The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-14
NIGHT AMONG THE TOMBS.
"Becky Sharp" Spends the rlidnight
Hours in the Cemetery.
ACCOMPANIES THE NIGHT WATCHMAN

Topeka Cemetery Looks After Mid
night.
I've been out in the Topeka cemetery
all night until daybreak. went out on
purpose to see how the tombs there are
guarded against grave robbers. 1 think
1 hear some one say, ''It's high time some
body was locking the stable door after
the horse is stolen"
I've promised myself in behalf of the
JOURNAL readers that the terms ''eerie,"
"weird," "uncanny." "ghouls," "ghostly,"
.scity of the dead" "this mortal coil" ''si-
lent majority" ct al, shall not creep or
crawl. or even stalk ghost like into this
account of my experience, SO if at any
time bring up short in the middle of
sentence, it will be because l have been
tempted to try to tell just how felt and
acted as a cemetery guard last night out
on the hill where 80 many OF Topeka
peoples dear ones have "laid them down
in their last sleep"
Ever since the first grave was robbed,
I've been wondering why grave robbers
have such easy work. How is it that
they can ply their awful business with
out interruption.
The first thing necessary to my invest
igation was to find how the cemeteries
are guarded at night Late yesterday
afternoon l rode out on the Sixth street
line to the east entrance of the Topeka
cemetery. l was the only passenger out
and the conductor, whom l did not know,
called me Miss Sharp and said: "T GU GER
tainIv did not like being a street railway
employee; you didn't stay with Us long.
But" he added, syou did a pretty good
days work"
L. 7 ~ - 7 Ill
ed the money l got that day.
Leaving the car, l walked up the main
avenue of the cemetery with the inten-
ton of going to Mr.. D. o. Crane for per-
mission to patrol the burying ground
with the cemetery guard, for though I
did not know that such person existed,
l felt quite certain he ought to.
Just as l arrived at the tool house near
the center of the grounds. 1 saw man
come out and lock the door, l walked
up to him and said: Are you employed
about this placer"
eyes ma'am, can 1 do anything for
your"
Well, yes he could, or let me do some
thing l wished to, SO I said:
SIS there a guard or night Waterman
of the graves here at the cemetery?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"May l come out tonight and help him
with his wOrk?" handing him my card.
81 want to see just exactly how he
patrols the grounds in order to keep the
body snatchers away"
ooh, so you are Becky Sharp, are you?
Well, my name is D. B. Jones, and |
know about all the other affairs you
have described in the JOURNAL, and I'u
see Mr. Crane if you wish, and ask him
about it I'm sure it will be all right.
though, and you can come out whenever
you like. FIJI meet you down there at
the street car, but though I have tried it
and know that it takes some nerve to
ride on an engine as you did, l guess you
couldn't have used your courage all I'D.
for l believe it will take even better
nerve to make one who is not used to it
walk around this yard at night.
81 afraid; oh, no, anu 1 was never so:
but it comes little easier to me now to
do things that require bravery than it
did at first
E"Put on warm wraps, Miss Sharp; it
gets pretty chilly up here about mid
night" called Mr. Jones. as l hurried
back to the car.
Back down town, ate supper, and as
l couldn't whistle to keep my courage
up l chewed gum instead, which device
kept up all evening and night for fear
my teeth might chatter. Several times
during that trying vigil came near for
getting my chewing gum and letting
my teeth get started, and you know if
your teeth once begin to chatter, you
can't stop.
Having accepted the preferred escort
of one of the young men at the JOURNAL,
office who agreed to scare awav the
spOoks In case Mr.. Jones did not neet
me promptly I started for the cemetery
about ten o'clock at night,
The street car conductor regarded ia
little curiously, l thought, and when we
arrived at the end of the line several
colored men and women stepped up to
the car, talking grave robbers. as every
one is these days.
AS the young man with me brushed
against her, one OF the women half
shrleked Historically, Good Lawd. is
that one of them studients?"
"Never mind, auntie, they don't want
colored people," called out the young
man.
Mr. Jones was waiting for me, accord
Ing to promise, and my escort took the
same car back to town,
No sooner had all acquaintance dis
appeared than l began to think what
lot of people it would take to seem like
a crowd, and that 1 would rather do
cemetery in that fashion than alone.
Of course l wasn't afraid of the dead
people, oh, mol Besides there was Mr.
Jones, who must be we'll acquainted with
the ghosts by this time; it must be the
grave robbers l was afraid of, but no.
OF course there wouldn't be anv after ali
the excitement; after all wasn't afraid
anyway. Why should l be? Mr. Jones
was walking along explaining to me
that new graves were always his especial
charge, and that in addition to privately
marking all graves which he filed in.
ne visited new ones two or three times
every night As we walked over south
u mink 1t wasl to look at grave which
which Mr.. Jones has been specially re-
quested by the friends to watch during
the last week, l smiled historically at
the sound of my own awed tone in asking
Mr.. Jones the most commonplace oues.
tions If MIR. Jones was Iaurhinn IT me-