The Dickinson press., 1904-09-10
NATIONAL PHANTOMS
GHOSTS THAT HAUNT THE UNITED
STATES CAPITOL.

GHOSTS THAT HAUNT THE UNITED
STATES CAPITOL.
A Story of Specters That Stalk at
Night When the Halls of Leginla-
tton Are Gloomy and Deserted, ms
Told by One of the Old Guards.
Like most repositories of good stories,
the ancient man who has spent dec.
'ades as guard in the capitol i'll Wash.
ington did not yield up the fullness of
his narratory riches without struggle.
"1ts unpleasant to be made mock
Of by the skeptical," he protested. DO
you believe in ghosts, young man?'
"If answering in the affirmative be.
gets an interesting tale, I do," returned
the writer.
"Wcll, starting on the premise that
you do believe to some extent in the
supernatural, l 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 innumcrable arc the spooks,
hobgobins and tho ccric, vapory
things which glide from the shadowy
hooks and crannies of the intangible
nowhere to people the capitol's vast
stretches Of darkness. or course you
know of the extraordinary acoustic
freaks which obtain in many parts of
the great building-how Il Whisper a
breathed word ut one particular point
Is audible at another scores of feet dis
tant? Yes. Now, at night these acous-
tic spirits simply 80 mad. Where they
by day were pygmies they expand into
giants, and whistle, n sudden sound,
a football, resolves itself into a pam
demonium.
"Weird, terrifying noises beat upon
the earlrums of the watclllncn 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 speechless
dignity, some creeping humbly about
in apologetic silence, some laughing,
some sobbing. but all of them horrible
-horriblc.'
The old man paused to muse.
"Do you know he said, breaking
into his own reverie explosvely, FEB.
% is date dreaded by many of the
capitol night guards? 1t was OH this
day, in lS4S, 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 Mt midnight
OH every anniversary Of his death the
shade Of John Quincy Adams appears
in sort Of phosphorcsccnt glow over
this brass tablet. Oh, dozens of guards
have seen it from time to time as well
as l, and l can refer you to many of
them for affirmation of my assertions
"Once over the spot the shade begins
to gesticllatc, after the manner of a
member addressing the house. Then.
all of sudden, the fine face becomes
distorted and agoniZcd, the gracefully
waving arms fall convulsivcly, and
down sinks the shade with all the
movements of an expiring man. Then
the phosphorescent glow fades away,
and the ethereal eftigy dissolves.
"But, although lost sight Of, its pres
ence is still made known by the 'clump,
flop, clump, tlop,' Of invisible foot
falls departing down one of the long
vacant corridors.
stranger than this is the ghost Of
the entire congress Of 1S4S, which ap-
pears in vigorous if spooky session ev-
cry once in awhile in Statuary hall, the
old hall Of representatives, as 1 have
previously remarked. Inaudible, but
spirited, are the debates; energetic to
the bursting point Of vehemence are
the silent political discussions. Pro-
vokcd by doubling Thomas, mem
ber 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 II 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 lumi-
nous presence, to stalk in stately dig
nity away into the swallowing gloom.
This Is a favorite phantom with the
guards. Its conduct is exemplary.
'"ThGn there is the shade of Vice
President Wilson, who died in his room
in the senate end of the capitol, you
will recall. Its peregrinations are few
and desultory. When it does come,
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.
can of the older members Of the
night watch are well acquainted with
Vice President Wilson's apparition and
never fail to salute it, although, truth
to tell, the shade remains haughtily in
different to their Difference. This spook
rarely fails to put in an appearance
when the body Of dead legislator or
statesman of national renown Is lying
In state in the capitol.
"Deep in the subcellar vaults spooks
Of lesser magnitude revel in hordcs.
Immediately beneath the hall Of rep
resentatives every night is to be found
tall, erect, gaunt specter, whose iden-
tity has remained mystery for years
in spite Of unceasing efforts on the