Another Ghost. A rival to the South End sensation.
The Bachelors’ Club visited. Mysterious and unexplainable occurrences – a door opened and a bed moved.
The South-End is not destined to hold a monopoly on ghost senstations, nor do visitants of a supposedly unearthly nature and occult manifestations confine themselves to that particular portion of the city according to the latest reports. The South-End ghost, or evidently some near relative, has transferred the place of his habitation, and judging by the indications and unexplainable occurrences has taken up abode at the Bachelors’ Hall at 235 North Third street. According to the stories current among the neighbours this house has long been haunted. Whence the story originated, or the basis for it, none are able to say. It seems to be a tradition handed down from long ago, subsiding into quiescence at times, but always recollected when queer occurrences happened in the house. Certain it is that the residents in the vicinity firmly believe that there is something queer about the house, and substantiate their faith by pointing to the fact that no one family or person has ever occupied it for any great length of time, and when removing would give no particular explanation of the cause.
For some time previous to the time the Bachelors’ Club engaged the premises nothing of a particularly mysterious character had occurred and the story of its hauntedness had almost been forgotten. After the bachelors had moved in, however, noises and knocks of an unexplainable character began to be heard. No particular attention was paid to them. Some of the boys happened to mention the fact and immediately the ghost story was revived, and thereafter the inmates of the house paid more attention to these mysterious noises and tried in every manner to find an explanation for them. The cause was searched for diligently, but no natural explanation could be found and the mystery became a subject of intense interest for the bachelors. Beyond knocks on the wall nothing had occurred so far and the matter became a subject for joking and laughter.
An occurrence which took place several days ago has changed the aspect and the matter is now looked upon more seriously and considered with less levity and hilarity than heretofore. One of the bachelors occupies an apartment on the second floor, into which two doors open. The bed is so placed that the head abuts against one of the doors, precluding the possibility of anyone entering without awakening the occupant, and to make it doubly secure the door is always kept locked. During one night a short time since the occupant of the bed awakened suddenly about the middle of the night, with the feeling that something unusual was in progress. In a moment he was wide awake and became conscious that the bed was slowly moving. He lay a moment, saw that the door which was at the head, was being gradually opened. His first thought was of burglars and not wishing to tackle a marauder of that sort alone, he determined to arouse his comrades. The determination was almost as quickly acted upon as thought and a second later saw his alabaster limbs gleaming in the moonlight, and his voluminous robe de chambre whipping the corners as he flew around the hall and down stairs.
In a few moments the entire force of Bachelors’ Hall in abbreviated costume was on the way upstairs determined to gain glory and renown and hand down famous names to posterity by the capture of the intruder. But it was a fruitionless hope, for not a trace of a visitor could be discovered. The door was found open, and the bed pushed about a foot from the wall; but that was all the trace that rewarded the search. Not the least sign of burglarous entrance was apparent and, after talking the matter over, the conclusion was reached that it must be the work of the ghost.
The matter was a topic of absorbing interest the following day, and the bachelors finally decided that none other than themselves were entitled to the possession of the premises. The attorney gave it as his opinion, after consulting Hoyle, that as the visitant paid no pro rata, he or it, was acting illegally, against the peace and dignity of the inmates and contrary to the statutes in such cases made and provided. The newspaper man promised to “burn him up” in the next issue, but this procedure was protested against, as giving the matter too much publicity. As a compromise measure it was finally determined to “lay for the ghost” and the following night saw the party of bachelors gathered around a table, in the centre of which stood a bottle labeled “Old Scotch.” Each bachelor had a pipe, and after fortifying their spirits the light was put out, and they smoked in silence, waiting for their visitor.
It was in vain. Nothing appeared and nothing occurred, though the vigil was not given up until dawn. The bachelors say the ghost has been laid, however, for since that night no disturbance of any kind has taken place and the knockings have ceased. The solitary and unshared slumbers of the bachelors are disturbed no more.
San Jose Mercury, 23rd February 1891.