The Washington times., 1936-09-17

the U. 5. Marine corps, mas VIII
ten me a ghost story that Will
make your eyes pop.
Listen now:
Dear Helen ESSary:
Do you really want real ghost
story? Even one that cannot be
proved and has only my word Tor
itP
If you do, I'll risk my reputa-
ton for veracity. Here is the tale
When my husband, Major Gen
eral George Barnett, as newly ap-
pointed Commandant OF the
Marine Corps, and I took posses
sion of the historic old Comman-
dant'S House at the Marine Bar
racks at Eighth and G streets
Southeast, I was very tired the
first night I spent there. I retlreo
early and fell into a SOUND steep
almost Immediately.
woke suddenly for no apparent
reason and was aware of a pres
ence in my room. AS my eye pc
came accustomed to the dim !lgnt'
I saw across the room a figure IN
uniform, sitting in wing chair py
the fireplace and thrown into 1ull
relief by a large screen behind the
chair.
It was that Of an old man with a
fringe of cheek and chin whlskers.
He wore a peculiar flat cap, WIN
slanting top. His hair was Sucn
as I had never seen before.
was a comparatively new
Marine at that time and not
familiar with the old discarded
tvues of uniform. Not to my
knowledge, had I ever seen pic
ture resembling my visitor.
His eyes met mine. He seemed
to look thoughtfully about the
room. I was curiously unafrald
as I stared at him. Slowly the
figure seemed to fade back into
the screen and was gone. AND l
fell peacefully to sleep.
In the morning when my nus
band entered my room, I laugh
ingly said:
"GeOrge, I had a night Wis
itor i'm Marine uniform last
night"
Upon his natural questioning
Of me (both from husbandly and
Marine viewpoint) I told him OF
my experience.
AT first ribald, later incredu-
lous and finally interested, my
husband secured from the records
of the U. S. Marine Corps a por-
trait of (Breve0 Brig. Gen. Archl-
bald Henderson, commandment OF
the corps from 1920 to 1859, and
who had occupied the room now
mine during all that time.
NV description of what I had
seen had led General Barnett to
this old photograph. And you
can believe it or not-the photo
graph was that of the figure in
the chair!
A curious angle of my story is
that in General Henderson's room,
where I met the ghost, was born
the grandson of General Hender-
son. Archibald Henderson Taylor,
who. living in Baltimore, was the
lifelong friend of my first hus-
band. Basil Gordon, of Baltimore,
and the godfather of my three
Gordon children.
Also he was my guardian up to
the time of my marriage to Gen.
eral Barnett, of whom he became
a warm friend and admirer.
Is it not too strange for belief
that the old general still watching
over his home of so many years
came that night, so doubly allied
to him, with a welcome?
believe he did. Of course,
knew the story of his life very we'll.
His grandson and I had often
SPOKEN of the strange turn of fate
which had brought my children
and myself to that old house, but
4 did not know how the general
looked. He never appeared to me
again.
It was partly because of this
incident that the painting of the
series of portraits of the various
commandments of the Marine Corps
which now hang in the Com
mandant's House was suggested
by General Barnett and carried
ont under his direction.
I hope that this true ghost story
may interest you.
LEILA MONTAGUE BARNETT.
Now isn't that a yarn!
I am hoping that Mrs. John
H. Russell, whose husband is now
commandment at the Marine Bar
racks, will also tell me a super
natural tale of the old house, in
which she succeeded Mrs. Barnett
as mistress.