Evening star. [volume], October 31, 1943, Page C-4, Image 35

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
* * . ' l*. • ■ *•
Haunted Houses of Washington
By John Clagett Proctor.
There are certain events occurring in
erne's life that even time will not erase,
regardless of how old and infirm lie may
become, and especially is this true of the
beautiful part of his early days, when
life was young and all the world was a
stage and every one was his own
comedian.
Of the writer's early days the special
events he recalls most are Christmas,
Independence Day, the picnics, excur
sions, the old swimming holes along
Rock Creek, the big bonfires at night,
when the national election returns were
coming in and Halloween.
At this time, however, 60 and more
years ago, the city of Washington was
comparatively small to what it is now-,
with a population then of about 150,000
persons. Indeed, there was then much
vacant ground in all parts of Washing
ton and the little frame, box-shaped,
one-story dwelling was considerably in
evidence throughout the city. A few of
these may still be seen, inspiring fond
memories of the past.
There was then plenty of open space
for fireworks on Independence Day, lots
of room for bonfires and the kids had
acres of fields upon which to play, where
now are blocks of houses and where they
could perform all kinds of diabolical and
fiendish tricks, if they wished to, which
would not be tolerated or permitted in a
big metropolitan city such as Washing
ton has since grown to be.
It is said by some that Halloween was
not celebrated with the same eclat and
enthusiasm following the Civil War as it
was prior to that time. Maybe this is
true, but those who were born .subse
quent to that event will never believe
it—especially the boys who lived in the
sparsely settled parts of the Capital.
Halloween Bonfires
The Police Department was kept busy
protecting people's property. For in the
days of bonfires, which surely did not
cease until around 1885, such detachable
things as front gates were not safe, and
anywhere a box, barrel, hogshead or
ether portable wood could be found It
was added to the boifire. the reflection
from which at times looked as though
that part of the city was on fire.
Many of the small frame houses here,
of 50 years ago and earlier, had before
the front door a smali stoop of one, two
or three steps, as was required to make
access to the home easy. In many cases
these were not nailed to the house, and
when the ‘'foraging'’ or scouting party
found one that was portable it was
quickly carried away and consigned to
the flames, and many a person almost
broke his neck the following morning
when he stepped out of the door and
landed horizontally upon the ground,
Instead of perpendicularly upon the ac
customed stoop.
Many of the things the boys did in
those days were really dangerous and
had to be stopped. The writer recalls
an incident where a rope was tied from
one of the old, low fire plugs near the
curb to a fence a few feet away, en
dangering the life and limb of any one
who might pass along the sidewalk lhat
wav.
A night or so before, the Schneiders—
Who then lived in the Garfield HospitaL
property—had given a dinner at their
home, and the caterer, with a large bas
ket of dishes w as the first one that Hal
loween night to pass that way. When
in the darkness he struck that rope and
went down sprawling with his load of
chinaware, the rattle of broken dishes
could be heard for a block away. Just
as sure as "the thief does fear each bush
and officer," so did the rapscallions who
placed the obstruction there fear the
officers under Lt. Johnson, and soon
thereafter each one sneaked into his
home and to bed, expecting he might be
awakened anytime before morning and
charged with a criminal offense.
Dangerous Stunts
But the destroying of private property
In this way was not the only method
used and. as many will recall, others
were equally as despicable.
The Star was never keen for this kind
©f so-called sport and the day after the
Halloween celebration of 1882, said:
"Mischievous Fun.—Last evening. All
Halloween, the boys throughout the city
had their fun, if mischief can be called
so, and crowds of them could be seen In
all directions bent on playing some trick
on their neighbor. In some cases, not
content with throwing vegetables in
through a door or window, the fronts of
houses were daubed with filth, and even
the streetcars were invaded by some
youngsters with small packets of flour,
which they bursted so to powder the
dresses of passengers. About 7 o'clock
p.m. a crowd of boys set on Are an old
hogshead of straw near North Capitol
street and Massachusetts avenue, caus
ing an alarm of fire to be turned in and
a run of engines. The fire w;as extin
guished with a few buckets of water be
fore the arrival of the engines, and as
the firemen drew off they were followed
by a crowd of boys, who jeered them
for being taken in.”
