Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-05-31
Atthe Ghost Club

The Ghost CluD Is the name of q
new society formed to discuss all sorts
of spirits. At the initial meeting, held
in the RathskeIler of a Broadway hotel,
where the lights are dim if not religi-
Gus. the founder of the. organizat ion
set the ghostly ball rolling with this,
one:
"About the middle of July 1879,
was staying with my wife and four
children at a friends at Larchmont.
One evening while at dinner, about
O'Clock, and in broad daylight, my wife
asked me to go to the top of the house
to see if two of the children who were
sleeping alone were all right. 1t being
a large house, and one with which l
was quite familiar, 1 went up the back
stairs, which were unusually broad
and well lighted.
son reaching the first floor landing
saw a woman in gray gown walk
ing up the flight immediately above
me. She had no headdress. [ knew she
was one Of the servants of the house
hold, and took her to be workwoman
or dressmaker from her general APP
Iearance. As she had her back to me
as she went up the stairs [ could not
see her face, and, in fact, L was not
particularly inquisitive about her.
However, when she reached the top
landing, while l was about six steps
below her, she walked hurriedly across
to one one of the rooms, the door OF
which was shut, and appeared to pass
through it. Her sudden and neiseless
disappearance So astonished me that,
without hesitating a moment, rushed
to the door of the room through which
she had appeared to vanish and open
ed it. I was large, Uell-lighted room,
and full of lumber of all sorts search
ed carefully round the room, but saw
no more of the woman clothed in
gray.
"Having satisfied myself that the
children were sleeping comfortably,
returned to the dining room and asked
our host about the woman dressed in
gray who had so mysteriouly evaded
me on the top landing. who was she"
/ said. He was evidently much dis
tressed at my question, gave me an
eyasive answer, and said something
about one of the servants. AS it was
plain to me that he did not wish to
follow up the subject, i said no more
at the time; but after dinner, when
alone with him, 1 again questioned
him about 1t. He then told me that
an apsuch partition as l had seen was
occasionally met with in the house,
but he could not tell me the reputed
origin of it.
"The house has long since changed
owners, and I do not know whether
the grayclothed woman still appears
or not. am perfectly certain that |
saw this apparition, and that il was
not mere fancy on my part. The whole
thing was mucf. too real"
"Pretty goodn said another mem
Der, military man. "Now listen to
my experience.
ain August, 1880. was stationed at
the Preside, in San Francisco. One
night Il regret that | cannot put my
hand on my diary, so cannot give you
the exact date) l woke up shortly be-
fore a. N. feeling there was some
thing in my room. Looking about, l
saw large, oval, blush light on the.
right side ane close to the end OF my
bed. This light, dim al first, soon gre
bright. and figure (.ife size) from b :
low the waist upward 49, - APP
pear, holding a double-barreled gun at
the ready position.
was soon able to distinguish the
features of the figure, and to my amaze
men. found that the figure belonged to a
fl. end of mine who had left years
ago for Australia The face was ghast-
ly and very sad. We looked at each
other for time, and then put my foot
through the figure. At this look OF
terrible sadness came over the face, the
gun was lowered, and the figure .hrst,
and then the blue light, slowly faded
away.
"Almost Immediately the different
guardroom gongs near me sounded z
a. m. got up, lighted candle, ana
made a note on my writing taole G
what had seen. may add from The
day my old friend came to say good
by to me hequite passed out of my life,
as, though he promised to write to me,
he never did so, and 1 did not know
his address"
Is 1t Equal aud Uniform
Speaking about taxation being equal