Chester Folk Have A Ghost

Murdered Young Emma Pfitzenmeyer's Spirit Now Turns Up
Hair-Raising Experience of Members of the Rumford Family
They Visit The Room In Which The Pretty Girl Met Her Death and Have A Lively and Very Interesting Time With A Spook

Special to the Inquirer

Chester, Feb. 26. The Schmidt residence, where that pretty German girsl, Emma Pfitzenmeyer, lost her life after she had returned from a dance, has leaped into prominence again, and this time because the "ghost" of the murdered girl insists upon roaming about to the great consternation of those in the neighborhood.
Emma wasn't the kind of girl that would be likely to trouble the living, but after her tragic end it was some time before the owner of the Schmidt residence could get a tenant. Those persons who happened to be looking for a house were not afraid of ghosts, no indeed, but they didn't like to live in such places.

No Fear of Spirits

Finally a family came along that didn't care a cent for spooks, rather liked the idea, in fact. So a short time ago, John Rumford, his wife and 19-year-old daughter Mattie moved in. It wasn't long before Mrs. Rmford and a married daughter began to tell their friends about the unusual scenes in the house. They went so far as to say they had seen the ghost of some girl meandering around in the roms. Mattie and her father laughed. "Rank nonsense," they called it.

Tuesday evening, however, the final blow came. It was about 9 o'clock when Mattie was asked to go upstairs and get a wrap for her older sister. Mattie started and what followed can best be told in her own words. Here is the story as she told it to the Inquirer correspondent:

She Saw Something

"There is one gas jet in the room and this was lit and turned down very low. As I entered the door of the room something came from the closet. It had long waving hair, and resembled Emma Pfitzenmeyer. I held out my hand t see if it was not some mistake , and it uttered the most piercing shrieks. I made a rush from the room, and as I put my foot on the first step I am positive I felt some one take hold of my arm.

After that I remember nothing until I recovered consciousness."

Her mother here related how they had picked her up at the bottom of the stairs unconscious, bleeding profusely from the mouth, and one of her feet badly sprained. The other members of the house are equally as positive as Miss Mattie, concerning the presence of some mysterious being in the house.

She Saw Emma

Mrs. Rumford said, "I have seen the form of Emma Pfitzenmeyer, that ill-fated German girl, standing at the foot of my bed. I did not know the girl in life, but as she appeared to me she was of medium height, with light hair which hung loosely over her shoulders. On another occasion my husband was in the room with me. I called his attention to it, and as I did so, it vanished, leaving only a ring of smoke. He saw this and nervously opened the door to see where it had gone. At various times I have seen the hand and arm of a woman in different parts of the room. I do not believe in ghosts, neither do any of the family, but this has given us a terrible shock."1

• 1. Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/27/1892