The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-01-05

nrSt day or January, 1907, the famous
haunted" castle of Marquis Lamier
on the banks of the Calbosahatche<
river, in Southern Florida, will be nj
more. Ruthless hands will tear dowr
the historic, picturesque old mansion
and build beneath the moss hunk oal
trees a modern hotel. The tropical
scenery, which once reflected the soft
glow Of the candle, will blaze with
thousands of electric. lights. The
woods, which once echoed the signs
of beautiful unhappy young French
girl, will resound with music and
laughter.
For fifty years Castle Lamier has
been on the market, the For SALE
sign has hung almost constantly on
the stone pillar of the gateway. Many
persons have purchased the castle,
but after remaining one night beneath
its roof each one has been glad to sell
at any price. One of the purchasers
was Richard Martin Smith, who, hav-
ing amassed a fortune in the gold
fields of Alaska, went to Southern
Florida to buy home where he could
bask in the tropical sunshine and for
get the years of hard labor he had en-
dured in the frigid North! Many
beautiful mansions were offered for
sale to this man of millions, but none
suited him SO we'll as the beautiful
Castle Lamier. Many persons told
Mr.. Smith of the ghostly stories of the
haunted castle, but this man, after
years of work in the gold fields, knew
not the meaning of nerves nor the fear
of ghosts.
Mr.. Smith remodelled and refur-
nished the castle in a costly and mag
niicent style and took possession.
The next morning the Smiths, with
heavy eyes and white, frightened
faces, left the castle never to return.
The man from Alaska told the same
story others had told before him, told
of how the stiffness Of the night was
disturbed by the uncorking of bottles
and the clink Of poker chips, then
would come from beneath the doors
flashes Of light carried by unseen
hands, the sound of hurried footballs
in the corridors, a scream, then a
girlish voice pleading in frightened
tones, a mans reilly with brutal
oath, followed by an older woman's
high pitched scolding treble, another
scream, then the thud of a body fall
ing down the stairs, moan and a drip,
drip from the stairs to the hardwood
floor of the hall beneath, then the
tramp of unshod feet passing and re-
passing, whispers and drunken laugh
ter followed by angry voices in dis
pute and the loud breathing of strug-
Cling bodies, oaths and curses, the
sound of a heavy blow on the head,
a crash Of glass, a fall-and SO it con-
tinued till morning. But what seemed
more horrible than the ghostly sounds
at night was the fact that even in the
broad light of day no one could ascend
the stairs without turning aside at the
third step, as if to avoid walking on
some object lying there. On the day
of their arrival Mr.. Smiths family
called his attention to this fact. He
laughed at the idea, started up the
stairs in skeptical frame of mind
and finished, as the others had done,
by turning aside at the third step.
: Departure for Alaska.
After the departure from Florida of
the man from Alaska the Castle La
mier was sold for a small sum to John
Phillips, real estate man. Wishing
to dispose of the property with profit
to himself, Mr.. Philips published in
the leading papers of the state de-
NAL of the ghost story, and to prove
that the rumors all arose from super
stition and imagination Mr.. Phillips
declared that he, with his little daugh-.
ter Mary, child of four years of age,
would stay for week in Castle La
mier. He arrived with the child on
Friday, Jan. Is, bringing with him
twelve prominent men from different
parts of the state. Two of the twelve
men were representatives of the
church-0ne a minister, the other a
Catholic priest.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Phillips,
when they were all seated in the hall,
II wish to give you proof of the alb
surdlty or the story OF the haunted
stairway. My little daughter here is
too young to understand about ghosts,
or 'spooks.' l can give you no better
proof than to send this child to the top
OF the stairs" Mr.. Phillips then babe
the little girl to bring to him the box
of candy which he had placed on the
table in the upper hallway. The
child danced away to fetch the de-
sired sweets. Eagerly the twelve
men watched the tiny girl as her lit
tie hand grasped the banister rail.
Her faltering feet climbed to the
third step. She hesitated a moment,
1oosened her hand from the rail. then
moved deliberately close to the wall
on the inner side of the stairway.
She climbed two steps higher; then
coming to the banister side once more
she again sought the support of the
rail.
The twelve men looked at Mr..
Phillips. He stood with pale face,
watching his little daughter.
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