Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1877 — How a Ghost Was Captured. [ARTICLE]

How a Ghost Was Captured.

About a mile from the center of Babylon Village, Long Island, stands a house which has for some time been unoccupied. It -wa* some time ago fitted up for the occupancy of a newly-married couple, but shortly after they moved into it the young bride died, and the building was again left vacant. Within a few weeks past, strange sounds have been heard and flitting lights have been seen in the house; occasionally a pale, wan face would appear at one of the windows in the dead of night, and piteous wails would issue apparently from between the livid lips, and then the “ perturned spirit ” would wander from room to room throughout the house, as if looking for something that could never be found. Babylon enjoyed the sensation of having a “ haunted house.” Some of the young fellows in the neighborhood, however, were not superstitious to the extent of being afraid to make an investigation, and one night last week two or three of them concealed themselves in tha building to await the “ ghost’s ” appearance. About the hour “ when churchyards yawn,” one of the windows opened, and his ghostship entered, in a veiy unghostly manner, and commenced his usual performance, his form being just distinguishable in the darkness. In the middle of one of his most interesting acts, the concealed persons crept softly on all-fcurs to the spot, and suddenly grasped him by the ankles, a proceeding which was followed by a series of terrific shrieks veiy human in their tone, and indicating an agony of fear, and it was some time before the bogus ghost was brought to the point of believing that he had not been seized by a real one The explanation of his proceeding is found in the fact that a certain person was desirous of owning the house, tout the proprietor refused to part with it on the terms offered, and this ’novel method was adopted by the would-be purchaser to depreciate the market value of the property. At present the laugh is against him.—JT. Y. Time,.