Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-31
GhostIy Mantle stations in the Asylum
Perter's Lodge.

The porter's lodge of the W. l.. Asylum
is small brick building built as children
build block houses, a block on each side
and one put on top, resting upon the edges
of the other two, and beneath this central
block is tho carriage way. Each OF the
side blocks has a cellar entered from the
outside. The centre block contains Sleep
ing room which IS entered only by flgnS
of steps leading up from but one OF the
blocks. This building has been occupied
for many years, the left block as port
RS room, where there is person station
ed day and night, and the right block as
the gardeners residence, and it il from MS
room that the stairs ascend into the Sisop-
ing room in the central block.
On the 9Th of February, Junius Silence
ker, the gardener of the Asylum, aged %
years, died He was from Richmond, and
his wife while awaiting her return to that
CITY with her children. rem ained 10 tne
residence they had occupied for several
years. She staid about ten days and theA
removed to Eastern Virginia. After sne
left. the windows were fastened down ana
the doors securely locked. About hve weeks
ago, day or two after Mrs. S. left, Mr..
Jewett Andrews, who is the Waterman at
the porter's lodge on alternate nights, heard
about $50 P. NJ, while on duty, violent
pulling of the door of the gardner's room
as if some one on the inside was trying to
get out. 1t was so violent and 50 long
continued that he took the key OF the ROOM
which is kept in the watchman's room'
went across the carriage way ana unlock
ing the door entered and made thorough
search. He found the windows all secure
ly fastened down and no living creature IN
the apartment. He made similar search
of the up stairs sleeping room with the
same result. After coming out and re,
locking the door he heard the same dem
onstrations again, accompanied by the
sound of breaking sticks and the ciinkina
of pieces of iron. Another search still fall
! ed to reveal anything. He said nothing OF
| the event but the next night Mr.. Wright
who was on duty as Waterman, had thu
same experience and on comparing notei
the two watchmen found that the noisei
had impressed each one alike as to tine
character of the sounds. The report Their
became general and a number OF persons
connected with the asylum and some from
town have been to the spot and heard the
same unaccouBted for noises. A few nights
| ago as two gentlemen were going down
from the main building to satisfy theil
| curiosity they saw from the arch, midwa,
between the Asylum and the lodge, a ligh'
I in the sleeping room, but on reaching TIT
lodge were told that the door of the gard
euer's room was locked and nobody hat
been up stairs with or without light.
The unexplained noises have created q
good deal of curious interest in aud out o
the Asylum, especially from their ions
continuance after every reasonable mod
of accounting tor them has been closet,
examined into. The whole building. which
is not a large one, has been rigidly search
ed-cellars and all; the doors and Windows
are securely fastened and if they were no
there is no loose wood or iron in the rooms
with which the noises couli be made by {
person who had entered. The fact tina
there have been On the ground in the las
FIVE weeks 1.-THE duration of the phenome
nal on various occasions some thirty DIFF
fersut persons and all have heard the SAM
manifestations at about the same hour
the night. bars the explanation of aurlcu
| lar illusion and has added to the curiosity
which may now be said to be at fever heat