The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-16
Who Rang the Bell?
IOriginal.l

Wnen i was quite young man |
was clerk of hotel in u western town.
The house was of two parts, the old
and the new. The old had been built
more than half n century; the new was
only completed when ! went to the
hotel us clerk. The old was decaying
frame, the new of brick. We did not
use the old part except when crowded.
Indeed, it was dilapidated structure.
and all its best furniture had been re-
moved.
One night when there was something
going on in the town to give us n
crowd-a county fair, believe-a man
and woman came to the house regis
tering as Harvey Benham and wife
/ told him that we were full, but when
the man begged me to make room for
him / told him that there were a few
rooms vacant in the old part of the
house. but they were poorly furnished
and not very attractive. He seemed
quite willing TO take one Of them, and
wrote No. 81 on the register next his
name and sent the couple up in care Of
bell boy. Later in the evening
chamDermaid brought small packet
TO me TO be placed in the safe, saying
that Mrs. Benham had sent it. tossed
it in the safe.
The next morning The couple had dis
appeared. How they got out without
being seen l could not understand,
but they did. Their departure was not
noticed till 10 o'clock. when u cham
bermaid knocked to be permitted to fix
up the room and, receiving no answer,
let herself in with pass key. The
bed had not>bcen occupied, but all the
water in the room had been used The
towels had disappeared.
There was no great loss to the hotel,
and we were not especially irritated
over the "bcat," though l confess l
was somewhat puzzled to account for
it all. Strangely enough, l forgot all
about the package the woman had sent
for safelieeping till one day l found it
in the safe. Opening it, l saw that it
contained some $1,000. Then ] began
to wonder.
Several weeks passed, during which
no one claimed the money. Not caring
to keep it in the safe, l deposited it i'm
the bank. Then one evening about
six weeks after it had been left with
me Il man came into the house and
stood turning over the leaves of the
register. He paused ut the names of
Mr., and Mrs. Bonham and asked me
where they were from, as no residence
had been given. told him about the
case and asked him if he knew them.
He said that he did not His reason
for asking about them was because
| lie didn't know that we permitted such
| entries. l explained that it was an
oversight The man asked me some
questions about any attempts l might
have made to find the owner Of the
stored property, then leisurely turned
and left the house
Two or three days later who should
come into the hotel but Mr. Benbam.
He looked rs If he had been keelhaul-
ed. explaining bis appearance by say
ing that he had had Il fit of sickness.
He was certainly very nervous and
seemed afraid OF his shadow. He pre-
scEted an order for the money that
had been left with me By his wife.
/ asked him why they had left as they
| had, and he said that his wife was
subject to certain attacks, during
which she must have the attention of
her own doctor She had felt one OF
| these attacks coming ON after mid
| night and had begged him to hurry
her away.
While the man was making his eX-
| PLANTATION there was n ring l turned
| to the annunciator and saw that there
| was call from room i'm the old part
Of the house, No. 90 There had not
! been guest in that part since the
BenhamS We're there. and / would not
/ think Of putting any %Ic IN 90. for
it was OF by itself. and there was no
! furniture in it, That's strange" I
! remarked and, throwing bacl, the shut
! ter, turned TO Alr. Beuham. He was
! holding on TO he counter. white as
ashes, a look OF terror in his face and
his eyes startin" out or their sockets.
II must get air." he ped and. turn.
| ing, staggered cut 10 c street.
| was about TO follow him when
| there was another ring, and. turnin. I
saw the same number, 80, exposed I
was so astonished that n sort OF paral-
ysis or indccisiou came over me for a
few minutes; then, jumping over the
counter, l ran after the man. he was
not TO be distinguished from others
| who Were passing
Re-ertering the hotel, J told "front
10 go 10 90 and see what the ring
meant. He came back, reporting that
! the room was empty. Resolved to find
! out how the bell could have been rung
/ went TO the room myself. Opening a
! closet, a dreadful stencil warned me
I that something was wrong. closed the
door ana sent for the police, and they
found the body of Mrs. Bcnham. She
had been murdered The body had
been shut up in this vacant room.
They never solved the mystery The
mhu Hcuham was never seen again
and The $l,GOO is still lying in bank
without an owner Bcnham had doubt
less Scut the man who b1d .c,r,,.ors, ,,.l