The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-08-23
BAF POLICE
Captain Schneider Says Spook'ss
SIX 1a 81 x s
Mystery is a Puzzllng one. q
CAN'T CATCH THEM.
BAL

ciooo A"sA5suAo tscAnB OhstSc ES0pl0
Erom Their Houses The Mcinbers
Of Ono Family File, lad Only Iii,
Their Night Clothes The Ghosts
Bombards Houses with Bricks and
Stones.
'Spooks" aren't afraid or police.
men. At least, those that have been.
haunting Brown street. In George.
town, ID. Co are not. Despite the
vigilance OF Capt. Schneider and his
officers, of the Seventh precinct, they
continue night after night their weird
and ghost-like tricks. The police are
unable to stop the showers OF gravel.
and stones, which appear to be the
favorite means OF manifestation of
these materialistic ghosts; nor are
they able to discover whence they
come
with renewed v;gor these Invisible
being visited their wrath on the help.
less and terrorized denizens of Brown
street Thursday night, and the yisi-s
tation was one that will never be for
gotten. The colored people, who are
the principle victims OF the spookish
maleYolence, were thrown into pan
Is. The police are utterly mysterfied
and the musty records OF George
towns ancient times do not shom
situation quite so strange
The ghosts temporarily suspended
bombardment of the outside of the
dwellings Thursday night and sought
to play pranks I'm several of the hous-
es, where the occupants we're hidden
some of them in closets The family
of Spike" Hampton fled into the
streets to get out of the way Of
ghost, which, they claim, was stalk
ing from one room to another
The HAMPTON family say that hid
eous sounds were heard in the house
shortly after dark. While Hampton
was half asleep, he declared. a fgure,Y
clothed in white stood at the font Of
his bed He screamed, and the object
disappeared. The whole family q few
seconds later noticed weired spec
ter as 1t fitted about the rooms, and
the hurriedly escaped In their night
clothes.
Policeman Young, who has led The
ghost hunt and who was stationed
with several other policemen near by,
braved the horrors OF the situation
and invaded the house. But no ghost
was found. While Young was In the
house, however, the beings made
their presence mani Fest hy tsiiming
loose a fGsillade of bricks and stones
They ratified against the side OF the
house, and brick, going through q
window, fell at Young's feet. The
policeman captured 1t for ANALYSIS.
1t was sure-enough brick and had
all the appearances Of one made from
this earth's clay.
"Aunt jane Boiding, as ex-slaye,
who lives at 3218 Brown street, de-
clared no ghost could make her run,
and sat all evening on the front OF
her porch, defying the onslaughts
made all around her. The other oc-
cupants of her house made their es-
cape and sought the protection of the
police, who are as much baffled as
ever.
The ghost mystery is as puzzling as
ever asd the police are complete,
outwitted. The best sleuths In t4B
precinct have tried to fathom 1t, az
have squads of policemen who IN
been nightly detailed In the bio G@.
we're last night augmented by scor@e
OF fearless citizens, who claim thaE
messed with their eyes and ear
things that they had not heretofoH
given credence.
The colored folks adhere religiousA
ly to the belief that the spirit of oldl
Mike" Catos, q daring and notorious
figure in that part of Georgetown 20
years ago. has returned to haunt
some of his neighbors, whom he hat
ed and distrusted.
Another thing that strengthens the
ghost theory in the minds Of the resi-
dents OF Brown street is the estab-
lished fact that the houses on the
thoroughfafe were all builtsof brick
dug out of vaults is an old grave
ward, which is within a stones throw
Of the haunted place,
II have been on the police force
twenty-five years." said Capt. Schnei-
der to Post reporter, "and have
never struck a puzzle like this. My
men have worked like trojans to
solve the mystery, and have failed.
Every night since these strange be-
ings started their trouble, about
week ago, from ten to twelve officers
have been detailed on the roofs or
houses, In trees, in chimneys, and
every other conceivable place, ana
have found absolutely nothing thas
will explain these manifestations. IL
1t isn't ghosts don't know what II IS.
At first we thought the pranks were
those Of clever midnight cuiprlI,
but this supposition no longer holos
ground. We haven't given the case
up, and expect to fathom 1T before we
stop"