davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

opened off onto a hall and was opposite the
lower landing Of the stairs.
We sat there a fun three hours when. SURF
enough, the ghost walked The slow measured
clump cump Of his footsteps resOunded clear
and distinct
Immediately I could hear the labored
breathing of one OF my co-investgators. As
rose 10 our feet the rickcty house started
10 take on "A vibration Instinctively knew
stiff-kneed trembling had possessed one OF the
party A window gave a slight rattle but the
ghost continued his slow "clump clump" on
the stairs
Pulses leaped with expectancy
Now" l whispered. and each of us. as
preaTangcd rushed 10 the foot Of the stairs
and while one threw his light at the head
Of the stairs, another focused his light at the
bottom landing while the two of us cast
our light at the middle OF the stairs.
As the whole stairway was illuminated. we
each saw an arch, half-circe and streak
Of gray as the ghost quickly disappeared from
our view
huge rat had leaped from the middle
steps over the bansters TO the floor in one
frightened jump. In flash he was gone but
not before all Of us had seen him
This rat, with his pound or so of weight
would descend the stairs Just as countless
others like him in other houses in other
countries, had done before him. He would run
along one step, then drop with thud to the
step below, then run along that step ami drop
to the next step below with another thud
Simple isn't il? Yet most people can no
more understand it than / can understand
the famous picture entitled Nude Descending
a Staircase" That nude must certainly have
been a ghostess because no mortal eye could
see her in the painting When anyone tells
you of a ghost that clumps down The stair,
say. Rats" and you have said II all
Blood spots on the floor that never dry mp
hut remain moist the year round always
prove to be rain water and vines rain water
and leaves, usually caught and held. reservoir
like in the wall, while the water slowly seeps
under the floor 10 spot where it soaks
through in reddish-brown liquid.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in the belief
that ghosts could haunt houses and perform
blood-chillng deeds. The famous Houdini al
ways vowed he could dc, anything "A ghost
could. do il better and usually in the broad
daylight and he always did. For over thirty
years l have been interested i'm the possible
existence OF ghosts and In the early l920s
during lecture campaign, offered 1000 20
anyone who could lead me to haunted house
that would produce active ghost Many
have asked If am thankful that never had
to pay it.
Certainly not 1t would be the best invest
ment I could possibly make. If one authentic
ghost could be found II would instantly make
our profession the most important in the
world would pay the money AS readily a
a child eagerly giving up a nickel for an ice
cream cone.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06
NIagiCians, II

III JUST felt a cold breeze against my fore
head Isn't that a sign that spirit
is near"
We were waiting in the silence and dark
ness of haunted house IN a little town near
Tampa Florida. That is the worst part OF
ghost-eNtemnating Spirits are never pune
tual. You have 10 wait hours sometimes days
before they turn up
With eyes and ears straining al that time
for something supernatural 20 creep upon hmm
in the dark, it is not strange that most any
one becomes extremely nervous That spirit
breeze is nothing but the chilly feeling from
the well-knoWn cold nervous sweat which
comes out on hands and forehead
OF course my hands and brow were dry he
cause ! know from 20 years experience that
ghosts DO not exist However l did not
criticize the man who made that remark for
just then felt on my hand the softest caress-
ing touch imaginable
The mayor Of The beautiful little health
resort had asked me 10 de-hamt am Old two
story frame house which had been empty for
long time II could not boz sold nor would
tenants stay there more than Iust one night
because ghost came M the dark 60 CaIr.-
their hands face and neck
This pcttinE ghost caresscd mon women
and children indlscrminatclv and nobody
knew whether II was a lady OF gentleman
ghost old young fat or lean. No legend had
sprung up yet 20 account for the haunting
This spirit squatter had 20 bc cvctcd because
IL was running valuable piece Of real estate
That is what | was there FOR
When a persons home is infested bv ter
mites bedhugs rats iu the cellar squirrels
in the attic or any other sort Of veruiu he
sends for specialist who knows what to
90. a ghost is even worse because The owner
cannot live on the premises nor induce anyone
else 20 buy or rent the place
Worst Of all nobody specialized Ia ghost
discriminating so ] took up that profession
Long ago. on. Broadway there was play
called The Ghostbreaker' and recently r.
was done in the movies. We'll I am q ghost
breaker In real life
This peter from the next WORLD had mc
deeply interested because it was something
Cntiruiv now
1--WE been touched ] said soft Watch
40 the sound Of my voice the ghost lifted
its cCtCpiasmiC finger.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