A few years later The Star even more
forcibly expressed itself upon the sub
ject editorially, saying:
“Halloween, properly employed and
enjoyed, is a noteworthy season. The
fun of imitating the mysteries of divi
nation and noting the antic combina
tions they often bring forth is unobjec
tionable. There are some sorts of mum
meries, however, which are neither sig
nificant nor otherwise interesting, which
have nothing witty in them, and which
contribute only to the annoyance of the
community.
“Last year, and on other' occasions,
this sort of horseplay has resulted in
serious accidents, sometimes in actual
bloodshed. There is no reason why the
lives, limbs and property of reputable
take care of the overflow, as It were,
November 1 'was designated as a day to
be kept in honor of all'the saints and
that it should be known as All-Hallow
Mass, or All-Saints' Day, and that the
night of October 31, immediately pre
ceding it, should be kept as a vigil and
be known as All-Hallow eve.
Poring over the flies of The Star of
nearly half a century ago, the writer
came across an item that tells what
Halloween means and stands for, in ad
dition to what has already been said.
It follows:
"ALL-HALLOWEEN
"The Night When Fairies Hold High
Carnival and Boys and Girls
Dive for Apples.
“This evening is All-Hallow eve night,
and the people who have doorbells, and
the young men whose matrimonial fate
is still undetermined, had better be on
the outlook, for this is the night of all
the year when danger threatens both
these interests. All-Halloween or eve
is so called because it is the night im
mediately preceding All-Hallowmas, or
All-Saints’ day, which is the 1st of No
vember, and is observed by the Roman
Catholic, Protestant Episcopal and
Lutheran churches as a festival in
honor of all the saints.
“It was said that in the older time all
the spirits, both of the visible and in
visible world, in this evening walked the
earth. All devils and witches are be
lieved to be abroad and the faries are
said to hold high carnival. It is for this
A ghost-infested house which stood on the site of the House
Office Building and was once occupied by the Bank of Wash
ington.
citizens should be placed at the mercy
of the hoodlum element for one night
In the year any more than for the re
maining 364.
•’In the days when Washington was
only an overgrown village many things
of this sort were overlooked. But we
have now a populous and handsome city
which carries upon her shoulders a
certain special dignity as Capital of a
great Republic. Tire police regulations
which prohibit dangerous mischief of all
sorts in the streets should be strictly
enfolded, with no exception in favor of
Hallojyeen.”
All Hallow’s Eve
Just when Halloween first came Into
existence the writer does not know, but
the reasons for its establishment are
easily obtainable; for we are told that
from the beginning of the Christian era,
and even before, the practice of desig
nating and worshiping saints has been
a religious custom. Most naturally, in
this respect, special days were assigned
to the worship of each saint, and as
1 years and centuries passed by it was
found that there were more saints than
1 there were days in the year, and so to
reason that youth and maidens en
deavor to peer into the future and ob
tain some forecast of their matrimonial
prospects. Nuts, apples and cakes are
used in these mystic ceremonies and a
great deal of fun and amusement is de
rived from the signs and omens ob
tained. The boys, as soon as darkness
sets in, begin their celebration, and by
mysterious noises on the windowpanes,
the ringing of doorbells and the running
away before they can be answered, they
have a good deal of fun. whatever en
joyment their victims may be able to
extract from this form of observing the
vigil.”
Salem Witches
Indeed, spirits and devils and witches
and sorcery existed in the minds of the
people as far back as history and tradi
tion go. In the Second Book of Moses
we find it said: “Thou shall not suffer a
witch to live.” Shakespeare, we will re
call. has Hamlet talking to his father's
ghost, and It is the exception to find an
early w’riter who did not place confi
dence in the supernatural.
Upon one occasion, in our own coun
try, as recent as 1692, up in Salem
Those Were the Happy Days!
