The New York herald., 1922-03-10

DeckerS mouse was Dullt nun
the civil war was known as the Wa
1t was small but popular roadho
two story farmhouse. white with
green shutters, but on the inside
there are many evidences of great
age, and the tradition of the super
| natural has grown up about the
place.
When Decker bought the house
three years ago he knew something OF
the strange happenings reported ~
former owners. but he is a material
istic young farmer and was not dis
turbed. He continued living there
happily enough with his wife and four
small children until few nights ago.
Now he admits he is frightened and
wants to sell the place.
1T was along about midnight" said
Decker, when my wife and ! were
awakened by heavy footsteps on the
front porch. We were asleep up stairs.
The front door was bolted, but we
distinctly heard it open with a heavy,
almost crashing, sound.
No Mistaking the Sounds.
"Then we heard something moving
about in the lower part of the house.
The night was perfectly still and there
was no mistaking the sounds. What
ever it was it went all about down
stairs, opening the doors and slam
ming them shut again, dragging the
furniture around and making ter
rible lot of racket.
"My dog was downstairs. ! heard
him bark when the front door opened.
He appeared angry, and then In a
minute he started whimpering and
growing, as If he was AFRAID, or II
was something he didn't understand. l
didn't go downstairs until the noise
stopped. which was about fifteen min
utes after it began. The noise kept
working toward the back OF the house,
and finally the back door opened and
slammed. ran down quickly. while
nv wife looked out the upper window
But neither of us saw anything at all,
though the night was clear. And there
were no tracks in the fresh snow out
side.
"The front and back doors were
locked. and the furniture, instead OF
being broken and upset, was exactly as
II should have been. l confess | don !
know what to make of 1t.
The story OF the Vanished Peddler OF
the Wayside Inn is known to many OF
the old settlers five and six miles south
Of here. It is to the effect that back
IN the forties there was little party
at the inn one night. There were some
people who had been fox hunting, a
traveller or two. and some of the people
who lived near by.
A peddler whom no one knew, came
in and Joined the party. He told great
many stories and just before midnight
asked to be shown to a room. He took
his pack to the room and when last
seen was preparing to go to bed. A
few minutes later some one had occa-
sion to go to his room. The peddler was
not there, and no trace Of him ever was
found.
Grandm other an Authority.
Edgar Hunt, who has a farm next ia
Decker's. is one of the oldest and best
authorities on the ghost lore OF tha'
neighborhood. Hunt was found to-day
finishing the job of slaughtering lamb
and as he wiped the bloody knife on his
bootleg he said:
.I'm 65 years old---not quite yet, but
we won't quibble. wasn't born ovei
there where I live now. but my parents
brought me there when was year old
I've heard my gradmother tell about thu
old peddler many a time, and she knew
of some other instances that don't re
member now.
''The first personally knew OF tn
place was when I was young fellow
and David Swayze owned the house. III
had bought Il after the inn was closed
I used to be over there all the time witt
Swayze's son, George.
"The night I'm speaking about wa
along IN the late winter OF 1868 or 1869
I'm not sure which. I was staying al
night with George. IT was nearly mia
night and George and I looked out TN
window and saw an apparition or what
ever you call It. pottering around in th'
snow. We called old man Swayze. III
got his gun-a double barreled shotgun
and we all three went down together
We went out on the front porch, ant
there this thing was. mooching arount
In the snow. sort of lost like. IT was
funny looking thing, STOPPING little ant
searching for something.
ANYHOW, Old Man Swayze went out
there with his gun. Now this Swayzt
was quite man, a big. bell-roarint
fellow who wasn't afraid of man MOI
woman nor snakes. And George and
walked right behind him. We got uT
in dozen yards of this apparition ane
the old man let go both barrels. But u
didn't bother the ghost bit. II Jus
walked on off a little ways as IL nothing
was happening and then vanished into
the air. II left no tracks in the snow
either"
Mr.. Hunt also recalled to-day that
John Calvin, who Is now 20 years old
and is passing the winter in Jacksonville
Fla. had an experience near the Decker
farmhouse.
John. or Barney as we called him.
said Mr.. Hunt was quite q. ladies' mar
along in the 70s. Still is. for that mat
ter. Anyhow, ne lived on a farm about
a mile from here. One night he had
been TO see young lady and was walk
ing home. II was a clear, moonlight
night. There used TO be three willow
trees down by the foot bridge over the
brook. about fifty yards from where