merely the reflection Of the light from pass
ing cars. If he would replace the ancient and
wavy glass with modern flat panes everyone
would recognize the reflection for Just what
1t was. 1t was easy as that
One day was talking with the late and
great Thomas A. Edison on the fair grounds
Of the Jones Circus when its owner asked me
20 get after ghost that had been causing him
considerable annoyance.
Fearing that it was just another of those
iull, common-or- garden spooks preferred to
follow Mr. Edison around paying little atten-
ton TO Mr. Jones until he said il was a
haunted stateroom in one of his circus Pull
mans Haunted ship staterooms are common
as smiles on a confidence man but dead-head
ghost on railroad coach was brand new to
me. ! began to listen.
man had died in that stateroom recently
and the colorcd porter had kept it locked to
protect the belongings OF the deceased but
lately he had heard through the door mys-
terious swapping and clicking sounds Through
the edge Of the window shade there had been
Glmpses Of white wraithlike thing moving
around The other performers who occupied
staterooms IN the car had seen and heard
these things and wanted to give up their
rooms which rented for SIS a week Ghosts
are expensive nuisances
Mr.. Jones ordered the porter TO open the
statcroom for MS The porter showed that he
did not relish the errand and if there was GO
ing 10 be a rlmpus with ghost he wished 10
be strictly neutral
With eaden feet he finally reached the
stateroom, unlocked II but could not bring
himself 10 open the door until | gave him
push This caused the door TO open partly
and showed the mans face in few inches
The immediate developments were startling.
white cloud rushed out Of the stateroom
and beat upon our eyes and mouths. The por-
ter let 90 yell and knocked me down as he
ran off the train and kept right on going. re-
signing in loud voice as he ran.
lie was last seen disappearing at undi-
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

ing one arm out before
her. Finally she had died.
the screams stopped but
her ghost kept on walking
and evidently carrying "A
spirit lamp.
The real estate agent
told me all this, showed
mo the house by daylight
and gave mo the keys. I
asked If when the lady
walked through the house
with the lamp she turned
around and walked back
again. He wasn't sure.
As soon as il was dark
] drove my car slowly
past the house and. sure
enough a dim light could
be- seen moving through
ohc room after another
from one end OF the house
90 tho other 7 turned the
car around. drove slowly
back and saw the light
travel all the way back
to the end II had started
from That was all |
needed 10 know
I'm the morning ] turned
Iu The unused KEYS to-
getncr with my report
The s.host-ldmp was
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

DIS luty duueu lle DCdIuS IIOll lHelI
flashlights TO the illumination.
There was the caressing ghost in all
its responsiveness,
1t was a huge spider on the wall with the
tips of two of its legs exploring the skin on
the back of my hand
The hideous thing quickly vanished into
crevce of the wall. Investigation showed that
the whole house alive with large spiders,
measuring from two TO four inches across the
leg spread.
Whenever there were noise and lights in
the house the spiders kept hidden but when
all was dark and quiet they came out and,
with pardonable curiosity, felt over the flesh
of the strangers who promptly made such
rumpus that the spiders hid before the lights
could be turned on. A thorough fumigation
put an end to the ghostly caresses.
Before going on to other real problem
ghosts, let me show how easy some of the
common. rn-of-the-mill spooks are to I'M
mask, such lamp-totinE ones ON Oak
Street in the lovely little city OF Washington,
Indiana was an old residence which nobody
would inhabit because at night Ghoa,ess
paraded repeatedly from one cad OF tnc ho4sc
to the other
was assured that everybody had seen her
and that they knew why this ghost walked.
According to the story, lady had swal-
lowed a needle which Travelled around inside
her body causing such agony that she walked
the floor at night screaming in pain and hold
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

ghosts and writes his reports, which he tells
about for the first time to readers OF The
American Weekly
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06
BY EDWARD SAINT,

Special Investigator. Los Angeles Scientific
Psychic Research Society, Official Houdini
Archivist, Member Society of American
MagiCians. Etc
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

