The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-12
THE WHITE HcpsE HAUNTED.
Former Presidents Appear to the Vet eran Jerry Smith, But Quit Since
 Improvements we're Made.


 eran Jerry Smith, But Quit Since
 Improvements were Made.
 Brooklyn Eagle
 Did you know that since time out of mind the White House has been haunted Just like any other old place? The vet. eran. Jerry Smith. who mas been an en, pioye at the executive mansion for more than quarter of a century, since he was brought there by General U. s. Grant at the beginning of the latter's first admin- istration. is authority for the statement. says Fanny Brigham in The Indianapolis Sentinel. A few days ago I went 10 see nim to Ind out all about 1t. Seated in his cozy parior he said to me: "rt Is the truth, the gospel truth. Ever since I first went to the White House have seen the spirits of MT. Lincoln and other Presi- dents wandering about the premises. But times are not now what they used to be. since all those changes in the mansion. Spirits, you know. don't like new places. and nowadays I never get a glimpse of MT. Lincoln. Mir. Grant. Mir. Hayes, MT. Arthur, MT, Garfield or MT. Mckinley The first time saw anything at the White House was one evening long ago. about dusk; just caught sight iimly of q form that I recognized at once as be- ing that of MT. Lincoln. He looked at me serious-like, then kept on right t.p the stairs till be faded from view. have HSCh hAkAA nuttutGdS OI tlIuG8 SI0CC, ALWAYS gliding silently about the stairs and rooms and always with 8 sad, serious ex- pression on his face. as if he did not like the way things are svsng,
 After General Grant died saw him fre- quently. and he soon began to talk to me. Yessum he did frequently. Whenever wanted any advise or was worried about something or other, General Grant would come in his old-time friendly way. and tell me what to do, This is the gospel truth that am telling you. If t had not been for General Grants spirit telling me what to do. I would never have kept on saving up and saving up until owned my own home. as now do
 Though seldom see him any more in the changed White House he comes to me here, most any night, and still tells me what to do. can see and talk with him as easily as I do you this minute. After Mir. Mckinley was shot he came to me very. soon; but he was not able to talk, only in a feeble, childish way-1for just born into the new lie. so to speak. everybody knows that over there spirits have to learn to talk all over again; &C., cording to the old sayin. twice a child once man. They have to be really born again. as the Bible says, and learn how to live and act exactly as they learn ed as babies in this world. ,,atg5..a
 At first MT. Mckinley could only make a sort of faint buzzing sound; but could see him clearly and he Is learning very fast to communicate with mortals, His spirit used to love to walk about the White House, until the mansion was all torn up last year: and then 1t disappeared from there entirely, like all the others. Of course. there are plenty of white folks that laugh at my talk about spirits-they think they know everything: but what I say know to be fact, and 1t is a fact that all the dead Presidents have left the White House for good since the so-called improvements. They don't seem to like the change and don't believe they mean to be seen there any more. But they come to my house still. and any evening when am sitting alone, quiet-like. II, the twilight, they come right in and we have a talk. That's the truth"