17
Jan

Haunted House on 4th Street

   Posted by: admin   in Entertainment

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 17, 1907

Haunted House on 4th Street

Mysterious Rappings Puzle (sic) The Police – Frighten Others.

Reliable Persons Hear Them

Acting Chief of Police Chas. Grant, Manager Griffith of the Duncombe House and Others Have Heard the Noises – Big Crowd Last Night.

What some people believe to be a real haunted house haunted house (sic) has been discovered on Fourth street directly in the rear of the Duncombe hotel. For several days mysterious raps loud enough to be heard all over the house, and coming three at a time, now in one room, now in another, have terrorized the occupants of the place.

A family named Wilson lives downstairs, and the upper part of the house is occupied by Mrs. Dr. Lloyd and her three children. It was first thought that the children were responsible for the rappings but this has been disproven.

Policeman Talks.

Acting Chief of Police Charles Grant went down to the place night before last. This is the story he told to a Messenger reporter:

“I don’t know what to make of it. I was skeptical and wouldn’t believe at first there were any rappings. I laughed at the stories that were told Mr. Griffith, of the Duncombe House, was with me. We waited about half an hour and then about half past seven o’clock we heard the three raps loud and distinct. Griffight went upstairs and I stayed down stairs. He told me that just as he went upstairs and started to go into a room off the hall he heard the three raps again and they seem to be right on the door he was entering, within a foot of his face, yet he could see nothing. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I certainly heard that noise, and I’d like to know what makes it. One time it will come from one room and the next time from another. It moves all over the house.”

Examined House.

The house is an ordinary frame structure but quite solid and well built. Yesterday Mr. Plumb, an employe (sic) of the Grove auto garage, went to the place and with a lantern and sounding apparatus went over every nook and cranny, tested the floors and ceilings for loose boards, etc., but everything was found solid. There are no water pipes, gas pipes, sewer pipes or anything of the kind in the building that could make a noise.

Big Crowd Last Night.

The residents of that part of the city are all excitement. Last night a crowd of not less than one hundred people gathered within the house and stood without. Nearly all heard the rappings.

The occupants of the house state that they are not often heard in the day time, though sometimes this occurs. Usually they start about seven thirty o’clock and come about every five minutes until midnight, when they cease.

Sometimes they will not be heard for an hour at a time. The children have been watched and it is practically certain the noise is not made by them.

Three policemen and representatives of the newspapers will visit the  house tonight.

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