Vampire Books Online / Haunted by a Vampire

Unknown | The Lewiston Daily Sun | 1897

The Unhappy Experience of John Santino, a Sober Railroad Man.

John Santino, a well known brakeman employed on the Alameda (Cal.) narrow gauge system, formerly for many years under Conductor Robert Owen on the Alameda broad gauge line, says that he is the victim of a most extraordinary, relentless and supernatural enemy that robs him of rest at night and for several years has made his life a hourly nightmare.

"For about three years and a half I have been fighting ghosts at my house, 2544 Clement avenue," said he. "A mysterious, uncanny intruder has kept me in a constant state of nervousness at night, when I wanted to sleep. I thought for a long time it might be some 'varmint,' and set all sorts of pitfalls and snares to catch it. I had my bedroom, where I sleep alone, just filled with traps—mousetraps, rattraps, 'tigars' de,' and deadfalls big enough to kill an alligator, but nothing ever came of it.

"As those singular nocturnal disturbances continued I came to the conclusion finally that I must be afflicted with a ghost. I bought a pistol and increased my watch-fulness. At the least noise I would jump up and grab my pistol, but I never saw anything in the room.

"The curtain thing about the affair was that after such disturbance, usually some time about the middle of the night, I would wake up to find myself covered with strange liquid that died when exposed to the light. I bought all kinds of blessed powder to beat the device—you just ask the druggists—but it didn't do any good. Then I tried putting two cats in my room, but not a rat or mouse could be discovered.

"I feel sure now that the creature is a vampire, which comes to my bed and lays itself on my neck, for what purpose I cannot tell.

"It was only last Monday morning, about 2 o'clock, that I awoke and suddenly felt an object resting on my left shoulder. In a twinkling it flitted away. I heard it pattering about the pillow as it went, and I am certain it was the creature, vampire or what you will, that has been haunting me so long. It always has the most horrid smell, just like something from the ocean, and I think it the odor as much as anything which wakes me up.

"I have always left my window open at the top to have plenty of air, but it never occurred to me that the cause of my continual unnatural uneasiness might find ingress that way. These vampires are awfully cunning creatures, and in som as they see the least movement they are off like a flash. Sometimes the thing wouldn't come near for a week, so that though I tried to be on the watch all the time I could never catch it. I have fixed up a lot of snares, which hang across my room, and I hope to get it tangled in them some night that I can shut the window before it escapes.

"I have awakened in the room with many a time with a sickness at the stomach, and I believe that it was that vampire's presence during the night that caused it. There are lots of cases of children that pine away under the care of a physician, and I believe that night visits from these hideous creatures are responsible for it. I don't know whether my case is an isolated one or not, but I think people should know about it and take necessary precautions."

"Do you drink, Mr. Sant?" was asked.

"Not a drop."—San Francisco Chronicle.