The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-16
IN A HAUNTED HOUSE.
4 Mansion ut which Joseph BOna-
parte and Others often Dined.


From the Philadelphia Times.
Bristol. Pain this old town, which Is
teeming over with interesting historical
anecdotes OF the time when Bristol was
one OF the most prominent summer resorts
Of the country. il would be an anomalous
condition OF affairs not 20 have an old
house which Imagination OF those inclin-
Cd 70 superstition has tenanted with eerie
inhabitants.
Upon the banks OF the Delaware river.
on Radcliffe street. above DOrrauca stands
an old white mansion that is dreaded by
even the small boy, and the young people
Of the town when out rowing on dark
summer nights make a detour when they
near the haunted house and row far
out in the stream. Tradition has it that
the building is thoroughly furnished. that
the table in the large dining room is al
ways set ready for a banquet. and that
on certain nights the shades Of those who
once inhabited the place again gather
round the once hOspitable board and re-
enact the festivities that were held there
in the early part Of the century.
The old house was built in lSl6 by
Maj. LenoN. who Squire William kinsey,
the venerable authority on local history.
says was United States minister TO the
court Of st. james, and was for a num-
Der Of years resided in by the diplomat and
his accomplished wife. Many distinguish
cd people from Europe and America were
frequent visitors 70 the mansion and the
hOspi tally of Mai LenOX was proverbial.
Among those who frequently came TO the
place was the eX-king Of Spain, Joseph
BOnaparte. who, the historian relates, fire.
quently came down the Delaware from
Bonaparte Park, at Bordentown, I'm the
handsome barge presented TO him by Ste
phen Girard, with the American flag ana
the French tri-color waving from the
mast, He was often accompanied by the
Qne-tlme dashing cavalry commander,
Prince Murat.
The brother OF the Emperor Napoleon
sometimes drove down by way of Trenton,
and II is said that while making the
journey one day he was throne from his
carriage and injured about the head Dr.
Philips, father of the Hon. SymingtOn
Phillips attended him a the old tavern of
corner Of Mil and Randolph streets, and
received shortly afterward a Sl00-note and
a me steel engraving of Napoleon.
At the death of Maj. LenOX the mansion
reverted to his niece. Miss Sarah Lux
ems keene, a woman of great beauty and
culture who had attracted much attention
al court in London. Her aunt entertained
great hopes of contracting a marriage
with some of the English nobility and in
dignantly refused Miss Keene's hand to a
John II. Powell of Philadelphia, stating
that her niece was intended for a duke or
a lord and not a brewers SON Miss
keene died as she had lived an old maid
and with compassionate feeling for those
of her sex similarly situated devised the
mansion and several thousand dollars to
the bishop OF the Protestant Episcopal
church of the diocese of Pennsylvania, in
trust for the maintenance of 1--WE, six or
more aged gentleWomen, widows or single
women, of respectable and decayed for
tune, who had become destitute in old
age"
Many years have elapsed since Miss
keene's death, but the old mansion stands
untenanted, save for the caretaker, who
lives in the basement and occasionally
cuts the grass on the magnificent grounds
in summer time. II would undoubtedly
furnish good residence, as its location is
uneXcelled.