Evening star., 1932-08-13

Miss Merrill was shot that suspicion
was first directed to the wild man"
and the goat woman"
On Glenwood. the Dana property, not
far from Goat Castle, there is an abarl-
doned building. which some months
ago attained local notorietv as a road
house. 1t is known as the "Skunk's
Nest" The "Skunk's Nest" was occu-
pied for a time by John Geiger, a
lugger. as a tenant, but on his failure to
pay rent he was evicted by Miss Dock
cry, and his personal possessions were
seized and carried to Gcat Castle. with
the exception of an old Army coat
the coat which, with the finger print
Of q manned hand at the scene of the
murder. was destined to weave a web
Of circumstantial evidence around the
wild man" and the goat woman"
Once Stately Mansion.
Goat Castle, or Glenwood, is the
ruins of what was once one of the most
stately antebellum mansions In Natchez.
Falling to pieces from wind and
weather and being used as stable for
live stock, It presents picture Of
desolation, of squalor and shocking con-
trasts. Passing under the graceful fam
tail transom of the portal. one will find
his right to entrance challenged by
goats, while down the hallway waddles
q procession of ducks. Roasting upon
the piano there will be perhaps a flock
of chickens.
On the moor Is the accumulated dust
Of years. Piled about In every room
Is solid mahogany antique furniture.
On the stained wall there are Oil paint
tngs. including a large portrait OF Rev.
Charles Bacus Dana in his vestments
as rector Of Trinity Church. This por-
trait is in the library. where cobwebs
and dust cover hundreds of volumes
on theology, philosophy and biography.
Marble busts Of Dickens and Shake
speare stand upon Beautiful Italian
mantelpiece, stained and discolored
from the smoke of many wood fires
built on box of sand In the fireplace,
where the strange pair prepared their
meals.
Piled on shelves and tables there are
faded documents and ancient photo
graphs-letters received by the father
Of Dana, newspaper clippings of 40
years ago. Thrown on table, where
It has apparently remained for years, is
the faded uniform Of Confederate
officer, probably that of Gen. Dockery,
whose picture and citations are among
the effects.
Four Poster Beds Noted.
In the bed rooms there are stately
four -posters and on them are the tat
tered fragments of feather beds which
long ago disintegrated, so that the
feathers cover the floor.
Goat Castle" with its accumulation
Of debris which seems to have been un-
touched for 40 years, does more to tell
the tragic futility of the lives of the
man who might have been a world
famous musician and the woman who
was once leader in the social life Of
the aristocratic old Natchez of the past.
Rummaging for clues in the Goat
House." officers found clippings OF pub
lished poems that appeared in news
papers and magazines which disclose
that Miss Dockery had marked literary
ability.
Since the arrest of the wild man"
and the goat woman" there has been
constant stream of visitors to Goat
Castle and in order to protect the
valuable antiques and to save personal
effects and relics Of happier days In
the life of Dana. Sheriff c. p. Roberts
has been compelled to appoint a care
taker to protect the property.
(Copyright, 1882. bv North American Nexs-
paper Alliance, Inc