Mystery Of John Hyde

Strange Sight Beheld by a Peeping Tom In Home of Recluse.

There is an old house, quite innocent of paint, in Cambridge, Mass., which has had the reputation of being haunted for nearly a century. It was formerly the residence of a queer character, by name John Hyde. The occupant of the building lived a hermit-like existence and repelled the familiarity of his neighbors. He roughly let it be known that the ghostly familiar who nightly came to visit him objected to the presence of ordinary mortals.

One peeping Tom who one night sought refuge under the roof of the broad porch during a severe storm, had reason to repent his inquisitiveness. Hearing voices in the front room and seeing a glimmer of light where a rent existed In the shade, he applied his eye and was horrified to observe John Hyde sitting at a table in close converse with two ghostly figures of women. At the same instant he saw the uncanny sight an unusually loud peal of thunder crashed about the house, and a vivid fork of lightning nearly blinded the eavesdropper. He was hurled into the middle of the road and lay there half stunned for several minutes. When he recovered the use of his legs, he ran away as fast as he could go to the nearest tavern, where he imparted his experience to a terror stricken group.