Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-13
AlGfau0r1a Q6azettt
TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER Il.
Ghosts III & I0rgue.

| EHOssaS IE1 81 ISVEaES'
Several nights ago Williams, the assistant at
the Morgue, went out for the evening. Mr..
| Auenbaugh, the superintendent, sat alone ~ the
gloomy Office. The fire burned low, and shadows
played 6tfuIly upon the walls. About ten
o'clock Mr.. Auenbaugh arose and sent out in.
to the yard to get bucket Of coal. lie carried
lamp with hin and left the door open. When
| he vent to get the coal there was rushirg
noise in the sir. His light was eztlnsqHis'';d
and the open door was SHUT violently. ThcIc
vas a sound in the interior Of the building as
if body had fallen against the door. Then it
was rcopenet and agair closed violently, aud
two distinct raps On the panels were heard.
Then a was still! IS death The superintendent
filled his bucket and reenteTed the building.
He locked iearfully about. Everything was as
it should be- 1T was ou!y the wind. laughed
the superintendent, as nc heaped coal into the
fire. The ruddy blaze caught the fuel. The
flames leaped high and Illuminated the room
pleasantly, and over his long pipe the su
perintendeot forgot his silly fears. The assist.
ant came home soon after and the superintcnd
ent departed, very tired and worn out. The
assistant made up his bed, and, retiring, fell
into heavy sleep. The room where he sleeps
communicates by separate doors to narrow
stone chamber where the bodies are prepared
for exhibition and to the large chamber where,
on marble slabs, the unknown dead await idcn.
ti6caton. He had slept what had seemed to
him about fifteen minutes, when he sat bolt up.
right 10 bed awakened by two slow and distinct
raps on the door of the exhibition room, accom-
panied by the noise of body falling against it.
While he wondered two answering raps came
from the door of the washing room. Williams
got up, put some more coal on the fire, tucncd
on the gas little brighter and then lay down
again. Ten minutes passed and agalu the two
slow aod distinct raps and the falling body on
the door Of the exhibition room, with answer,
ing raps from the other door. ..,,
He lay still and wondered, when, hark there
again He sprang out OF bed, and selzng i
light threw open the door Of the washing room
lie could see to every corner OF lts gloomy ex'
tent. A iostus, found somewhere BY. some boys,
was in small box In one corner. Nothing else
was in tho chamber lie closed the door and
turned to cross the room, when again the
raps, with the answer from the narrow cham
Der which be had just closed. lie sprang
to the exhibition room door. tore it open.
and With his lamp held high above bis
head gazed long and trembingly into tho
gloom. On one slab lay something covered
with q white cloth. Beneath it could 1t be seen
the rough outlines Of human figure. a negro
woman had died of apopexy during the day,
and was lying there on the cold and drpplcg
slab, The body of a little child that had met
death in some mysterious manner lay next 10
that of the old negro woman.
On third slab en- indiscriminatc heap OF hu
man bones was piled. Some wor kmcn had un-
earthed them while digging in the old pauper
graveyard on Carroll street. The slow, steady
drp of water as it fell upon the bodies and trick
led to tho floor became painful to him and with
a last look he closed the door. The instant his
back vas turned, rap, rap" on the door With
the answering rap, rap" on the other door
and then a single rap on the ceiling. lie dash
ed into the deadr10m again and turncd thc oilc
gas lets high until thereon was blaze oil light.
lie examined every nook and Granny OF tho
chamber, and found nothing. ,.,r
Tic old negro woman5 body, the cblds
corpse and tho unhonorcd bones OF the un'
known pauper we're az he had left them.
1T is the wind" said he aloud, as he turned
down the gas The stone walls ho!lo|ly echoed
wind" The gloom returned and htlul siiad'
o9s played ever the gfastIy freight oil The drip
ping slabs m ;. 10 .,o ,,;na " ss;3 ac as with
vads of paper and little sticks, he plugged up
the cracks of the doors urlil they huug 10 their
easements as firm as the very walls. lie LAID
down, said good night to his foolish fears, and
was lust dropping off into a geatlc dcz,,
when clearer, louder, faster than before
came the raps-one, two, from the dcao room;
one, two, in answer, from the washing room,
then perfect shower of rap5 from both doors
with an occasional sonorous bang as gratulty
from, the ceiling Now thoroughly terrified, nc
sprang from bed, turned up the gas until the
apartment was flooded With light. lie opened
the outer door quickly and stepped on to the
street. No ono was 10 sight. Il heavy log
hung over the city, and clock, With tones
mutfied By the damp of the air. azI'y tolled tho
hour of three He thought of calling Tor kap'
ter, the saloon keeper across the way, to come
over aud sit With him, but Kanter'5 house was
dark. and be probably asleep and dreaming on
| IL Of the spirits which he daily rctaied over hs
bar, and SO Williams turned into the cfiice. and,
sittiug in chair, read the Globe Democrat nm
I'll he fell into an exhausted and letharglc sleep,
from which nothing short Of sixty FOUNDER
could awaken him.
Ia the morning the sunlight stole into the
;epulchral apartment in 6 sort OF cautious and
,imid manner, and with it came the bupcrln'
tondept, both surprising Mr. Williams asleep
in his chair.
The nsrents Of the child took It's body away.
! The bones of the unknown pauper found rcst.
;no mace ip the Potter's Field, and the next
n;ebt nassed iu quiet. Williams threw up his
| nlsoe.-.St. Louis Globe. Democrat.
Y AIDES AND CHILDREN s
L. MERINO VESTS AND DRAW ELS
4 A full line very cheap at =, , ,,,,yvo