Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-30
SHE SAW THE GHOST.
Was Clad In Black, Had a Sweet Face
and Pretty Hand.
THE DISTRUSTFUL CORONER.
lie Don't Believe In Spirits Because He
Never Saw One-story OF an
Unknown skull.

At the corner OF Fourteenth street and
Exchange alley is an old-fashioned two
story brick house with peaked roof, now
divided on the lower floor into two shops.
known as Nos. and respectively. Ac-
cording to local tradition its years are
considerably over four-score and ten, and
though many are the storms that have
beaten against IT. and though fire has
surged around 1t, the landmark has held
its own. Many have been its tenants,
and various have been its yicssltudes,
and some Of its past particularly
the history of the second hoor-is not
very sayory. The upper rooms have
been the den of the tiger" and those
who have not passed middle life can
remember when there were dark rumors
to the effect that they were supplied
with concealed sliding doors and were
used as blackmailing trap. Many a
man, 1t is said. has entered them with
a plethoric wallet, and emerged with the
aforesaid wallet presenting the appearance
of having been trodden upon by the
elephant he went to see.
y bit-Ao L. lANlp.
Recently the building has attracted very
little notice. No. . is used as a barber
shop and No. I is rented by Mr.. Henry
Berkle a tailor, who, with his family,
also occupies the upper floor. and who
has been quietly following his trade on
the premises for several years. But the
structure was only Ji1ing its time. Yes
terday it again came prominently into
notice. to call up spirits. not from the
vastly deep" but from the garrct
II appears that Alr. Berkle had fire.
quently observed upon visiting the garret
that some of the flooring was loose. and
under it appeared to be a lot of trash.
Yesterday he went up 10 close one Of
the windows. and determined To inyesti-
gate. With the aid Of a pole he rakei
out a lot OF rags and paper, then a
womans straw hat with the initials OF
III. r." marked in 1t, and finally horror
of horrors
\ gnastly grinnlng human skull was
exposed TO view.
THE CORONER ARRIVES
Mr.. Berkle notified the police. they In
turn notified the Coroner, and that official
made all possible haste in reaching the
scene. When the Coroner arrived he
found that the man or woman 10 whom
the skull belonged vas dead but he
wrapped the remains up in a copy OF
the Charleston (S c. Courier OF No
vember IT, 1910, which was found with
them. and took them to his office for
further investigation.
In the mean time, the story had spread
that the house was haunted. and that the
inmates had frequently seen a ghoSt
proving around 1t. When Dispatch
reporter visited Mr.. Berkle's shop last
night. that gentleman treated the matter
very lightly. and said he had never seen
anything "uncanny" about the place.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
Not so with Mrs. Berkle. The latter
described minutely the arrangement OF
the rooms upstairs, which she SAID had
a rumber Of doors, and declared that on
two occasions sfe had seen woman.
dressed in black, glide through the apart
merts. The last time the apparation APP
peared 10 her was in May. She was not.
she said. afraid of It, for the woman
had sweet face and a nice hand.
Mrs. Berkle then went into the back
ward. and brought out for inspection
three OF the rags found with the skull
one was a Gilapllated bandanna handk"r-
chief and other a once white silk hand
kerchief. and the third a coarse apron
All three had spots on them, which Mrs
Harl,le said she believed were blood stains
Mr.. Berkle said there was tub fulI
of such rags gotten ont Of the s1rfre'
receptacIc. Mrs Berkc is very sincere
in her statements.
THE CORONER INCREDCIOUS.
Coroner Taylor does not believe in
ghosts because he never saw one but
that IS no sign that there are no such
things as ghosts so well-regulated, self
respecting ghost would interview the Coro-
mr.. All ghosts are as skilled as he Is in
conducting post-mOrtem proceedings. Iha'
is their business Nevertheless. Dr. Tay-
lor is entitled To his statement. lie eX-
press.s the opinion that the skull-no
other homes Were found-is "the remnant
OF some doctor or medical student II
bears evidence. he says. Of having been
propard i'm dissecting-room, and ~
thinks il was used for the stuiy OF tAe
osseous architecture Of the head.
Interviews with a number OF local his-
torians failed to establish the fact that
thor. had EYER been a doctors Office ln
the builling but. as above stated, It's ten
ants have been numerous.
The residents Of the nelghborhood OF tne
find are anxious to know WHETHER th'
skull surmountel the neck Of man or a
woman. but Coroner TAYLOR says that Is
a question he cannot decide.