The San Francisco call., 1910-01-04
POLICE CALLED IN
TOSQUtLCHSPOOk
Stand By in Awe as Furniture
of Mission Street House
Begins to Dance

With an evident desire TO cut UP fit
tingly on New Years eve, a healthy,
energetic and adult spook of playful
tendencies and an obstreperous sense of
humor injected himself into the festiv-
tiles Of the family of Max Barnett, a
tailor at 24sT Mission street, last Friday
afternoon and, in the presence OF two
pale policemen, two popeyed detectives
and several neighbors and friends pro
ceeded to upset the furniture, open win
dows and generally prove itself nui-
sance.
So impolite and ungentlemanly was
the demeanor of the spirit that Detec-
tives Burke and Gallagher were OH
cially detailed on the case, but though
they watched the spirit perform its
tricks they have yet no clew on which
to work
Barnett. after seeing his furniture
banged around promiscuously for two
days. packed up his belongings and fed,
hoping to put the spook off his trail.
Contrary TO all the rules and regula-
tions of spookdom the wrath appeared
in the afternoon. 1t did not wait for
[
works in broad daylight and then, evi-
IDENTIFY saking a liking to Barnett's fur
niture, hung around for couple of
days having perfectly giddy time.
FLOATS THROUGH WINDOW
1t foated in through closed window
about D. m. Friday. Mrs Barnett,
with her two children, was downstairs
and hearing commotion upstairs pro-
ceeded to investigate, but when Mrs.
Barnett saw a chair doing a cancan on
the floor and a blanket trying a skirt
dance without outside help. she de-
cided it was time to call up her husband
on the telephone
Il reached the house about $3.50 p.
M said Barnett 'and went TO rear
room. There I found the furniture over
turned. the beds unmade and every
thing in an awful mess"
According TO Barnett he. scouting the
idea of spirits, proceeded to fix things
up. but the pillows would insist on hop
ping to chair, and finally suitcase
jumped upon the pillows. With a groan
he turned for the door. and as he did
so chairs were turned over. the beo
clothes were ripped off and the burea
began waltz. Also the bedding tried
a, twostep.
MY first act was to call the police
/ he said Policemen NJ. H.. King and
4 James brennan responded and on theii
heels were Detectives Gallagher and
Burke.
! Come out of that" said four sterr
voices. The bed gave two hops and the
pictures began dropping from the wall
with their own hands the policemen
/ tidied up the room, but no sooner hac
they finished than the spook overturned
the furniture. Then they wiped theil
brows and grew pale and popeyed. Ir
/ the meantime the statue of Hiawaths
took stroll to the bathroom from the
dining room, and a. mattress in another
bedroom started physical culture exer-
cises.
SKEPTTC TAKES TO HEELS
Il am skeptic," moaned Burke, "bu
what can a fellow do when he see,
such things?"
Bert Pratt brother in law of Bar
nett's, who was called in to take in ths
/ show. openly scoffed, but as he did Sc
a bureau rolled over and hit him or
the shin. Carl Schulz. a nephew, also
was present, and another scoffer went
through the front door like a chain Of
! CREASED lightning when he saw Hia
watha taking his constitutional. The
/ last act of the spook was to hurl e
box over the banisters as the Barnett:
were maving out Saturday afternoon
There is belief that the spook wa.
the spirit of the old year moving out
-But why does it pick on me-? asked
n