The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1883-04-27

Philadelphia Times.
The men who patrcl the Gene
teiles after the sun had gone down
are armed with pistols and clubs,
and ate generally accompanied. by
trained aud savage bloodhounds.
In addition to these external and
tangible means OF defense they
must be gifted with rare and
peculiar meatal organization. So
many men have lost their reason
through watching graves at night
that persons in that position have
come TO believe that they risk
lapsing into state OF melancholia
perfectly distinct from any other
form OF insanity. Sections aud
grave disgers call this affection
"tombstone madness.r
A startling realization of this
fact was telegraphed throughout
the country yesterday. Ii was
announced that several of the
soldiers who do sentry duty day
aud night at the tomb of Garfield,
amid the dreary solitude of Lake
View Cemetery, near Cleveland,
have become insane. Anything
or any device is used by the man
to get awny from the ghostly mus
ter OF tomUstones or the dark
array OF mounds. An old watch.
man at Glenwood Cemetery ex-
planned this to u Times reporter
yesterday BY saying that in all
probability the soldiers detailed ut
the grave were not picked. "Take
half a dozen men from auy walk
in life" he continued. "and place
them at nights 10 watch grave.
yards,and the chances are that
iu short time five of the six
will feel like retiring permanently
to 4 lunatie asylum"
"lf u man wants to euter this
profession aud be a success at it
he must be abont as impression
able as brick and mortar. II he
has the least bit of Imagination he
had better abandon the business,
for when the moon is obscured by
clouds and he il walking about u
cemetery, shivering from bis heels
upwaId, he will mistake tomb
sloues for ghosts. He will think
that the owls, rs they whiz past his
ears with their nournful boot, are
unquiet spirits come to haunts the
receptacles of the bodies which
hey once permeated. When the
noise OF his footsteps makes the
rats disappear with ~ rustling
sound iuto little thickets OF ever.
greens he will start and grasp his
weapon. The very whine of his
dog will make him feel nervous,
aud bit by bit his reason will be.
come impaired.n
~ could give you some sad
"reminiscences of people who watch
ed graveyards,7 said one of the
oldest watchmen at Laurel Hill
Cemetery, in u strange, solemn,
tone. Then halfjestingiy, he add.
ed: "But they're buried in the
past aud it's my business to let
what's buried remain so.' He did
not mind telling one story, how
ever. 81 used to work in Brook
Ign cemetery before / came to this
city," he began. at was there
that the terrible scene | shall
speak of occurred. We wanted an
assistant night watchman very
badly, but none Of the persons who
presented themselves could endure
staying up with the graves fol
more than two or three nights
each. At last there came an un.
fortunate man whose health seem
ed shattered by overwork aud
privation. 1t was his last venture
He bad tried to get employment
everywhere without result and hi.
wife and children were suffering
We took him on. Il dent think
shall ever forget his fuce the morn
ing after his first night in tb,
graveyard. He said be hat
endured !, unhcard.of agony, bu
was hopeful Of getting over it i,
time. The following night wa,
dark and windy. Raiu came dow,
iu torrents aud there were flashes
OF lightning every few minutes
AT ab0ut1 o'clock the head watcl,
man heard loud cry; there wa
a sound of running feet, followe,
by the report Of a pistol. A searcl
was made and the unfortunate maj
J was found lying on his back acros
} a grave dead. There was smal
hole in his temple, aud bis owl
revolver, one barrel OF which wa
empty, lay three feet away, wher
he had flung 1t, imbedded in th
ground. II was certain that SOM
fearful creation OF the Inauguration
! had SO terrified him that he tool
his lite TO escape IRON 1t.
When the old man had 9nishe,
this narrative he was silent TO
/. many minutes. He sat perfect
still, with a vacant look, and a
: lowed bright tears 10 chase eac
other down his cheek. Suddenl
J. he made v brisk motion and fore
{ bly, forgot the subject of his nal
Q rative. "There are amusin
4 things semetimes,n he said, spenl
4 Ing ct 6lBt with an effort. q
!. shoru time ago a man was put
work at night ii a cemetery not Fl
from here. He strolled around /
b an affected Indifferent way, whis