The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-02-17
SEEING A GHOST.
story from the Dlssectinr Room.


Ned Adams, a janitor Of New York
was once employed in the Bellevue Hos
pital College. He relates an experienc,
he had there, which may well make
leach particular hair to stand on end.
This is how he told 1t to reporter Of
the Herald:
II had charge Of the dissecting room
OF Bellevue Hospital College from 1864
to 1870 and it was part of my duty to
sleep in that institution.
ITO this, however, l did not object from
the very first, for, though was alone in
that big building, which is one of the
most weird and melancholy looking in
situations In the entire city, had been so
much accustomed to the presence of
dead bodies that began to like it quite
well.
"My room was situated directly next
door to the dissecting room, and in
this dissecting room lay upward OF one
hundred and fifty cadavers in various
forms OF mutilatlon.
"For one who has spent the greater part
of his life among such associations
and we are for the most part creatures
OF hablt-you can readily perceive that
1t required no very great degree of moral
courage to accomplish this. And then,
again, never believed in ghosts and
laughed heartily whenever heard men,
ton Of them.
AT that time, as now, Dr. Austin Flint,
Jr., was the professor Of physiology. and
he took great delight in experimenting
on living animals for the benes, of his
class. The quadruped that best ,uited
his purpose In this respect was the dog,
and he always kept an abundant supply
OF these animals on hand 1f
~ need hardly remark that they were
not OF the very best specimens of the
canine race and did not possess as much
intelligence as others of their species.
They were fed largely on meat, and
seemed to be getting along very well in
deed. ..t.s
these dogs occupied a room next to
mine, which was separated by very mar
row partition, and l could very readily
hear the least noise that was made. Ny
self and the dogs were therefore the sole
occupants of that immense building. The
dogs never once broke the quietude that
prevailed at night, and if they only oc-
casionally did SO it would not be such a
bad thing after ali.
"As had occasion to rise early, gen.
orally about five o'clock in the morning,
was always in my bed at ten, and never
found much difficulty in procuring sleep,
and l was always as methodical as a
clock in this respect.
1T was on the 4th day Of October,
1870, and / had gone TO bed at the usual
time. II was fine, clear night and ex-
ceptionally warm for that time of the
year. A large English clock hung III
my room, and as there was always a light
burning low | could from my bed, dis
tinctly see the face of the clock.
II did not feel as sleepy on that night |
as was customary with me, and ] attri- |
buted it somewhat to the heat Of the |
day. rolled in my bed for quite time |
and when l again turned to the clock |
saw it was close on midnight.
II now began to pass into a kind of |
stupor, half asleep and half awake when |
all at once fancied heard low, sup, |
pressed cry aet1f Of some one in great |
agony of mind This was followed By the
yelp of the dogs and then It low, prolongea |
growl as such animals generally make
when about to attack some one. This
was maintained for quite a while and |
I kept my ear intently listening all the
time.
~ could not be n taken in the sound
OF the human voice. rubbed NV ewes
with my hand and stood up in the bed to
assure myself that was not dreaming.
and l came to the conclusion that il was
perhaps some woman who remained in
The building over night. The voice GER
'ainly was OF the sharp, shrill character
If woman.
"All this time was not one bit afraid
md proceeded to dress myself to ascer-
ain the cause of the connection. I put on
ny pantaloons and waistcoat and walked
ut in my bare feet.
EtVNY r
when reached the room where the
ogs were l opened the door gently and
eeped in. Good heavens Right in the
llddle OF the dogs stood a strange
roman, all In white, and as l looked in
pom her she threw glance at me that
lmost froze the blood in my veins.
Presently the door flew open. an.
arently of its own accord, and the
TRANCE form glided out and passed into
Re dissecting room. tried to follow it.
nd as did SO she raised her hand In a
enacing attitude and suddenly Iisap.
cared from sight.
There was not spot in that room
as not familiar with, and / knew there
ere no secret trapdoors through which
le could descend. Right in sight of me
lie ground seemed to open up in front of
her and she to disappear from view.
81 need not tell you that / slept but
tile that night did not in fact, 90 to
ID at all, but sat on the side of it with
y clothes on, and 1 longed eagerly for
10 return of the day.
Il tried in my mind to explain the
use OF the extraordinary phenomenon,
1t every time the difficulty grew greater.
ID II mad been any way under the in
fence OF liquor l might attribute it to
me morbid condition of tho nervous
stem induced by over stimulation But
g fact remained and could not dispute
e evidence of my senses.
THE next day I handed in my resigna-
n to the faculty, but made no reference
the cause OF my leaving. / have never
'lted .issecting room since that night.
never will again If live fora hundred
ars."