The Philadelphia Phantom
On June 27, 1877, Philadelphia’s Public Ledger published the following story about a famous haunting in the city. Here’s my edited version of the tale.
Stories of haunted homes are so commonly debunked that many people no longer believe in ghosts. But recently, hundreds of people in the city have recently become fully convinced, not just of the possibility of ghosts, but of the actual manifestation of one. Why? Because they’ve seen the real thing with their own eyes.
Hundreds of people swear they have seen a spirit at 223 Monroe Street. Residents in the area noticed strange phenomenon about a week ago, and the southern section of the city is now in a feverish state of excitement.
They say the ghost, a white figure bearing light, appears at the same second-floor window every night between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. Now, hundreds of people begin assembling before dusk each evening, jockeying for the best spots, and waiting in heightened anticipation until the ghost appears. When it does, all noise in the crowd instantly stops and faces turn up to the window in wonder.
After the ghost slowly fades from view, the awe-stricken crowd gradually disperses in small groups, eagerly discussing the strange appearance in hushed tones. One skeptical young woman in the neighborhood was so distressed to see the ghost, she fainted and awoke a firm believer.
The haunted home is an old-fashioned brick dwelling more than half a century old. The striking residence is currently uninhabited, but many refined and worthy people have called it home. The former headquarters of Mosher and Douglas, the abductors of Charley Ross, is in the immediate vicinity. Could the haunting somehow be related?
See the original story here.
