Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-07-26
A Haunting Refrain

population is about 100000. It's
ghost population is eight. All
high-class haunts, too.
The Bridey Murphy-landers are
varied lot: three high Army Of
ficers, a doctor, nice old Aunt
Betsy, Negro baby, and Irish
potter and a good fairy.
Some Of the spooks are quiet as
dea well, as church mice.
Others are poltergeists. Maj.
George Peter eternalIy hurls his
toddy glass into the fireplace and
Col. Richard Brooke clomps up
and down stairs on his black stall
lion. But there's not one chain
RATHER in the bunch.
The most-haunted house award
goes to Fair Hill, the Olney es-
tate of developer Donald r. Lam
borne. The Lambornes have
heard very few noises but plenty
of stories.
In the basement an Irish pot
ter supposedly hung himself.
Legend says a Negro baby burned
to death in a fireplace beneath
the kitchen. Some claim they've
heard her walls.
Fairy Keeps Watch
In an alcove overlooking a Sec
ond floor balcony, goes the story,
lives a little old lady-a good
fairy-who keeps watch on Fair
Hill and it's inhabitants.
The main attraction, though, is
Col. Brooke who repeatedly re-
verses Washington Irving and
rides a headless horse! Especially
during storms. Col. Brooke fought
with distinction during the Revo-
lutionary War. He is buried at
Fair Hill.
Roger Brooke Farquhar in his
book Historic Montgomery
County, Maryland, Old Homes
and History" describes the colo
nels proported midnight rides
"up one flight of stairs and down
the other"
Mr.. Farquhar believes he wit
messed an appearance of Col.
Brooke many years ago. Remem-
bering the incident "still causes
my hair to stand on end and my
flesh to break out in goose PIN
pies" reports the writer.
Moon Was Full
Mr.. Farquhar and two friends
were seated on the lawn at
Sharon, near Olney, on a full
moon summer night. About. Is
feet behind the trio was paling
fence enclosing a vegetable gars
den. Growth in the garden in
cluded corn five to six feet tall.
Suddenly the group heard hoof-
beats Gin the unmistakable rhy-
them of a horse galloping at high
speed on a hard road or pike"
The sound of the hoofbeats grew
faint, then loud again. At times
it came from the garden patch,
where the earth was soft. The
tall corn never even rustled.
Before the hoof beats disap-
peared in the direction of Olney,
Mr.. Farquhar recalls, he and his
two frightened companions heard
a distinct snort or hiss near at
hand just back of the paling
fence only a few feet from U.S."
What had the group heard?
eve surmised that it might be
the ghost of Col. Richard Brooke,
Revolutionary patriot, galloping
up the pike from Sandy Spring
toward Fair Hill after a fox hunt
in the neighborhood."
Second Colonel Haunts
Col. Brooke must share COM
mand OF the Specter squad with
Col. Edward d. Baker, former
Oregon senator and Union Army
officer, and now restless spirit
who watts about Arlington, the
400 acre estate of Mrs. William S.
Parkins between Poolesville and
Whites Ferry.
On the eve of the Civil War bat
tie Of Balls Bluff, Col. Baker
dined at Arlington with DR..
Stephen Newton Chiswell White.
The officer quipped over his
meal, Tomorrow night 1 dine
either in Leesburg or in He'll"
The officers was killed in bat
tie the next day.
In his book Mr Farquhar says
the loud creaking of stairs" and
the HiTnaxplaipad elm 1,oy,1ino of