Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-11

At Tenth and Bainbridge streets, on
the southwest corner, stands n large
brick house. four stories high. One
only casually acquainted with this
neiahborhood could hardly pass without
remarking and remembering It. although
there seems at first glance little that In
different from, hundreds Of other down
town houses.
II IL an old house, ms houses 90 in
Philadelphia. but not no old by from
fifty to seventy years ms many other
houses thereabouts. Nor Is II In any
sense picturesque. Despite n certain
desperate ornateness and despite the
warm color Of the neighborhood. now q
foreign quarter, 1t is dull. bleak and
ugly. Except for two intervals the
house has been untenantcd for upward
Of fifty years.
This house Is said to be haunted. The
legend has persisted throughout three
generations IN a rapidly changing To-
cality. At night 1t Is given a wide
berth. by the credulous nnd even the
skeptical are sometimes persuaded to u
swifter pace when they cross the pave.
ment outside.
The stories that connect the house
with the supernatural are many, and
some Of them doubtless have grown with
the telling. Discnrding what IL patents
" apocryphal, the legends fit together
as follows:
Built Century Ago
The house was built about hundred
years ago by wealthy family Of Irish
origin. After n business panic one of
money from the bank and to hide 1t In
the cellar. 1t seems that he took none
Of his relatives Or friends into his con
iidencc and nfter his death there wps I
fruitless search for the hiding place Of
his money. 1t was about this time.
according to neighborho6d traditions,
that the first of long series of strange
circumstances concerning the house
were noticed.
One by one the members Of the fam.
lily died and there was left only one
Of them-a daughter Of the old Irish
man who buried his money in the
cellar. She inherited the house.
Little Of this woman's personality
is known except that she was devout
and that the desire Of her life was to
become a roligeuse. For reason known
only to herself and the Church author
tiles this was denied and thereafter she
made a convent Of her house. From
tnuC udy sne was never seei 10 ieuNe
It, and neighbors pretended TO nave
discovered tnat sne naa smut neIsen ~
up IN a single room anu spent most ol
ner tme pelore snrlne. Az hh! ra'e,
provisions anu whatever was needeG 10
meet the scGnt heeds OF this reciuss
West Indian Negroes, who were her
servants. Thus she lived for some say
thirty and some fifty years, One day
q hsarse drew up at tne curo anu ths
neighbors understood that the OLD
woman was dead.
In the meantime the stories CONCERN
ing the mousse had multiplied. Inere
Is a courtyard some forty square feet
In size Deside the mouse; anu trespass-
hs cniIureh pia!Nns there hau peen
1rightehed Dy noises mysterious iights
anu iaces tnat they salo peered from
the side WINDOWS OF the mousse. AFTER
a time TINS place became 80 iearful 70
tne chlldren that even the boidest would
not play there. Dogs and cats. 1t was
saia, would walk around the pavement
rather Ihan across II ana horses driven
along ientn street sometimes shied as
.ncy caine oPposue ths gate. IL ~ salu
that ha. no one , mas ever oeen able 10 drive
morse INTO the courtyard.
Told Of Steps on Stairs
After the death of the old recluse.
workmen and others having business in
the house came out declaring that tbcy
would never return to thc nlace mac.
companied. What thew had TO teli con.
cerned invisible footsteps climbing IN
the yorious stnirways of doors onening
without anna rent camse. of wbisnar;ms .
and knock;ng on tbe wall Twa Vas
eroes were Sffercd n load ~ cooi tbot