The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-07-24
Who Was the Tall Lady IN Black? Famous Mystery Ghost
Of Sister of Mercy Who Haunted the Whole Family.
~ HeLEN CHRISTINE BENNETT.

Ely HELEN CHHlol lINE 0ENNEI i
It was never exactly determined
lust who first saw the tall lady
dressed in black. whose face was he
Gen IN a handkerchief Capt. Morton
and his family moved into the old
house in Baltimore in April. 1882. ard
by June almost every family member
knew the lady in black.
Miss r. C. Morton, daughter OF the
house, is certain that she saw her at
least six times before anyone else
mentioned the vision. One morning
a married sister asked cau3ually:
WHO was the sister of mercy saw
Just now in the half"
."sister OF Mercy" echoed her sis
ter eagerly. What did she look
like"
"A tall woman" was the ready re-
sponse, "all in black, with no hat. !
could not see her distinctly but she
had the appearance OF having some
thing like a veil about her head"
Then three other sisters confessed
10 having seen the tail lady in black.
The family were not superstitious and
the tall lady bothered them but III.
tie.
But Miss R. C. Morton finally be-
came interested. II the tall lady IN
black was human. she determined 10
find il out. So she stationed herself
in the hall and waited. When the tall
lady appeared she followed her.
Down the hall into the drawing room
the two silently paced around the
room into a far corner. There the
figure turned.
Miss Morton extended her hand and
fouched-nothing! Yet the tall lady
still stood before her in the corner.
Again she extended her hand towards
she figure. There was no wall visible
behind the tall lady; she seemed IS
substantial as Miss Morton herself.
and yet the extended hand touched
nothing.
she seemed always just beyond
me-" said Miss Morton. Il tried AMI
tried but | could not touch her. Once
| asked her if could help her but
she did not answer"
The tall lady continued mystery.
BY day, by night. at almost any hour
the Mortons would see her, descend
ing the stair. gliding through the hall
into the drawing room. Visitors &C.
casionally commented upon her pres
ence.
Miss Morton determined upon furtn-
er tests. She made skeins OF fine
threads almost invisible. so light that
the slightest strain would break them.
These she affixed in half dozen
places by attaching the ends with
glue across the oldfashioned stair.
Then from a doorway she and 9th
ers waited for the tall lady. They
saw her come down the stair, glide
through the hall and turn into the
drawing room. They sprang forward
to examine the threads. Not one WIS
broken,
For four years the tall lady in black
came in TO the Mortons. Why she
came no one knew. investigation as
10 the past history Of the house re-
veaIed little. The people who had
lived there had been happy people.
except perhaps the family of Mr..
s. Mr.. 5. was widower who remar-
ried and the second Mrs. S. and he
we're reported TO have led a most un-
happy existence.
There was rumor that Mrs. S.
coveted certain jewels o. her prede-
cessor which her husband steadfastly
refused to give to her. The story
seemed &c be mere neighborhood COS
sip. until one day carpenter was
called into the Morton house to make
some repairs. He verified the story
at once. adding:
"Mr. S. had me in secretly to make
a compartment for those jewels. ]
made it under the floor OF a room they
used as mornin-room. and they were
stored there at the time" Eager and
excited. the Mortons watched while
a section Of flooring OF one Of the
rooms on the first floor was removed
and the compartment revealed. II
was empty.
That was in 1856 The tai lady
in black continued to visit the house