Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-05-18
THE DEATH RAP.
The City Halls Banshee Chest.
MYSTERIOUS NOISES IN THE CITY
sERGEANT's OFFICE.
TFrom tho Richmond State. |

/
From the Richmond State
81 don't know how to account for
the strange noises frequently heard
in this room which / have been
hearing now for many years. |
have often been sitting at the desk
when all of a sudden would hear
rapping and pounding against the
door of that old wardrobe in the
corner over yonder.D was what Mr..
Henry Ferguson, the night watch
at the City Hall, said 20 a State re-
porter last night, who had dropped
in to interview him on this subject.
The wardrobe referred to stands
against the north wall of the room
and on the right as you enter the
door. 1t is made Of ordinary pine
wood, stained in imitation OF oak.
IL is used to keep all property
found on the persons of prisoners.
The principal articles are pistols,
bowie knives, razors and slung-
shots.
Mr.. Ferguson was "A good fighter
during the war, and lost an arm
and a portion of his shoulder. blade
at Gettysburg. Eleven years ago
he was elected night Waterman at
the City Hall.
Reporter: Mr.. Ferguson, when
did you first hear the mysterious
noises:
Mr.. Ferguson: just before Mr..
Willie Page, the City Gas lnspec-
tor died, was sitting in this room,
when suddenly / heard a loud
noise which sounded as if some one
had struck the wardrobe a heavy
blow with a hammer. This was
kept up several nights. After the
death OF Mr.. Page it ceased. Some
time afterwards the rapping com
menced again. Mr.. Edward Nc.
Carthy, the clerk in the City Audi.
tors office, died. just before Mr..
Andrew Jenkins, clerk of the lIust.
ings Court, was taken i'll ] was
startled one night about 2 o'clock
by a tremendous nOise in the Old
wardrobe. The next morning,
when Sheppard (colored janltor)
came to clean up the Office, | told
him that the knocking had com.
meneed again, and some one IN the
building was either very sick or
had died. 1t was only a few days
afterwards before Mr.. jenkins was
reported i'll. All during his sick
ness the rapplng was kept up
When there was any improvement
in his condition the raps would be
very light. The night before be
died, however, the rapping cOnld
be heard by persons standing on
the street, a distance Of about
eighty feet.
The late J. b. Eoyster. City Aud
itor, had often heard Of the mys-
teriOns noises and he attributed it
to rats, but one night Mr.. Register
was sitting in the Sergeant's Office
with Sergeant James, of the police
force, who happened to be in there
on duty. MIR. Register was reading
a paper, and the Sergeant was at
the desk writing, when all of a sud
den something struck the desk at
which Sergeant James was sitting.
Mr.. Register was startled, and call
ed out, "What was that noise p
Sergeant James, from the sound,
thought his pistol had fallen from
his pocket and exploded, but the
weapon was found in his pocket
just above the desk was seen
cloud of dust, which had assembled
from the green baiZe cover of the
desk when it was struck. Mr..
R0yster said it was most remark
able and uDaccountable thing. A
short time afterwards he was dead.
For weeks before Mr.. James e.
Riddick, clerk in the City COllec-
tors office, died, the noises were
heard, and kept up until the time
of his death, when they stopped
and the old wardrobe remained
quiet until about two months ago
when the knocking again coln-
menced. The next morning | told
Sheppard of and he at once re-
marked: 81 wonder who is going
to die.p Mr.. WOodson was taken
sick. Some nights the raps would
be very loud, then again it would
be very soft until the night before
Collector Woodson died, when the
noise was so loud 1t awOke Mr..
Sam. wilkinson, who was asleep
in the Chancery Courtroom.
Last Saturday night the ghost,
spOok, spirit, or whatever it may
be called, again announced its pres
ence. We wait and fear further
developments.