Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-20

-
ed rather disappointing although the
name Isabel appeared in the writ
ing test. All members of the COM
mittee declared that they heard loud
raps, voices, whisperings and foot
steps pacing up and down the hall.
Oddly enough, however, a phono-
graph which had been set going fail
ed to record a single one of the mys-
terious sounds. Many Of the members
of the party declared they distinctly
saw phantasmal figures walking
about the rooms and ascending and
descending the stairs but these made
absolutely no impression on photo
graphic plates.
The investigators finally became so
accustomed to seeing spectral forms
and to hearing ghostly sounds that
they no longer thought much about
meeting ghost on the stairs or feel
ing the touch of ones hand on their
shoulders. On two evenings silk
stairway, at different heights, one end
railing and the other fastened by
means of wax to the wall opposite.
These threads were invisible in the
est pressure would have been suffi-
cient to have loosened them by de-
taching the wax from the wall.
AS chroniSed in the reports, phan-
tom forms were repeatedly seen walk
ing along the halls and up and down
the stairs. They must have walked
right through the threads for none of
them were found loose or detached
from the wall. Evidently the ghostly
forms were made up of some light
ethereal matter, lacking sufficient
solidity to be affected by the threads.
So far the happenings in the house
had been comparatively free from un-
pleasant effects but gradually affairs
began to take on different COM
plexion. One of the investigators
records in the diary: ''The general
tone of things is disquieting and new
in our experience. Hitherto, the
phenomena affected one as melan-
choly, depressing and perplexing, but
now all, quite Independently, say the
same thing-that the influence is evil
and horrible. Even poor little
'Spooks,' our dag, was never terrified
before. The worn faces at breakfast
are really dismal sight"
About this time, one of the men in
the party records that he was in the
garden back of the house when, hap
pening to look up at window in the
upper story, he saw woman's fig
ure which stood with terrible eyes
gazing at him, wholly motionless and
expressionless. Feeling himself with
cred and subjected to some baneful
influence, he continued to gaze, SPELL
bound, into the frightful face.
The dreadful hands went up auto
maticaNy until they rested on the
window sash, which came partly
down, stayed moment, then closed
noiselessly. Finally the hand of the
specter locked it. - peculiar and
striking fact in connection with this
blood-curdling apparition was that
the face vanished as soon as the glass
of the window had passed it, while
the hands remained visible. The win
dow also moved in an odd and unreal
manner, suggesting the movement of
stage scenery or of toys moved by
wires. There was no sound whatever.
The following afternoon this man,
with the father of dead girl whom
the shape of the wrath was consid-
cred to have resembled, went into the
room and threw the window up. Then
they went down into the. garden,
Looking up presently they observed
two hands at the window After
drawing it down a little the hands
quickly vanished as if annoyed at be-
ing seen. A sholt time later the
backs of two hands were seen on the
outside of the window but they did
not move it.
While the men below watched q
headless figure appeared and distinct
ly bowed threeA times. Immediately
afterwards door in the room closed
with deafening slam. Then a beau
tiful arm was seen at the curtain
waving at them. Upon going up
overturned in the middle of the room
and some fruit which had rested or
il scattered about in all directions.
A note which had been addressed tc
the spirit" and placed on the chain
was found on the floor, with one cor.
ner charred. Lacking courage to oper
the note, they placed it on plate anc
burned it. The flame burned slowly
and when the paper had been con.
sumed dark mucous substance re
manned on the table.
A remarkable fact in connection
with this haunted" house was thai
the ghostly phenomena gradually, a.
the months went by, grew less fire.
quent and startling until scarcely any
such demonstrations were noticeable
at all. The manor house is no Longer
) regarded as haunted. The tenants
who now occupy it report that moth
ing unusual or uncanny has been OBJ
served either inside It or about th'
grounds within their knowledge o.
the place.
No reader is under any obligation
to believe any more of this story thar
suits him. As was stated at the be
ginning, the account is published
purely on the authority Of the Society
for Psych hS l. Research ssans nve.t.s well
and there Is no attempt either K