Driven Out By Ghosts

Driven Out By Ghosts

The good people of Kokomo, Ind., have been much disturbed of late by a ghost which is said to haunt a certain house. Charles Abney and his bride recently moved into this house, but the ghost broke up their housekeeping the very first day. Three years ago Herman Schultz, a returned Spanish-American soldier, was murdered at a dance in this house by Arthur Woolford, who is now serving a prison term for the crime. Since the tragedy the house has had numerous tenants, none of whom remained longer than a few days. Abney and his bride moved in one day and the next moved out. In the night soon after the couple had retired to bed the doors of the house opened, and there was the noise of entering guests. The room was filled with invisible people. Presently a squeaky violin was heard, accompanied by the clatter of feet and the swirl and swish of skirts around the room. Voices revealed a quarrel of two men over a girl, each claiming her as a dancing partner. Then followed a pistol shot and the noise of the victim falling to the floor. The ghastly affair was faithful reproduction of the dance and tragedy of three years ago in which the young soldier lost his life.

Schultz, the victim, was a member of Company L. One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Indiana regiment. Jacob Harness, an uncle of Judge B. P. Harness of the Howard superior court, occupied the house at the time of the murder. He soon moved out, as did all other later tenants. All the neighbors certify to mysterious visitations and frequent ghostly apparitions. Abney and his bride remained in the house but six hours.