After my story circulated, another officer described something peculiar that happened to them. One night this officer was working in Davis Hall alone. At that time, the newly committed inmates to Federal Prison Camp Alderson were housed temporarily in Davis Hall before receiving their permanent assigned living areas in the cottages.
One night a busload of newly committed inmates were locked in rooms on the second floor. The officer found a bunch of the inmates still awake and frightened about something after the midnight count. The officer then went into the Davis Hall attic, and using a metal trash can lid began hitting and banging the exposed plumbing vent pipes.
The inmates on the second floor became hysterical and were screaming at the top of their lungs not knowing what the commotion was.
All of a sudden, there was a huge freaking “KA-BOOM!” like the sound of the internal steel basement door being slammed closed. The officer knew the basement door should be locked at all times with no one entering or exiting at that time. The officer quietly went to the attic door that had three flights of stairs that went all the way to the basement door.
The officer perceived that the on duty lieutenant had heard the noisy commotion coming from Davis Hall, and was coming to investigate via the basement door. The officer stood silently waiting near the top steps to identify who it was. Something or someone was coming up the stairs making angry huffing sounds.
A presence made its way up the stairs and right past the bewildered officer and went into the attic slamming the attic door closed behind it. The officer now more frightened than the inmates that were locked on the second floor, made sure the attic door was locked, and then ran to the basement door to make sure it was locked.
The officer then went to the officers station and remained locked in there for the remainder of the night only coming out when required to do so.
The officer who experienced this intriguing situation wished not to be identified.
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