Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-07-28
NOTES By OBSERVER.

Observers comments in last weeks
pscfs,sr on some of the old houses in
SEsrrerdstown brought up the query:
!, a Town as old as ShepherdStown and
r. so many interesting things have
c,,r-rei. are there any haunted
torses? Most assuredly there are.
For the past few years, we will have
:, admit. the spookS have not been as
actiye in their manifestations as in
Years gone by, but we have no hesi-
iancy in claiming some real haunted
houses. Fact is. Observer has lived
n 4 haunted house, and can speak with
authority on the subject.
In 4 certain building once used for
comr.-cial purposes exclusively but
now converted into a dwelling, there
rsed 10 be thrilling manifestations.
The building had been used as a hos
rital during the Civil War, and after
the battle of Antietam it had been filled
with wounded soldiers. There were
many amputations Of arms and legs,
and the surgeons, grown callous by
much work of this sort, performed
their duties in a mechanical sort of
wav unmindful of the groans of the
roor victims. At one corner of the
building was pile of feet and legs
and at the other a collection Of arms
that had been amputated. These were
more or less carelessly buried when
the first rush of surgical work was
over. To this day the spooks of the
soldiers TO whom these members be-
loncei are unquiet. At certain hours
Of the night, groans can be heard, and
more than one person claims to have
seen arms and legs, all bloody and
manglej, moving creepily over the
floor, as if in search of the body from
which they had been separated. They
have even gone up the stairway and have
fallen out of upper windows, just as
they had perhaps been thrown out in
1862 1t is said TO have been "a dread
ful sight TO see human feet, just as in
in life, kicking convusively and fingers
cutching for something they never
could catch.
Another haunted house was famous
for its many weird noises. In the
stiffness of midnight the tip-tip Of a
woman could be heard IN one Of the
rooms, and the swish of her silk skirts
we're plainly audible as she tipped about
the place. Furniture would be thrown
about the floor in another room, china
and glass would be smashed, and
hendiSh noises would be heard until
the very instant that those who lived
in the house would throw open the
door Immediately all would be still
and every article would be in its proper
place Sometimes mocking laughter
would he heard. The most thrilling
part OF the manifestations, however
was the crying Of little child. 1t
would start in an upper room, apparent
y 60 down the stairway to the first
Hoor, then on down into the cellar.
lhe sound would be like the feeble
WaiIing OF an infant, and in a far cor
ner Of the cellar it would sink down
mo the earth, growing fainter and
,alhter. until al last there was but a
neartrend.ng gasp as if the last breath
1ad neen Smothered in the throat
mere were many attempts to solve the
mystery of the manifestations in this
rouse. hut there was absolutely no ex-
panalon ever found, though old folks
hintcd AT trouble that occurred there
were AFRAID to speak Of openly.
Ihere was another house where an
SSFParIton in the form of a little old
.aNy wearing a brown silk dress was
~eh from time to time. She seemed
Ue trying her best, in a gentle sort
VI way 10 communicate some kind Of
message to those to whom she appear
N' another peculiarity of this house
Was mat certain door could not be
neP' closed. No matter how we'll it
,S"S IatChed, or even locked, at certain
.n,gN IN the night il would swing open
r. 10 admit some person to the room.
me "'iIe old lady in brown has been
in SSen within the past few years, hav-
n;EEi appeared several times to a little
s"' seven or eight years old
,,'r'" interesting it would be il we
,' -.''' knew the history of some of the
WE! oll houses in Shepherdstown.
i~U1' IS Known as High street was orig
,'",N ,"' .'tended as the main street ofthe
v, ]',, nut the town grew to the south.
Ts,. IN High street is what is be-
Jo.y. 4,ny1 '0 he the oldest house in town
oou'' '.-s. fully 200 wears old: a house
yb1 ,'-" "i'i occupied by Michael Cookus,
Co.. ,id to have received a call from
So Washington, with whom he
,,n s.' IN the unfortunate Braddock
cyr;ot ,,il.i tn; another dwelling, still oc-
en-, .- and substantial, built of logs
for nom the very site on which the
The - .'ands, timber that grew when
tno,.1, settlers came in; a row of brick
q; C.,..ES which were built for the use
mil, -L'tives in the cotton and woolen
,po. ..dt ilourished here many years
So s'eral little homes that we're built
kro', ago that nobody now living
Iu"N anything of their orioin. ord a