The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-24

Weird Stories Of the Place Where
Davy Crockett, Bowie and Travis
Fell.
From the San Antonio Daily Express.
There is a legend among the Mexicans
that when it rains and the wind bowls
wildly around the old Alamo building.
where, in 1886. so many brave and patri-
otto Texans were butchered by Santa
Annals soldiers, the ghosts of the de-
parted heroes, or some of them, notably
thoseof Davy Crockett, Bowie and Travis.
arise and stalk about the old building
with the measured tread of heavily armed
and booted men on guard. These old sto-
ries have been heard for years, but no.
body except the Mexicans has ever be-
lieved that there was anything but super
stition in them, but since the old building
has been dignified, or undigniied, by the
use of the small new part on the side,
which has been built in since the famous
tight, as police station, some startling
statements heve been made with regard
to the ghostly perambulations of the
shades of the heroes, if it is the shades of
those gentlemen which are responsible for
the alleged goings-on.
That part of the building where the DO
lice station is located is on the side of the
low main building, and fills up what hol-
low space with window where the Mex
leans finally broke in and slaughtered the
defenders. The window is not very big,
but has double iron bars, and the wall
through which it is cut is perhaps five
feet thick. This opens directly from the
room where the two mounted officers who
are detailed at the statiOn.sit. Adjoining
this room is a small cell room, which has
been used for some time, and since the
police station has been opened stories have
been circulated to the affect that some
prisoners who were confined there at va
rious times had complained of strange
noises in the main building, and always
on dark, rainy nights. They heard
walking and the rafting of muskets and
chains.
The two policemen, who are as brave
as policemen usually are, also insist that
they have heard very strange sounds in
the main building, and always on dark,
rainy nights.
Officer Forebose stated to a reporter
that soon after the station was opened,
and when the recent hard rains began he
was standing near the door alone one
night when he thought he heard some
one walking heavily inside the main build
ing. He went and looked through the
grating and asked who was there, but it
was too dark to see. There was no reply,
but the heavy tramp of boots continued
for some time. He said that he had
heard the sound often during the rains,
but when the rain stopped the sounds
were heard no more. The policeman said
he was not afraid, but he was positive
about the noise, although he made no pre-
tence at explaining it, and didn't know
whether it was ghosts or not.
Other officers state that they heard of
the sounds, but none of them ever saw
anything.
The interior of the old building is in
badly dilapidatcd condition. The upper
room is separted from the lower one by
rough floor and there are numerous wood
en- posts supporting it. The floor of the
lower room consists of loose boards laid
on light boards which rattle when one
walks over them. There being nothing
at all in the building the echo is loud, and
it was suggested by Interpreter that rats
or cats or some other animal might be
responsible for the noise, but the officers
say that it is impossible that it should be
a cat or any other animal.
The big officer who patrol Alamo Plaza
said that he had often heard the story.
"Do YOU believe the sounds are heard9"
asked the reporter.
20, yes, there's no doubt about it,"
Chow do you account for theml"
"Well it is only the ignorant MeXicans
who believe it is ghosts, Perhaps it's
rats, said the officer.
at is fact that negro prisoners say
that they heard people walking and
chains rafting all night" he continued,
'and it is almost impossible to get ne
groes into the cell. Some peoplesay that
they would as soon sleep in the Alamo as
not, but wouldn't do 1t for anything,
There's been too many killed IN there for
man to feel comfortable in the place.
I'm not afraid of ghosts. don't be-
lieve in them, but tell you 1 wouldn't
sleep in there"
The custodian, when asked, stated that
he didn't know anything about ghosts in
the place. The readers may wonder why
the noises are supposed to occur on rainy
nights, but if he has read faithfully, as
every good Texan has, the story of the
Alamo he will remember that at the time
of the capture by the Mexican butchers
it was stormy weather, so that aside from
the general theory that ghosts walk on
dark and stormy nights there is ample rea-
son why in this particular case the signing
of the wind and the dash of rain against
the old walls should cause them to get to
feeling uncomfortable and go on military
duty against the besieging greasers
again.