looking around saw the room brilliantly lighted, while at the window stood a lady elegantly attired, in the act of throwing something out.  This accomplished, she turned her face toward the only spectator showing a countenance so distorted by evil passions that he was thrilled with horror.  Soon the light and the figure with the dreadful face disappeared, leaving the artist suffering from a frightful nightmare.  On returning to his city home he was so haunted by the fearful countenance which had for three consecutive nights troubled him, that he made a sketch of it, and so real that the evil expression seemed to horrify every one who saw it.  Not a great while after, the artist went to make an evening visit on Mr. Izzard; that gentleman invited him to his picture gallery, as he wished to show him some remarkable, old family portraits.  What was Mr. A.’s surprise to recognize among them, in the likeness of a stately, well-dressed lady, the one who had so troubled his slumbers on his previous visit, lacking, however, the revolting, wicked expression.  Soon as he saw it he involuntarily exclaimed, “Why, I have seen that lady!” “Indeed!” said Mr. I., smiling, “that is hardly possible, as she died more than a hundred years ago.  She was the second wife of my great-grandfather, and reflected anything but credit on the family.  She was strongly suspected of having murdered her husband’s son by a former marriage, in order to make her own child heir to the property.  The unfortunate boy broke his neck in a fall from a window, and there was every reason to believe that he was precipitated from the window by his stepmother.”  The artist then told his host the circumstances of his thrice-repeated experience, or dream, and sent for his sketch, which, so far as the features were concerned, was identical with the portrait in Mr. Izzard’s gallery.  The sketch has since been photographed, but from its hideous expression is not very pleasant to look upon.

A GHOST THAT WILL NOT DOWN

(Cincinnati Enquirer, Sept. 30, 1884)

GRANTSVILLE, W. VA., September 30.—­The ghost of Betts’ farm will not lay.  Something over a year ago the Enquirer contained an account or an occult influence or manifestation at the farm house of Mr. Collins Betts, about three miles below this town, in which story were delineated a number of weird, strange instances of ghostly manifestations, all of which were verified by the testimony of honest, brave and reliable citizens, the names of many of whom were mentioned.  That story went the rounds of newspapers all over the country and resulted in the proprietor of the place receiving hundreds of letters from all over the country.

Since then the old house has been torn down, the family of Mr. Betts rebuilding a home place on a different portion of the farm.  This act, it was believed, would lay or forever quiet the ramblings and queer doings of the inexplicable mystery.  But such has not been the case.  Since the building has been razed the mysterious manifestation has made itself visible at places sometimes quite a distance from the scene of its former domicile.