Skiles Edward Test:
Newspaper Story of Public Auction
Indianapolis - Ten thousand bargain hunters and curiosity seekers swarmed over the estate of an eccentric millionaire yesterday as an auctioneer started selling belongings that ranged from a complete sawmill to kegs of nails to miniature coffins for cats and 800 pairs of size 8-C shoes.
The late Skiles Test, a motor-inn magnate for whom a building on Indianapolis' famed Monumeunt Circle was named many years ago, died last year at 74.
His death laid to rest some of the mystery of his mansion dubbed by curious motorists "The House of the Blue Lights." During his lifetime motorists threading their way through woods surrounding the rambling farmhouse saw the place glowing with eerie blue lights.
Rumor had it that Test's first wife lay dead in a glass coffin illuminated by blue lights. But there was no casket for humans, and the blue lights were Christmas-tree strands strung in trees around the house.
Auctioneer Earl Cornwall knocked down the first items, two junked cars and a truck, for $125. An auto-parts firm paid $1,550 for the contents of a collapsing barn-mostly kegs of nails and scrap metal hoarded by Test.
The second day's sale will feature more than $75,000 worth of new hardware items and power tools.
Saturday is reserved for household goods, including oriental rugs, diamond rings with price tags still on them, paintings, and antiques. Among the sale items are cases of catsup, thousands of phonograph records, and a baby-grand player piano.
Transcribed by Glenn A. Test. His grandfather clipped the story and saved it. It carrries the the United Press International heading but no reference to the newspaper that printed the story.
Posted 11/22/1999