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ONSWElZTO LAST WEEK^
QUESTION*.
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CHAMPIONS OFTHE NINETIES,
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The Judge Hold house on ,
Capitol Hill, said to have har- j
bored ghosts. I
Mass., 19 of the best people of the town *
were executed upon one occasion for |
being witches.
So if our Washington boys of a former ]
day were downright bad, at least they
were a colossal improvement over our
Salem ancestors, and besides when it is
known that one of those who partici
pated in the executions mentioned bore
the distinctive reputation of being the
greatest scholar and author that Amer
ica had up to then produced.
Indeed, even in the writer's early days
he recalls a queer-looking colored man
who was reputed to be a conjure doctor,
who had the awe and consequent re
spect of all the other colored folk who
lived in his neighborhood.
Haunted Houses
There were then, and even later, in
many paits of town, houses said to be
haunted, the cau.se being due in a large
measure to the fact that as soon as a
dwelling became vacant the boys of the
neighborhood began trying out their
beanshooters to see which one could pop
out the largest number of window panes,
and soon they were all out and then
some one started the report that the
house was haunted, and it was herd to
get a tenant who did not believe in
spooks, for in one respect, at least,
houses are like people—when they lose
their good reputation it Is hard to re
cover it.
Two of the early houses of note to be
dubbed by the superstitious as haunted
were those erected by the first President
on North Capitol street between Consti
tution avenue and C street, and where
he and the First Lady expected to make
their winter residence. They W'ere not
completed at the time of Gen. Wash
ingtons death and in later years be
The Van Ness mansion, site of the Pan-American Building,
believed to have been a haunted house.
came boarding houses. Admiral Wilkes
once made his home here, and in one of
the buildings the novelist, Mrs. South
worth, was born.
In the same vicinity was once the Old
Brick Capitol, at First and A streets
N.E., where was confined Belle Boyd, fa
mous Confederate spy, and where Capt.
Wirz, well known as having been in
charge of Andersonville Prison, was
hanged in the rear yard. The Supreme
Court now occupies the block in which
the building stood until a few years ago.
Other soldiers besides Capt. Wirz are
believed to have been executed in the
yard of this old prison.
Of course, with all the noted prisoners
of state who were confined there and
the executions which took place on the
premises, the structure Just had to be
frequented by nocturnal spirits who
amused themselves by running up and
down the stairs, rattling the door knobs
and by doing other strange things at
tributable only to restless, evil spirits.
On the New Jersey avenue side of the
House Office Building, where many
prominent people lived from time to
time, nearly all the houses were sus
pected of being inhabited by the .spirits
of departed residents, and strange tales
are told even today of the peculiar antics
of the invisible beings.
Also in other places in this neighbor
hood spooks were said to roam at night,
and the writer, some years ago. received
a letter from Miss Mvrta L. Mason, who
said that when her mother, Mrs. Louise
Mason, moved to 43 B street S.E., In
1898, It was not long before the spirits
began to assert their prior tenancy.
“After being settled,” said Miss
Mason, "a neighbor and his daughter
called upon us, and the first thing the
father said was. ‘Mis. Mason, why did
you ever take this house, you know it Is
haunted,” and the daughter then said:
‘Why yes, when we children went to
school I had to pass this house and we
always took hold of hands and ran as
fast as we could.’” Nevertheless, the
Masons‘would not move, though their
experiences were bloodcurdling, but con
tinued to reside in the house until 1905.
Next to the Masons, at 45 B street, lived
Jean M. Lander, well-known actress of
another day. She was the widow of
Gen F. W. Lander, and the Ben Butler
house was nearby.
A solution to the ghost* of this neigh
borhood may be attributed to sewer rats,
for when ground was broken in 1871 for
a building to house the Coast and Geo
detic Survey an old abandoned sewer
was discovered. It ied down to the river
and was swarming with rats of unusual
size.
