A CELLAR GHOST 1882

VOELKER, WIDMAN, RICER

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 5/16/2016 at 19:38:26

The Dubuque Herald – Jan. 7, 1882

A CELLAR GHOST
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A Denouement of
Mysterious Knocking
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For some time the neighborhood of Thirteenth and Clay Streets have been mystified by harrowing tales of ghosts and goblins. Some men and women have avowed that tall ghosts and short ghosts, ghosts of unquestionable shape with glaring eyes and fiery nostrils have been seen prowling about at all times of the night, assuming shapes so hideous that grave yards might yawn with envy. At last the mysterious noises and apparitions were traced to Widman’s basement, and when the stars were conjoining Luna, the most alarming and startling manifestations would cause each particular hair of the listener to stand on end. The mystery seemed beyond solution. But last night Chris Voelker, Sam Ricer and a policemen screwed their courage to the sticking point, resolved to solve the mystery or grow grey in the attempt. Armed cap a pie, Sam Rice guarded the back door, while the others entered the basement to “incantate” the supposed ghost. Slowely they descended through the trap door, and no sooner had they commenced to rummage about the boxes and barrels than they heard something leaping toward the rear of the cellar. Sam, while standing guard with a continental fusilie poised for duty, saw someone that looked like a man skip out of the cellar, rush past him with the velocity of lightening, scaling the fence to the alley. The forces were concentrated and a further search made when the mysterious stranger was discovered in the shape of a cat which inserted his head in a milk pitcher, and thus became impaled as it were. Being unable to extricate herself she rushed about the cellar in a frantic manner, striking everything which with she came into contact with and which accounted for the mysterious knocks and noised heard below. The feline monster in endeavoring to free herself, had broken the pitcher, but the rim still remained about her neck, as a witness of her thievish propensities. No more ghosts in that quarter.