The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-01-29
The Old Medical College
TBy Amelia Fankhouser LeFiavre.

and every member OF this force Of col
ored workmen during sixty odd years.
And because it stood empty for some
years, this vast structure lost none OF
( it's value as ghost producer.
i An eccentric lifetime resident of
1 Keokuk and who was known to every
! man, woman and child. as Ben Holt
/ day, became, in his advanced years,
an inmate Of the county home But
he made regular Saturday evening
trips to the city on foot, distance of
six miles, osget the Sunday mornings
Gate City right off the press, and
walked back to breakfast. He slept
here, and there, wherever. through the
| kindly assent of many citizen, he
| found a welcome. But one night he
wandered into the basement Of the
medical college. thinking, no doubt, in
his mixed mind, that so vast shell
ter from the night, was built express
Iy for his accommodation for that es-
pecial night.
But the next morning when the col
ored attendant, whose business 1t was
to remove the Subjects came on
duty the quick subject was still
asleep. The place being dim1y light
ed, the negro, with his tined imple-
ment undertook to remove Ben, caus-
ing this subject" to move and groan.
In AFFECT terror the negro dropped
his fork and ran-the ghosts OF years,
down to the oldest inhabitant. from
every crack and corner following In
his tracks-ran as he never ran be-
FORE "and is running yet" so the story
goes.
When the Masons lost their home
On Fourth and Main streets by fire
several years ago, they contemplated
new location on which to rebuild,
and looked about for a suitable place,
finally deciding, after much delibera-
ton, on the purchase OF the old medi-
cal college which was for sale. The
site being now in the heart OF the
city.
With the steady growth of years,
the once vacant block upon which 1t
stood alone. and the adjacent corners
were built up with beautiful, substan-
tial structures. The old foundry and
woodward in the hollow having given
way to a $4,000 government build
ing.
While beside these newer, and more
modern buildings the medical college
looked old. 1t was by no means dilapi-
dated, and became a question with
the purchasers whether to reconstruct
the interior suitable to their needs, or
to raze it to the ground, and rebuild.
The latter was decided upon, after
thorough examination and test of its
walls from basement to dome, by COM
petant judges of same. During the
intervening time twixt the decision
and the work of razing the place was
left to itself once none, for the settle
ment of the business. as to expendt-
ture, etc. entailed in their decision
Ghosts Return.
Notwithstanding It's quiet, stately
exterior, its interior. especially the
basement had not become valueless as
ghost producer. And since the test,
more thorough perhaps in the base
ment, the night passer-by, regardless
OF race, saw, through the dirty win
dows, lights appear, then disappear;
and heard reports as OF pistol, at
intervals resounding through the vast
underground apartments that remind
ed him of OLD medical college days
stories which were still current among
some people. Put in circulation, this
report sped at the rate of-the speed
limit is not ascertainable at this writ
ing; but least wise 1t needed no
verihcation to attract many witnesses
to the scene-outside.
The sceptical and curious admitted,
out loud, that 1T is strange phe-
momentum" the credulous departing
from the place, with a shrug and a
shake of the head equivalent to Il
told you so;" while the superstitious
express gratitude at not belonging to
them Masons with all them disturbed
(perturbed) spirits on ther hands"
However, when the report was veri-
fed, the night pedestrian sought, or
Stunned Seventh and Blondeau streets
according as his interest Or fears
prompted him. The negro, by the way,
belonging to the latter class, and not
one went nearer than the basement
windows.
Investigation was unthougllt of I'M
til a number OF electricians from
down town electrical shop. after not
ing that all operations ceased at mid
night. concluded to ascertain the
cause of 1t all, which through the
dingy windows, had the appearance OF
many lights moving about; disappear,
then the report, a fash OF red light
that seemed to scatter into bits, fol-
lowed by darkness.
The "Y' boys. coming up from the
association building at Fifth and Blon-
deau made. for the other side Of the
street, hugging the government build
ing when they saw that the ringers
spooks were still alive" in the old col
lege.
On the night set for the fnvestiga-
ton by the electricians, party Of
"Y" boys returning from gym" saw
the men armed with lanterns, and i'm
plements of various kinds, standing
about the building. Among these boys
was a fourteen-year-old school youth,
called Deans" who, by the way, was
an ardent student Of electricity. and
wireless; and who, no sooner learned
who we're the men. and their mission,