The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-12-16

Id, dilapidated residence built some
where about 1910 ON one of the main I
streets of this city, one block south of
he Mississippi Cotton and Wooden
Mills, attracted more curiosity than
Santa Claus and all his Christ
mas displays in this town, although
1t has been unoccupied and little no
ticed for several years. Thousands
of curiosity seekers have waded the
mud and braved the rain to visit this
structure and look with interest on
they had been passing for
years unnoticed.
The I'd structure was suddenly
brought into the limelight in this wise:
Being situated next door to a prom
inent boarding house and surrounded
by several fine residences on Church
street, the roof very badly decayed
and the wooden pillars starting to fall
from under it. The adjacent property
owners were afraid it would catch on
fire and burn them out of house and
home. AS children played around the
structure every day they were afraid
the house might fall on them, so said
property owners made complaint to
the mayor and board of aldermen, who
asked its owner to either put the build
ing in good repair or remove it. He
did not care to repair the house, so
he sold it to w. G. Bentley, white
the country from Wesson.
All Cats Disappear.
For some time past citizens in that
neighborhood have been missing their
house cats, of which there were many,
until not cat could be seen around
any of the homes, and it was decided
that some person had been killing
them with poison, until last week
when Mr.. Bailey began to tear down
the house it is said he was almost
frightened away ~ peculiar noise
same say they had been hearing
good long time, and were afraid to
pass by the structure at night, believ-
ing it was haunted. Yesterday, they
say, all their mysteries were solved
when the workmen tore away a por-
ton of the wall and 500 cats came
running out, going in all directions
like a bat out of hades, causing the
men to wonder what had happened.
Among the bunch of cats was Wes-
sons chief, TOM" a favorite that
had been mourned as dead a long
time. To add to the scare of the cats
as they came out, the amazed work
men, it is declared, threw hammers,
bricks, etc., at them as they sped
swiftly away. Just how the cats got
into the enclosure and could not get
out is known only to themselves.
Attraction No. 1.
That was attraction No. l. After
this excitement the purchaser of said
house resumed his work, and was
about to forget his experience with
the house cats, until he pulled down
another portion of the walls, when
1t is said about peck of 500 gold
pieces came rolling out on his feet,
and it was some minutes before he
could realize what had happened.
The news soon spread over the COM
munity and many have been curious
to see the lodging place of so many
cats and so much gold. 1t is not
known how so much money came to be
in the walls of the old house, in which
have been born and reared many peo-
pie and several have died in the
house, but some believe the Copeland
gang hid away 100000 in gold some
where in Wesson during their time,
and many deep holes have been dug
in the hillsides by those whose hope
was to find the gold. The house was
about the only one in that part of
town during Copeland's time.
AT any rate the old structure has
created sensation in its last days,
and Mr.. Bailey is delighted over his
purchase, while others who refused to
pay the price asked for it now threat
en- to order a kicking machine for
personal use. A souvenir of this in
teresting house with its history will