This strange profess
sion has kept Mr..
Saint busy for twenty
years and never once
has he disappointed a
client. Most of his
customers are rea |
estate agents in all
parts OF the country
who ant haunted
h ouse IS "unhaunted"
before they can find
a buyer. Unearthly
screams. disappearing
footsteps, $ h a d o y
forms, devils eyes"
and spin ct in G ling
pools of blood" hold
no terror for Mr..
Saint, In a matter-of-
fact way he dispels
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

4 White Cloud FlOated
From the StaterOOm. The
Pullman Porter Yelled,
and Dashed Out Of the Train.
Those With Courage Enough
Remained tO Find the FIX
PLANTATION Simple - After
You Knew II.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

Mr.. Edward Sainf Opens His Rec
ords TO Reveal His Adventures
as a Ghos+breoker. Recalling the
Weird. Strange Case Of the
"caressing Spirit" The Pullman
Car EctopIosm." THE Phantom
Footsteps" and Other Expensive
Nuisonces That Have WiI+ed Under
His Special Treatment
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

IF YOU have a skeleton in
Il the closet or a phantom in
the parlor don't move out.
Get-iH touch with Americas
famous ghost chaser-Mr. Ed
ward Saint, noted magician
and former associate of the
great Harry Houdini. He
makes a business of tracking
down pesky spooks and max
ing them behave.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06

IH JUST felt cold breeze against my fore
head Isn't that a sign that a spirit
is near"
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19

PHELAN - Mrs. Mary Frisbie Phelan, widow of Judge Ellis Phe- Ian, died last evening at her home, % Chapman avenue. Funeral arr arrangements are incomplete.
 FEENEY-Mis. Nora (Vaughn) Feeney, widow of John Feeney, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. William Reilly of 233 Hillside ave- nue, early this morning. She was a native of Pennsylvania.
 Mrs. Feeney was coi1amunicant of St. Margaret's church.
 She is survived by Q son, Joseph Feeney of Philadelphia and four other daughters, Miss Mary Feeney, Mrs. Thomas Lee, Mrs. Elizabeth Sharpe and Mrs. Hartwel Pimentel and 10 grandchildren and one brother, Patrick s. Caughn of Phil adelpfia.
 The funeral will be held from 233 Hillside avenue ct 8:l5 o'clock on Monday morning to St. Mar garet's Church at 9 o'clock.
 Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Meriden. Friends may call at the home after o'clock this evening.
 CORTESE-Miss Julia Cortese, 10, daughter of John and Viola (Di- Paolo) Cortese of 72 Pleasant St., died at the New Haven General Hospital yesterday after a brief ill., ness. A native of this city she was 0 graduate of the Merriman school.
 She leaves, besides her parents, four brothers, Domenic, Anthony, John, Jr., and Richard all of this city.
 The funeral will take place Mon- day morning from the Maiorano funeral home, 95 Willow street, at Q o'clock to the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes where solemn high Mass will Do celebrated at 9;30 o'clock. Burial will be in Calvary cemetery. :.
 Friends may call at the funeral home this evening from 2 to II o'clock and tomorrow afternoon and evening from 2 to il o'clock.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19

(Continued from Page D the chief Conservative party organ which IS regarded as usually close to the government, wrote:
 Tt was obvious from the first that nothing we could effect on the con. tinent would hold up the German mailed might unless the Balkan countries would form protective block to the German advance. Jugo- slavia acted too late. Turkey de- cided she was not yet called upon to act. Greece made up her mind to fight whatever the odds .. while Greece fights and asks us to fight by her side we shall continue to do so."
 The Daily Express, chief news paper of the chain owned by Lord Beaverbrook, minister for aircraft production in the war cabinet, said:
 "There is no doubt that in this magnificent fight the Huns have the advantage in man power and metal. If every Greek and every erl1- pire fighter killed three Germans our forces would still be outnum- bered."
 This obvious preparation of the public for another Dunkirk unless there was a sudden and really Inlr- aculous change in the Balkan sit- uation, came while influential for eign diplomats accepted the proba- bility of an Allied defeat in Greece.
 The belief prevailed among them that Hitler would avoid Turkey If he could, after eliminating Greece, and transport vast numbers of men and vast quantities of mechanized arms to Tripoli, the capital of Libya, for a grand scale Egyptian cam paign.
 Diplomats said that If Britain re- frained from withdrawing It's expe- ditionary force from Greece at once and dispatcldng 1t to Alexandria 1t would be due to considerations of honor alone.
 Reports from Ankara are that the Turks have recently moved large supplies of munitions from European Turkey across the straits to Asiatic Turkey. This is called e sensible precaution to prevent them falling into German hands in case of Q surprise attack. The news from Tur- wey indicates that Turkish power in Thrace European Turkey) Is represented by the Turkish flag rather than by an effective military force. It is assumed here that if the Germans attacked, the Turks would at most fight only e delaying action on the European side.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19
Military Regime To TakeOverRuleo ofLand
Continued from Page 10

