The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10

kind are bound to be started about build
ings in which murders have been COM
mitted.
A number of policemen whose duty it is
to guard the building day and night to see
that nothing is disturbed until Theodore
Durrant's fate is finally settled believe
that such is the case, and when the day
comes for them to take their night watch
in the dark and silent edifice they 90 with
heavy hearts and start at every sound that
breaks the awful silence of the sanctuary
Since the day that the bodies of Blanche
Lamont and Minnie Williams were dis
covered in the church a constant watch
has been kept, under Chief Crowley's
orders, to see that nothing is disturbed,
the idea being to prevent anything which
might be used as evidence in the case
from being removed or defaced. The task
has devolved upon the patrolmen of the
Seventeenth street station, and in regular
rotation they take six-hour watches in the
building.
Those who are on day duty do not mind
it SO much, but the night watch, par
ticularly that from midnight to A. M, is
their terror.
at least half the watch has complained
of the feeling of oppression and vague
sense of the presence of some one near
them during the hours between midnight
and dawn, and some have been actually i'll
from the experience.
At first the watchers sat comfortably in
chairs inside the doors away from the rain
or wind as the case might be, but now only
the most stout-hearted venture inside. the
others pace up and down outside until re-
lieved.
Bartlett street is deserted long before
midnight, and except for the football of
some belated pedestrian on his wav to his
coZy home or the distant hum of the
electric cars passing to and fro on adjacent
streets there is nothing to break the silence
and gloom. After o'clock only the dis
tant shrek of passing locomotives relieves
the stiffness that is almost that of a tomb.
This is the time most feared by the
guardians of the peace. One of them tells
OF an experience few nights ago that
would have shaken the nerves of even the
most courageous.
~ had concluded that the stories had
heard of sounds at night were all in the
imagination of the narrators," he said.
twhen something happened that sends a
thrill through me every time think of it.
l was sitting in chair thinking how COM
Portable it was to be in out of the cold.
when suddenly felt presence near me.
1t came on suddenly, end in almost an In
slant was all in a tremble.
81 suppose you have had one of those
terrible Nightmares that bring you up
right in bed, with starting eyes and feel
ing that your peril must be real-it is SO
vivid. 1t seems as though some hideous
animal was pursuing to devour you and
that you were unable to escape, or that
you were falling from a precipice to be
dashed on the rocks below. That is lust
the way I felt.
1.-THE blood rushed from my heart and a
cold chill went through my limbs I was
unable to move, and while in that condition
/ heard one of the electric bells in the rear
of the church ring three times-clearly.
distinctly.
"Then came the strangest sensations of
all. was sitting with one of my legs out
stretched and I felt distinctly sensation
as of woman's skirt being brushed across
it.
"For fully five minutes was speechless
uOIfclcSS anu ulldUlc W move. Then |
rubbed my eyes and tried to imagine that
had been asleep, but without avail.
was as much awake as I am at this present
moment.
"Since that time / have somewhat
dreaded the nights when l have to take
that nightwatch. / don't fear it, but I
must say that it is not pleasant"
The church was dark and silent, with its
ghostly spire pointing toward the bright
stars above, when tour of inspection was
made last evening. a stalwart policeman
was on duty as usual; but he stood on the
steps with the closed doors behind him
and stamped impatiently to keep his feet
warm.
Its too cold and draughty inside
there, he said.