The Washington times., 1906-08-19
MYSTERY
TERRORIzES TOWN
Uncanny Happenings Cause
Citizens to Watch
FeVerishly.
LOoTERS ADD TO ALARM
High Constable Of Wyckof in Pursuit
Of APparitiOn Takes Tumble
Into Creek.

PATERSON. Aug. 18-Huddled to-
gether IN little groups OF not less than
six, the whole population OF Wyckofr.
nine miles northeast OF here, IS sitting
behind closed doors at night waiting for
something TO happen. All able-bodied
men have been called 70 arms IN the VII
lagos defense and In hushed voices, so
that the women may not hear. are talk
ing OF bioodshed and awful slaughter as
they lubricate ancestral hint-Iocks used
in the battle Of Trenton. Ever and anon
a daredevil from among them tip-toes
10 a door. opens II an eighth OF an iHch
peers out, then closes it silently and
whispers mot yet"
All WyCkoff-population 157 when the
summer guests are there's IN a state
OF terror. For the past two nights spec
tral figures have fitted through the VII
lage streets, across backyards, and
about stables and houses Yesterday
morning the shutters on every window
in tie home OF the Rev Dr TOuthOur
pastor or the Dutch Reformed Church,
were found wide open, though they had
been bolted tightly the night before. Yet
none Of the windows had been raised and
nothing was missing from the house All
the pretty girls summering IN the cot
tcEes have thrown away their yellow
backed novels and taken 10 delving in
VlusJy volumes on the occult and super
natural.
ShHeks Wake Inhabitants.
soul-stlrrlng shrieks from Mrs. TolIer
woke Up the other I58 inhabitants early
in the morning. She is "a summer board
CT IN the Grove villa, where nifty other
New Workers spend the heated period.
All Of them ran 10 her room. She had
seen man in the meadow that sur
rounds the place. There he Is now,
she mUaued. pointing out of the window
and then swOonlng away. Half dozen
OF the male boaTdrrs saw him too, they
said. Strange men iu WyckOu after
suud0Wn have never been seen before.
posse was organized.
Out on the lawn sueaked the posse.
The Intruder was cutting for a elump Of
trees Every one could see MIN IN the
moonlight. Landlord Hill Of the villa
swore he had on slouch hat. and &.
A. Lachaussee was certain he was six
feet tail, The posse divided into groups
and closed in on the clump from all
sides. There was no possible escape for
the fugitive. There was q crash IN the
bushes. The pursuer5 closed in and
fred a volley from their bull s-eEe Ian
terms. But shere was no man. spectral
or otherwise. only cow enta1gled IN
a.
mock. Head Constable" Francis s.
Hamel. sO-CaIled for the emergency. fell
into a creek IN his zeal 70 be IN at tie
round uIs
Looters in Evidence.
But there IS material evidence that
something besides ghosts have been IN
Wyckoh Several nights ago a trunS
in the house Of John Hubbard was
broken open and 81 taken out. The dis
tressing part Of this IS that Hubbard
Is a poor man and had been working
days and nights % save the money. He
intended % 20 20 Coney Island next sat
urday, he said. and blow 80 In"
The same night two men or more broke
into the stable OF the Harold Hotel and
spirited away the steed that draws the
village bus. WyckOn endured worse
tie-up in traf1c than the b r. T. is
making on its COney Island lines. But II /
was all right this morning. Before day
break the horse returned just as mys
teriously as IL had disappeared. II had
tramped through all the flower beds IN
the lawn around the hotel. and looked
as though It had seen rough usage.
Uneasiness Is Extreme.
Following the uncanny events % the
two nights the feeling Of uneasinS $ has
reached the extreme stage. All business
u nus SNElAEAs ne > EElAEl "a sbRAN e~A-hs q
cigar stand were affected The excited
popuIace assembled in the pOstoffice TO
discuss ways and means" After the
mass meeting the rest OF the time TIL
nightfall was spent putting on padlocks
and bolts
"High Constable" Hamel, despite the
morning ducking, was on the job again
bright and early. Leaning over the post
Office counter smoking near scent
cigar he said he felt confident he woUlC
prove the man Of the hour" and that
he had the situation well IN hand. "
Gathered around him were his deputies
eXpectoratng with more or less accur-
acy IN the direction OF the sawdust box.
Before another day breaks the High
Constable reckoned, he might issue an
order. Asked about the ghost theory, ne
cooked his eye knowingly and said he
A.a thlr--- Ac.- m Ill ton