Ghost Stories of Old New Orleans

Up the Garret Stairs

Up the Garret Stairs In May of 1909, certain mysterious manifestations in this city drew the attention of the newspapers. Spiritualistic mediums awoke to the fact that the times were opportune, and arranged seances whenever and wherever possible. To some of these, newspaper reporters were admitted. Reporters not being particularly sympathetic towards things occult, however, it was deemed expedient to pick and choose among those who presented themselves in this capacity. A medium widely known at the time, living in Lee Circle, consented to permit a single reporter to attend one of her seances, stipulating that he must be "by nature quiet and serious-minded, and endowed with an unerring sense of justice ." Feeling that this was a large order, the city editor summoned one Ursin Beauvaisand gave him the assignment. "Spread yourself a little," he instructed. "Might be well to speak with authority—from experience, that is." Young Beauvais leered pleasantly. "Spiritually speaking, as it were," he remarked, "when do I get my day off?" "Might ask that at the seance," grinned the man on the desk. "If you bring in a rotten story like you did last time, you can count on a year instead of a day." "Humph!" snorted the reporter, and was on his way. He hated these fool spiritualistic bouts he was always being sent out to cover. The room in the house in Lee Circle was dimly lighted 239 (1909) 240 Ghost Stories of Old New Orleans when the reporter was ushered in. A small group of people sat waiting for what young Beauvaiscalled "the show." Finally the medium appeared and, after some preliminaries , went into her trance. Speaking in a halting, infantile voice, she mentioned this name and that—members of the "circle"—and gave them messages "from the beyond," as she expressed it. The spirit of an infant which had died when a few hours old conversed freely with its mother, describing in adult phrases its present surroundings and condition. The reporter was yawning discreetly when the medium said, "A spirit is here who says his name on earth was Hypolite LeMaitre. He says he was an old man when he passed on. A grandfather, I think. Yes, and he says his grandson is one Ursin Beauvais. That is right. Is there anyone here by the name of Ursin Beauvais?" "That is my name," replied the reporter, feeling a trifle embarrassed. "Thank you. This Hypolite LeMaitre, your grandfather, has a message for you. He says to tell you that if he had not died intestate he would have left you a large fortune. He repeats, had he not died intestate, you would not have failed to be his heir. But, he says, though he did not make a will, he did not forget you. And he says you are not to lose faith in his good intentions. He tells me you occupy at the present time a room in the garret of the house in which he was born. Is that true?" "Why, yes," assented Beauvais. "It is. I do." "Thank you. Your grandfather says he wants particularly to warn you not to part with anything whatsoever that is in your room at the present time. He says to tell you he will meet you on the garret stairs." The voice paused and then began on a message to somebody else. Ursin Beauvaiscould feel a strange prickling up and down his spine. How could this medium know where he lived, and how, and who his grandfather had been? Of course, he always had understood that these professionals had ways and means of finding out all sorts of things about people who had died, as well as about the living relatives. It was an old game, Up the Garret Sfairs 241 played by priests and high priests of this and that, from time immemorial. Still, it wasa bit strange. . . . About midnight, after he had turned in his stuff for the day, he started home. He stopped in to chat a few minutes with Elise Pettingill who lived on Royal between Ursuline and Hospital streets. Elise, being the girl of his heart, knew the queer late hours his work compelled him to keep. She lived alone with her father in a small apartment, working as a typist in a wholesale drug concern during the day. The father was twisted and stiffened with rheumatism, and unable to do regular work, so he attended...