paint the house later on. He testified
in a court of law later on that he
plumed himself on having made a good
bargain, and that he was perfectly
satisfied with the place until a queer
circumstance happened. Mrs. Scovill,
the housekeepep, was nearly fifty years
old, and was known as sensible wo-
man and one educated above her sta
ton. Her room was on the second
story back, and one morning she notl-
fed the master that on the night pre-
viouS. at about the hour of midnight,
she was awakened by some noise she
could not make out. 1t was moon
light night, and on looking from the
window she saw man carrying an
other man on his back and crossing the
open ground. to disappear in spinny
or thicket. There was an outdoor en-
trance TO the cellar, and the man and
his burden seemed to have come from
there. The man with the burden did
not seem to walk. but rather to glide.
She was certain that the man on his
back was n corpse. She admitted be-
ing too frightened TO call the master, but
jumped into bed. covered up her head
and was all in a tremble until morning.
Mr.. Saunderson laughed at the wom-
an and gave her story scant attention.
On the third night she saw the same
sight again. and next morning she was
for leaving her place. The master
promised TO watch from a rear window
in the red wing, and for three nights
he did watch. and nothing happened.
The moon was fulling all the time. and
on the fourth night the grounds in the
rear of the house were almost as light
as day. 1t was testified by others that
they had read print outdoors that night
At exactly n quarter past - and with
out the slightest preliminary warning
there issued from the outdoor entrance
10 the cellar . man with another man
on his back Mr.. Saunderson could not
see the face of the living man, nor
could he we'll make out his form. but
the face of the burden was plain to
him. IT was that of young and well
dressed man. having black hair and n
mustnche of the same color. The body
was rigid. as if life had departed some
hours before. .
The man with the burden did not
walk like n living man. As the house
keeper contended. he seemed to glide.
In making for the thicket he passed
over bit of ground which the spring
sun had softened up, and if live man
he must leave footprints there. When
he had disappeared into the thicbet
Mr.. Saunderson went out to look for
traces. He testified that ne found the
footprints of a rat. n hare and bird in
the soft soil, but of nothing else. You
may believe that he was startled and
puzzled. but, Icing n hard headed man.
he was not ratified. Next day he got Il
young farmer to come and sit up with
him for the night and observe and cor
roborate him. Mrs ScOvill was also
present. At a quarter past Il the same
thing happened as on the night before.
Next day a workman with a pick
went over the cellar bottom and inves
tigated until sure that it did not hold
n grave. Then the thicket was search
cd foot by foot without uncovering any
horror Next night the master. house
keeper and three persons of good
standing witnessed the carrying away
of the dead man. Then Mr.. Saunder
son went to the squire and demanded
the return of his money on the ground
that the house was haunted. The
squire was just able to hobble about,
but not to put in n night at the house
with the red wing. He sent two per-
sons of his acquaintance. however. but,
10 and behold, nothing whatever hap
pened They were there on the second
and third night. but nothing came of Ii.
Mr. Saunderson and his witnesses in
sisted that they had seen what they
had seem the housekeeper refused to
stay another day, and as the squire
intimated that the purchaser of the
place was trying to work some sort of
swindle on him a suit at law was in
stituted against him.
From the day the suit was begun
Mr.. Saunderson had two men in the
house every night. In order 20 be fair
with the squire he allowed him to have
the same number. The owner had got
the idea that the man with the burden
appeared only at about the full of the
moon, but was not going to miss any
chances. Not thing happened until
month had passed-a month from the
date of the things first appearance.
Then it reappeared and was seen for
four nights in succession. When five
or six people see a thing four or five
times over and swear to II, what are
you going to do about 1t? You can't
call them liars and perjurers, can you?
You may not believe it possible that
they saw what they said they saw.
but you are one to five.
L. 4 L.