enemy forces were to be seen any, where in the vicinity of Grevera, 25 mills north of Kalabaka.
 The defense line still ran from the Gulf of Salonika, west long the north side of Mount olympus to Servia, southwest to the Kalabaka region, northwest to the Albanian border below Erseke, and across the lower tip of Albania to the Ionian Sea.
 Italians Hurled Back
 At the west end of the line, rtal. fans attacked the Chimara sector from a point south of the Voyusa river, and the Greeks hurled them back, a government spokesman said. The Italians suffered heavy casual. ties in their retreat and some pris- oners were taken, the spokesman said.
 "On the rest of the Italian front, the Greeks executed movements &C., cording to orders," the spokesman said. "They occupied new positions necessitated by the situation created when German mechanized forces penetrated Eastern Macedonia Gas Jugoslav resistance broke down). The Italians did not know the Greeks were moving out and only in the Erseka region, where light enemy columns contacted our cav. airy, was their any opposition.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19

CTS, forming new cabinet and meanwhile, nc cancelled all military leaSes. Korizis. who became pre- mier on the sudden death of Pre- mier John Metaxas just three months ago, was being buried at D. m. e a. m., EST) today after services in the Metropolitan church
 The home front crisis was amelio- rated by reports from the front that the defense line across lower Mace- donia was still intact. Greeks hold ing the left wing in Albania had withdrawn slightly to better posi- tions but, a Greek headquarters communique said, "all enemy press- ure in the Grevena region and in the middle of the Aliakmon Valley, as well as in the Mount olympus region, was successfully held back" This was the right or east flank, held by British Imperials.
 Slight Advance
 A government spokesman said German mechanical columns had made slight advances on Wednes- day but he said the telephone ex- change at Kalambaka, in the cen- tral sector where the Germans had driven their deepest wedge, had re- ported Wednesday night that no
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19
Federal Agents
 Probing Rise In Price Of Foods

The Department of Justice has begun probe into rising food prices In Connecticut and . fed- eraI grand jury may be sum- mOned to hear evidence, It was learned today. The investigation Is being made by the depart ment's antitrust division, fol- lowing complaints that anti trust laws have been violated In the food industry.
 Similar inquiries have been started at Boston and at Port land, Me-, but there is no infor- nation available on the results of invcStigatory work done thus far.
 The Connecticut investigation Is now centered at Hartford but Is expected to take in other sec tions Of the state within the next few weeks.
 The Department of Justice dee clded on the New England inves- tigations after receipt of com pIaints that antitrust law viola tions were causing higher prices for consumers and at the same time were reducing the prices paid to the farmers for their fruit and vegetables. The probe Is not limited to the prices of fruits and vegetables but also takes in canned goods, bread, dairy products, meat and fish.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19
ALBERTUS MACNUS
 TO HEAR DIR. BELL

