MD80 PURSER THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRAPPED IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT IN ZDV CLASS A.

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LANDED SHORT OF DEST FOR NOISE BELOW FIRST CLASS GALLEY. APPROX 190 MI SE OF DENVER; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT. SHE WAS VISIBLY UPSET AND EXPLAINED TO US THAT SHE THOUGHT SOMEONE WAS TRAPPED IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT AND WAS RAPPING ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. I TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD CONTACT OPS AND GET WORD BACK TO DFW SO THAT THE GND CREW COULD ACCOUNT FOR ALL PERSONNEL. ABOUT 3-4 MINS LATER; SHE CAME BACK IN AND SAID SHE FELT CERTAIN THAT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING WAS DOWN BELOW THE GALLEY. ON THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE OF THIS RAPPING; THE KNOCK HAD BEEN SO SHARP THAT SHE TURNED AROUND IN THE GALLEY EXPECTING TO SEE SOMEONE STANDING BEHIND HER THAT HAD JUST STOMPED ON THE DOOR. I SENT THE FO BACK TO INVESTIGATE AND CONTINUED TO TRY TO RAISE OPS. HE ALSO FELT THE RAPPING; ASKED THE PAX IN SEATS IF THEY HAD BEEN KICKING ANYTHING AND THEY REPLIED 'NO.' HE WENT BACK TO THE GALLEY AND FELT THE TAPPING AGAIN AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAME FORWARD AND SAID 'I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE DOWN THERE.' I DECLARED AN EMER; STATING THAT THE ACFT WAS FINE; BUT THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD SOMEONE TRAPPED IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. THEY DSNDED US; PER THE DANDD ARR AND WE LANDED ON RWY 16 AT DEN 'OVERWT -- MINIMUM SINK RATE.' ZDV; APCH; AND TWR WERE VERY HELPFUL AND DID A FINE JOB IN HANDLING US. DEN PERSONNEL RESPONDED QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. BAGGAGE HANDLERS COMPLETELY UNLOADED THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT; CHKED THE INTEGRITY OF THE WALLS AND THEN RELOADED THE BAGS. MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE E&E COMPARTMENT. THE FO AND I INSPECTED THE NOSEWHEEL WELL AND E&E COMPARTMENT AND ALSO FOUND NOTHING LOOSE. NO PERSONS WERE FOUND IN ANY OF THE SEARCHES. FLT ATTENDANT #2 RPTED THAT THE RAPPING HAD CONTINUED FROM SHORTLY BEFORE TKOF UNTIL SHORT FINAL IN DENVER. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT CONTINUATION TO DEST; NO RAPPING OF ANY SORT WAS FELT.