The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-07-22
LIBRARY IS HAUNTED.
Strange yis:sations. Disturb he
Qu4rs OF MsdH ght Hour

4 = :
roatstsps ileard soand IF Singing
ard Prayer FACE re is ii " teh
naa aud fanIs..ss Thr,aga Oak
Door iiuass aIi RHerss nj capture
Local Tradition Of Frenehman.
Tn ncA 10 rsr. = Lii'laIs +
haunted 5 vera pr - who have
been aFsun'l tps ieli ~ ~ tn, dread
huurS ahcn fie,mft : aifit- sre wont
tn rcfuril ffnni tn- gas. have he4fi
strange -elfDf, and nave e. $tF.nge
sights. biit hay hest "a q H. III itisig
exi efienee~ r. kagw fe1riDg pGi ie
'ie,sieu rhf giesiiy yi-iiasiou>
have i;srtli lf5qs!e,s'. however. and
the niauies a;i,s:ss So pronounced That
IL Is impbs~t: ie Il, s.sncal tie facts
loBsei.
II Hoffman, The psgnt wdtehman
is the inan Win hss known most If
these nisltef. Mr.. lhriTman came
from Preston COUNTY a ffw months
apo Ia acerp tie pusilipn. Vie weighs
ostr tsn huntifcd fr,iHids, has plenty
Of euar -, and is bot given 10 imari-l
native fiights uur mafi,id fancies He
j. what the story teiiefs would call
sturdy knaver and Is got the kind to
be alarmed by anything Lut a real
speok.
His FIRST Knowledge that The library
wis being visited by some person or
thing at an unseen.y huGr came a
week or two ago when he heard the
noise Of footsteps ascending toe iair>.
He listened, opened the do n, and
went in. The footslep reeectisd rap
idly toward TIN. cellar. He hurried
after them, turned on the light, made
a thorough search, but found 10 one
Neither could be find place where
anyone.ceull have escaped ffAm the
building Several times he heard The
noises, and tried TO locate them, but
without avail. Lock dolrs and WIN
steps, wrestling Of papers. and now and
than as book falling, was beard
FasteniGgs OF doors and windows we're
never disturbed. Then Mr.. Hoffman
wrote TO Geo. Cobun that somebody
was getting into the library at night
and asked him TO come and help TO
catch the intruder, before mischief
was done. Mr. Cobun has not gone
yet. Meanwhile there have been more
startling manifestations.
One night Mr.. Hoffman heard the
noises and rushed ia To catch the I'M
timely visitor. He saw face gazing
at him from behind piilar and rush
sd towards it, 1t disappeared. Mr.
Hoffman followed the sound of foot
steps to the door, and down the stair
leadinHinto the-basement. He closed
the door behind Ia as he Went. Around
the basement fled the invisible feet,
and up the stair case. Hoffman again
saw the face, pale and shadowy, and
carefully guarding the narrow passage,
thought to capture the intruder. The
face turned full upon him at the door,
there was low moan, and all was
silent. There was nothing in the
stairway. The strangest manifesto
ton was YET To come however.
One night about twelve O'Clock, the
watchman was startled by the sound
of voices, singing in the basement OF
the library, There seemed to be an
hundred singers. and they followed
with musical precision the measures
OF an old familiar hymn He heard
the notes and The time seemed famil-
lar, hut afterwards he remembered
neither. When he weat to the cellar
the singing stopped. Later, he again
heard sounds, and on listening intent
~, distinguished the words and tones
OF man In prayer,
So far, these things seem inexplic-
able. It is IA wel!known fact that the
Library is built on the site OF an old
Methodist graveyard and that the
bodies were moved for this purpose
There is tradition among some of
the older residents of the town that
the remains of brenchman, Jean
Mareschal, who came TO this vicinity
years ago, and lived and, died Inystefi-
ously, were buried there. The
Frenchman lived aloRe, and although
no one knew him well. he was thought
to be in league with the Evil One. His
tastes were literary, and short time
before he died. he burned all of his
books. 1t was said Ivy those who
claim to know most Of him, that he
was banished by Marie Antoinette
Whether his restless spirit is haunting
the library b0ilt up,n his grave, or
Got, can never be determined, tut il
is>a fact that certain volume ou The
French Revolution has shown signs OF