The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-18
PHANTOMS
GHOSTS THAT HAUNT THE UNITED
STATES CAPITOL.

Night When the Halls OF LeR1sIa-
tion Are GLOOMY and Deserted, as
Told by One of the Old Guards.
Like most repositories Of good stories,
the ancient man who has spent dec
ades as a guard in the capitol In Wash
ington did not yield up the fullness Of
his narratory riches without a struggle.
'It's unpleasant to be made a mock
of by the skeptcal," he protested "Do
you believe in ghosts, young man?'
"If answering in the affirmative be-
gets an interesting tale, do," returned
the writer.
"Well, starting on the premise that
you do believe to some extent IN the
supernatural, I will admit you to my
confidence" resumed the old guard
and here goes for the authentic yarn
Of the spooks that haunt the nations
capitol:
"In the long, monotonous watches Of
the night innumerable are the spooks,
hobgoblins and the eerie, varory
things which glide from the shadowy
hooks and crannies Of the intangible
nowhere to people the capitoPs vast
stretches Of darkness. Of course you
know Of the extraordinary acoustic
freaks which obtain in many parts Of
the great building-how whisper, a
breathed word at one particular point
is audible at another scores Of feet dis
tant? Yes Now, at night these acous-
tic spirits simply go mad. Where they
by day were pygmies they expand into
giants, and a whistle, sudden sound,
football, resolves itself into a pan
demonium.
"Weird, terrifying noises beat upon
the eardrums Of the watchmen as they
pursue their lonely patrols through the
seeming miles Of corridors, and then
the spooks, the shades Of the nations
great, the astral bodies Of those that
toiled in obscurity for the nations good,
dodge the watchmen's step, some
grand and awful in their speeches.
dignity, some creeping humbly about
In apologize silence, some laughing,
some sobbing, but all Of them horrible
horrible"
The old man paused to muse.
"Do you know" be said, breaking
into his own reverie explosiTely, FEB.
% is a date dreaded by many Of the
capitol night guards? It was on this
Gay, in 1S4S, that John Quincy Adams
died in the chamber Of the house Of
representatives, now Statuary hall,
where the exact spot is marked by a
brass tablet. Promptly at midnight
on every anniversary Of his death the
shade Of John Quincy Adams appears
In sort Of phosphorescent glow over
this brass tablet. Oh, dozens Of guards
have seen it from time to time as well
as I, and I can refer you to many Of
them for affirmation Of my assertions.
"Once over the spot the shade begins
to gestculate, after the manner Of q
member addressing the house. Then,
all Of a sudden, the fine face becomes
distorted and agonized, the gracefully
waving arms fall ,convulsively, and
down sinks the shade with all the
movements Of an expiring man. Then
the phosphorescent glow fades away,
and the ethereal eA6gy dissolves.
"But, although lost sight Of, its pres
ence is still made known by the 'clump,
flop, clump, hop,' Of Invisible foot
falls departing down one Of the long
vacant corridors.
Stranger than this Is the ghost OF
the entire congress Of 184S, which ap.
pears in vigorous If spooky session ev-
cry once in awhile in Statuary hall, the
old hall Of representatives, as have
previously remarked. Inaudible, but
spirited. are the debates; energetic to
the bursting point Of vehemence are
the silent political dissensions. Pro
voked by doubling Thomas, mem.
Der Of the capitol night watch several
years ago made affidavit that he had
seen this ghostly congress in session.
Yes he was a sober man and true.
''The shade Of General John A. Lo'
gan is frequent visitor at the capitol.
Almost every alternate night at half
past IL o'clock this ghost materializes
at the door Of the room occupied by
the senate committee on military and
militia. Silently the door swings open,
and out steps the looming and lunt-
nous presence, to stalk In stately dig,
nifty away into the swallowing gloom.
This is a favorite phantom with the
guards. Its conduct is exemplary.
'1Then there Is the shade Of Vice
President Wilson, who died In his room
in the senate end Of the capitol, you
will recall. It's peregrinations are few
and desultory. When it does confe,
there is always an expression Of con-
Germ and self absorption in the ghostly
face. The movements Of the vapory
body are restless and hurried.
Cali Of the older members Of the
night watch are well acquainted with
Vice President Wilson's apparitor. and
never fail to salute it, although, ruth
to tell, the shade remains haughily In
different to their Difference. This spcok
rarely fails to put in an appearance
when the body Of dead legislator OF
statesman Of national renown Is lying
in state in the capitol.
Deep in the subcellar vaults spooks
Of lesser magnitude revel in hordes'
Immediately beneath the hall of rep
resentatves every night IS to be found
q tall, erect, gaunt specter, whose iden,
tity has remained a mystery for years
in spite Of unceasing efforts on the
part Of the night watch to uncover
the secret Of it's origin and anteced
ents. Its hands are clasped bebno
its transparent back In conVris1Te
clutch, and the face evinces q condi.
ton Of emotions prodigiously wrought
upon. Many attempts have besr made
by guards with rubber soles On thei1
shoes to catch this wrath unawa1e7
but failure is the invariable result
Presto. It has blown into thin air be-