The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1913-01-31
GHOSTS SETF|RE
7OHAuNTEDHOUSE
WILLIAMSBURG
Mysterious Blaze Starts IN Old
Mansion Locked Up Tight
for Twenty Years.
POLICE ARE BAFFIED.
Not Even Footprint in Inch.
: Thick Dust Is Left as Clue
Ill. to Strange Blaze.
POLICE ARE BAFFLED.

where he houses Of seventy-fivs and q
hundred years ago still stand, that the
~ Thursby homestead AZ No. 10
South Fourth street 10 not haunted. For
the house. sealed up a. tight a. Q mis-.
ere stronebox for moro than twenty
years. was set on fire to-day. The
Ghosts ala II they are sure. Even the
Police were inclined to admit II. for the
fire started insids the house and a.
they tested closely locked doors and
windows they realized no living thing
could have gone into the desoiate old
building TO start the fire.
Tue last dwsilers In the house were
ths family Of Rodney Thursby onee
County Clerk Of Kings. and the father
a Emma Thursby. . prlma donna q
. generation ago. There was gossip Of
= secret tragedy in the family after his
death. Al any rate. the house was
abandoned overnight. No one saw the
family depart They took nothing with
them. Through the cracks between the
closed shutters. which had been sore we'd
tight on the inside. inquisitive peppers
could SEQ that the furniture. the car
pets. the pictures on the walls had not
been disturbed. There was an open book
on the library table. The kettle stood
on the front of the stove.
AZ the years passed the paint. once
white, became dtnEy and then peeled
AWAY In tattsred strsamsrs. The shut
ters rotted and sagsed and warped and
leaned out away from their hinseA The
Drawer OF the boys and girls Of the
nsishborhood. terrifying each other with
encouraging whispers. reported that the
kettle. all rusted and with IL spout fal.
len into the pot. stili stood on the stove.
itself red with rust: the book on the
table was Mas of green mould. There
was no change. Even the silent bent.
white-hcaded man. who entered the
house once every three months and 70.
manned for half an hour. disturbed moth.
Ing except BY making footprints In che
dust which had gathered on the noon.
POLICEMAN FINDS FIRE IN
"hAUNrEo hoUsG."
Not the most boastfu and valiant Of
smsn poys dared 20 near the place at
night. Nwse&iras used The nsighborhoou
stories Of the Tharsby House 0host
20 scare children out Of msntiouing con.
vsrsasioos with the policemen on the
no1t block Women Whispered horrible
th1U9s OF he words they had heard
soo,s 0tom the cellar. bstwesn q won.
a9S Gasptng ScrsamA Men told Of sss-
NJ StFsn0s sAghts passing from window
- window md W and down the stsira
- AGyosd thsrs Was either Sum>thin9
~ = 'that ghost ousiness'' or tramp1
= -. making the place lodging house.
- somehow. none cared 70 look into
-. matter closely.
0a1osman anedeksr. passins Shs novss
to-day. sznaisd Q queer Dunruut odor
q 6uruAng rass ana wood. In the early
ssurnanes srav Night he cav . wreath
Of smoke Seating away from . base
nsat widow q the ola house. Ho
,yaA - de window. lt was soltsA, but
.'ths catch pulled out q he sotted
sash ct .ais teu0h. There was . oiass
AusodEling shout . wooden Gag In the
aa9ndry.
0s ran - . nrs alasm oex ana then
ssearas9. Every door and window wa
buoesd. Even whsrs the blinds had
saSgsd away. - they had from the
w1ndow through which the smoke cana
: ~ dust q ysass core no mara of On
iuGyudsr. The fremsn battered down
the trout door. EHospt for traces here
and there q the former vista Of the old
custodian. Oiled over with fresh dus,
like snow tracks covered ~ . second
fail. there wAs nothing 10 indicate thai
anybody mad been In the house since Il
was vacated. The nrs was sadiy pu
out.
wlds-sysd children ana muttsrans me,
watched the drsmen and police at wori
and saw them come out pushed ant
rather Irritable. 1t isn't pleasant for I
grown man 70 be forced TO admit ther,
ass ghosts.
FIRE MAR4hAL OFFERS soLU
TON OF MYSTERY.
In their bswildorment the police re
ported the iirs of Fire Aaruhai Brophy
Not that they thought II tncendiary. i
could not have been; not even = window
had been opened or unattached througl
which . bad boy might have dropped
match.
The marshal suggested they 70 bac
ana examine the basement window Q
the room In which the IRE started an,
see II II had any air bubbles In II
panes. Glass made . century ago fire.
auently has such bubbles; no did tina
of the window OF the Thursby hous,
And such air bubbles form LEM
which. when sunlight like that o: YET
terday afternoon strikes II Just at IN
right angle. forms as good q "burnin
glass" A. was ever bought at an optics
goods store. Inch-deep dust 10 as In
dammshls a. finder. The nremen coul
even trace the scorched track Of tn
nre on the window ledge to the floor
where burning spider web had droppe,
when the concentrated sunlight mrs
idndied Q spark. and across to tn
woodbox. where during the night tn
Z smouIderIng mischief had at last turne,
70 fame.
Net even this explanation convince
al che believers In the Thursby Hous,
Ghost. but there are lots Of Williams
burg eitisens who will step out Q iitti,
moro csrsfres whom passing through
8outh Fourth street than they wouiS
have dared had not the lens In the win
deW pass been discovered.
oUMDS UP THE WHOLE SYSTEM
ufhs ~ hsaSsaas sus' saias.-AAvt