Evening star., 1941-04-25


Aqua Church after dark. They will
tell you they hear sounds as if some
one were running up and down the
stairs and those brave enough to
venture near the church at night
will tell of seeing the face of a
golden-haired woman through one
of the windows
About $50 years ago. they say, a
lady, young and beautiful. arrived
by stagecoach at the church. What
happened there no one knows, but
her body was found in the center
aisle, and blood stained the flag
stones.
Scoffer Dies.
One man scoffed at the idea the
church was haunted. He wasn't
afraid to 60 there by night, he said.
He was given a nail and hammer
and told to drive the nail into the
belfry wall to prove he had been
there. Later, his body was found in
the belfry. In the dark he had
evidently driven the nail through
his coat into the wall and as he
turned to leave, the nail held him
fast. They say he died of fright,
thinking some one had hold of him.
A wealthy woman, who spent her
summers in Stafford County, decided
to investigate the ghost of Aquia
Church one night not many years
ago. Failing to get any men from
that section to accompany her, she
arranged for two recording experts
from Washington to join her and
make record of the strange sounds
said to have come from there.
Leading her little party, she had
no sooner stepped into the church
than hand slapped her across the
face. The two men rushed into the
church, but found nothing. There
have been no recordings made of
the strange sounds at Aqua Church.
The ghost of Sabine Hall, so the
story goes, appears only to welcome
brides to their new home, but might
make a special exception for gar
den tour visitors.
Appears Only to Newcomers.
Telling the story, natives of that
section ask you to picture a wedding
day, new mistress crossing the
! threshold of Sabine Hall. Clinging
to her husbands arm, laughing with
the wedding guests, she steps be-
tween the white columns of the por-
tico.
Then she stops, staring up the
c q oIl-y1- III WI
hall. The crowd is huShed follow
ing her glance but seeing only the
sunlight streaming through the win
dow at the first landing.
The bride smiles, murmurs Thank
you The old servants nod their
heads, understanding. She has seen
the ghost of Sabine Hall, the page
boy who comes out upon the first
landing to welcome the new mistress.
Invisible to all others, his greeting
is for her alone
Perhaps, visiting Ash Lawn near
Charlottesville, you may see what
startled young railroad official who
didn't believe in ghosts.
Not Only Once.
One morning, Strengthening his tie
at the mirror, he saw the chair
behind him began to rock. Faster
and faster the empty chair rocked
to and fro. He called his brother
from the next room; looked around
to be sure no draught was moving
the rocker
Slowly, the brothers approached
the rocking chair. At their touch
it stopped. Several times since then
they have seen the chair rock and
they ask themselves If this might
be the ghost of President James
Monroe. who lived many years at
Ash Lawn.
The study of the first owner Of
Kenmore, Col. Fielding Lewis, is the
place to look for ghosts in the old
Fredericksburg home.
As Uncle Bacchus, white haired
caretaker of the mansion, tells it,
he was making his usual night
rounds not many years ago. Moving
slowly through the rooms, the finally
reached the study door. He pushed
the door, 1t refused to bulge.
Uncle Bacchus had heard crunch
ing steps on the gravel outside the
house now and then. He had seen
doorknobs turn mysteriously and
even on hot days, had felt sudden
damp draught No one had ever
seen the ghost, but Uncle Bacchus
was sure it was male spirit. The
steps sounded as though made by
heavy boots.
Finds Surprising Scene.
Uncle Bacchus was certain the
stuck door was ghost work and told
the woman in charge of the mansion
about it next morning. Quietly,
she made her way to the study.
Reaching the entrance to the room,
she stopped short For the door
was open wide and there, seated at
his desk as if going over old ac-
counts, was the man who had built
Kenmore for his wife. Betty WASH
ington, in 1752-Col Fielding Lewis.
As any old Virginian will tell