Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-27
GHOST VISITS POST OFFICE
CHARWoMAN SAW TT EARLY
CHRISTMAS MORNING.
Yelled Murder" and tainted on
Finding Stuffed Man Fixed Up
by Woman Clerks.

Early rSerS and beialed Celebrants of
the Yuletide who happened to be wan
dering in the neghborhood of the Post
Office Department building about > o'clock
Christmas morning We're thrilled with the
cry of murder followed by sue
cession OF piercing shrieks in a woman's
voice that chilled the marrow in their
bones and made their hair rise up in
fright. The cries came from one OF the
upper stories of the building and seemed
to grow louder and fuller every instant.
The Drawer ones of those who heard them
rushed for the entrance, while the others
gathered around in excited groups TO dis
cuss the affair and await developments.
The woman who yelled murder wasn't
earth to harm her or her companions who
joined in the yells that. followed. 1t was
only that she was a little frightened"
as she explained after Iney had worked
for almost an hour to restore her from d
deep swoon i'm which she was found.
There are various ways of celebra ting
Christmas, from the Sizzling souSe TO
the more serious and Sedate way of Soins
to church or observing the day in an
other way consistent with due decorum;
but some of the young woman clerks on
the eighth floor of the Post Office De-
partment building conceived q way Christ
mas eve that VIII long linScr in the menu
DRY Assistant Supt. Shaw and Il certain
faithful, IL superstitious, old colored
woman
From some source they procured u suit
of mans clothing and Immediately pro-
cccdcd Ito make a man of it The fla bby
legs OF the trousers were rounded out into
shapely forms with Stufiing OF various
kinds. then the WaiStcoat and finally the
complete figure of man was made. y
hat was set on the head of the dummy
and 1t was placed i'll clerical position at
Il desk In one of the alcoves. In finding
features to do duty the girls bought q
false face of rather hidcous mien and cx-
cecdinSly white. Then they went home.
The joke did not explode until Christ
mas morning, when the faithful old COL
ored woman put in an appearance at ;
O'Clock to attend to her daily task. When
she struck the one particular acOve her
eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets
and her voice let out a cry of murder"
Then followed series of piercing
shrieks and yellS that increased in num-
Der and volume other charwomen APP
peared on the scene The lieutenant of
the watch. whose station during the night
is on the second floor. made the SIX flights
To the eighth with series of leaps and
bounds that would have done credit to an
Australian kangaroo One brave guardian
OF the governments treasure rushed for a
policeman. while still another got on the
phone and routed Asst. Supt Shaw out
of his Christmas dreams and down to the
office as quickly as his fleet limbs and the
"owl car" on the avenue line would carry
him. When he arrived the cause of the
trouble had become known. the colored
woman had been sent home to avert nerV-
Gus prostration and the night watchmen
were gathered in serious group discuss
ing the affair
The young women. it is said were a
work yesterday on the eighth floor but
their faces were mrrored innocence
Chief Clerk and Superintendent of the
Building Conrad was strangely non-co:n-
initial. but Shaw told the story and he
didn't take long to tell it.