Capitol Ghost Stories

What's scarier than the Superferry Special Session? Halloween approaches and we've been collecting Capitol ghost stories which we'll post between now and October 31st. Thanks to the Capitol staffers who have contributed stories. If you have one to share, we'd love to hear from you. Here's a classic one from the 1980's...told to many people (including me) by former State Senator Eloise Tungpalan.

The Senator was taking a nap in her private office on a fold-away mattress on the floor behind her desk. It was late at night and she was waiting for her husband to pick her up. Suddenly, the door from the outside public office opened, and she saw the shape of a man. She thought it looked like a Capitol security guard standing in the doorway. Being nearsighted, she said "Wait a minute," while she reached for her glasses on the floor. When she put them on, still lying on the floor, she realized that the figure before her had no feet.

Being part-Hawaiian, Senator Tungpalan understood that a person floating without feet was the sign of a Hawaiian spirit. She had the presence of mind to take a seat at her desk and asked the spirit, "Can I help you?" The man stared at her expressionless and did not answer. She then said, assertively, "If there is nothing I can help you with, please leave." With that, the man turned around and appeared to dematerialize as he went through the doorway.

Her husband arrived and they went down to the security office to report the incident. She described the man as a balding, Hawaiian security guard. The description sounded familiar, and the officer got out the file of former security guards with their picture ID's and pulled out one that he thought matched the description. Senator Tungpalan confirmed that that was the man she saw in her office. The officer said that was impossible because the old security guard had died some time ago.