Dr. Herbert Bell professor of his- tory ct wesleyan University, will speak to the members of the Alber- tus Magnus student body on April g. The subject of Dr. Bells address will be "America's Position in e World ct War" Dr. Bell recently served as the chairman of the Aid to Britain Committee movement but he was forced to resign through lack Of time. The professor, who spoke at Albertus Magus several years ago, was one of the main speakers at the International Relations Confer ence at St. Joseph College in Feb- uary. The lecture Is sponsored by the Albertus Magnus Catholic Liter ature Club. The Waterbury girls ct the college will attend.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19
HARD YEAR AHEAD,
 ASSERTS HITLER
(Continued from Page D

 reduction In the beer supply, which makes a total of 40 per cent as compared to the pre-war supply, caused many taverns to discontinue the sale of beer for off-the-premises consumption. and to close one day 0 week. Bottled liquor Is now almost unobtainable and tavern keepers will sell only specified number Of glasses to each patron and only at certain hours of the day. A new 20 per cent reduction in the amount Of cigarettes and cigars available to the public caused most tobacconists to make plans to stay open only a part of the time.
 Dietrich's article gave some light on Hitlers present mode of life.
 Prom early morning until late at night an amending stream Of military, political, diplomatic and publicistic reports. pours in from the whole world" Dietrich wrote. According to their weight and im- portnace Hitter fits them into the dynamics of his creative planning and in a comprehensive survey of events as a whole forms opinions, makes decisions and turns them im- mediately into orders.
 Even on his birthday, (tomor- row) as on any other day, the Fuehrer stands with his generals at a map table, following hour by hour the march of his armies, consider ing carefully every movement Of the enmey mad meeting each move with swift and often tremendously bold decisions, leaving nothing to chance or luck but preparing every move of his own with extreme care and caution, considering any possi- ble reaction of the enemy and thus assuring success in advance"
 Hundreds of presents began pour ing into the chancellery here not only from Germany, according to Nazis, but from the United States, South American, Scandinavian, Ru- mania, Bulgaria and even from the New Croat Separatist area. (The means by which the presents were sent from the western hemisphere was not specified) Most of the presents, Nazis said, were typical of the places from which they came such as works of art or antiques sent by Germans abroad, artistical- ly wrought weapons and other arti- cles.
 One present, Nazis asserted, was water color sent from the United States, bearing the postmark De- cember 10, lo40.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19

Representatives of Waterbury veterans organizations elected Wal lis J. Inglis chairman of the Memo- rial day committee at @ meeting of the group in the city court rooms at city hall last night, and Michael Giordano was chosen vice chair man. Mrs. Lura Dutton was again named secretary and Francis W. Orencole became treasurer.
 Other committee chairmen named were as follows: Decoration of Civil war graves, Lester Flood; decoration of Spanish war graves, Albert Port man; speakers, Wallace J. Inglis; radio programs, Rudolph Hennick; music, Daniel Summa; honor roll, Col. William J. Shanahan; church service, Fred McMullen; Gold Star Mothers, Mrs. Isabelle Martone; parade, Capt. William J. Dillon; contest, Miss Margaret Dillon.
 It was announced that the Me-
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19

that it will be passed in the House.
 Unlike the original revision plan reported by a subcommittee last week, the bill would now leave divorce cases in the superior court, but would place all appeals from municipal boards in the jurisdic- tion of the common pleas courts.
 The common pleas courts would have jurisdiction up to $2,500 in civil cases, and only appellate jur- isdiction in criminal cases. The courts would also handle appeals from rulings of the state liquor control commission.
 Common pleas court judges, who would move from one court to an- other on circuit, would receive a salary of $9500 and required to de- vote full time to their jobs. The common pleas court judges at Wa terbury now receive $7,500 each ari- nually.
 At present, some counties have no common pleas courts and the jurisdiction of the others varies considerably. The revision plan would mean more work for the
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-04-19
GERMAN, ITALIAN
 ATTACK BROKEN
(Continued from Page l)

 cut through the British defenses. The gun fire ceased. A patrol of infantry from South Australia went out to see what trouble they could find.
 They brought back 70 Italians even. before the attack started. They brought back 70 Italian even before the attack started.
 "The artillery fire had broken their morale" Q staff captain told me. Several of them came in weep ing and expressed their pleasure at being captured"
 Then came the attack, and It's re- pulse.
 After 1t was over, the Australians turned the defense into Q mild of- fensive.
 They went out and pushed the Germans and Italians of the es- carpment from which they had commanded Q view of the British positions.
 Their next attack should be harder for them. The perimeter defenses, which the Italians had built and made almost impregnable for determined men, have been strengthened. They bristle with field guns, machine guns, Bren guns, anti-tank guns and anti-air- craft guns, with anks and armored cars, not to mention men, to back them up.