Otner so-called haunted houses in
cluded the Thomas Law house, at Sixth
and N streets S.W.: the Snow building
at Sixth street and Pennsylvania avenue
N.W.. famous for its connection with
the Snow riot of 1835 and as being the
headquarters for the celebrated Beau
Hickman. Ghosts are said to have also
visited the Van Ness mansion, present
site of the Pan-American Building; the
Burnes cottage, Kalorama mansion, the
Rodgers house in Lafayette Squa.re and
ever so many other buildings and homes.
But regardless of witches and noc
turnal spirits, Halloween has for many
years given the people—especially the
younger ones—a great amount of pleas
ure attending masquerade dances and
parties given by the many organizations
of the city around 60 years ago. in cele
bration of this particular occasion, and
old-timers will undoubtedly recall Louis
Bartels, L. Moxley and the De Neales
out on Georgia avenue, who were some
of the principal costumers who fur
nished the funny faces and ridiculous
garments, and the gay and attractive
ones, too. .which many of us wore to
dances given by Louis G. Marini, Flora
C. Dennison, later Flora C. Dyer; James
G. Gill. Pistorio & Proctor and George
T. Sheldon. Indeed, we are not much
bothered about the ghosts in those days
nor anything else.
Senator Russell’s Report on Visit to War Fronts
(Continued From Page C-3)
defense of France, but may be vital
to our own defense.
Nothing that I saw in the course of my
travels would justify any confidence that
the war is nearly over. Indeed. I believe
that overoptimism is one of the enemies
which the American people must con
stantly fight, day and night. The Ger
man Army, though extended to the limit.
Is still a most formidable military or
ganization. Their first-line troops are
still the equal of any in skill and
fanatical bravery.
While in North Africa, we were told of
an incident in Sicily involving a com
pany of German parachute troops who
were posted in an olive grove with orders
to delay at any cost the American ad
vance for 12 hours. When tire grove
was finally stormed and captured, over
200 of the 250 men stationed there were
dead, and the remainder, with four or
five exceptions, were wounded. One oi
the unwounded leaped at his American
captor and bit him entirely through the
r hand. The Germans are giving ground
in Russia and in Italy, but discipline
is still strong and their retreats are still
orderly. They are falling back to ever
stronger defenses and it is always well
to bear in mind that up to the time of
the armistice in 1918 the German Army
was carrying out orders and was still a
strong and organized fighting force.
Any hope for an early defeat of Ger
many must depend upon the collapse of
the army due to shortage of fighting
equipment, or to a breakdown of civilian
morale and revolution within. They are
taking a terrific pounding by day and by
night from our gallant airmen and the
RAF. We will soon be in a position to
increase substantially the bombing of
Germany from bases in Italy, as well as
from England, and the number of Ger
man factories destroyed and families
driven from their homes will greatly
Increase.
Turns to Fighter Planes.
But all of this is not done without
losses to us. The Germans have turned
from the production of bombers to
fighter planes in the effort to stop the
destruction of their homeland from the
air. They are devising new methods
such as the rocket guns and small
parachute bombs dropped from the air
in the effort to destroy our air forces.
While our military authorities say the
price we are paying is not excessive in
comparison with the destruction our air
forces are causing, we must frankly face
the fact that the increasing tempo of
bombing likewise brings about increas
ingly severe losses of our own in men
and equipment.
In the Pacific we have only whipped
the Japanese in the outposts of their ill
gotten empire. The bulk of their army
and the major units of their navy have
not yet been brought into action. We
have a long, hard, bloody job before us,
and I fear that, the sacrifices, shocks
and losses we must yet endure are much
greater than the average American citi
zen anticipates.
In summation of my observations, I
would say:
First. American production has justi
fied our proudest boasts by turning out
tools of war of high quality in huge
quantities. The men in the field are
satisfied with the weapons issued them.
We are making great strides in assemb
ling the facilities of transportation
necessary to fight a war on every conti
nent and every sea of the globe. This
stupendous effort constitutes a great
drain upon our natural resources. We
should pay mole attention to the utili
zation of raw materials of other lands,..
lest the end of the war find those re
sources virtually untapped and our own
exhausted We should be more careful
in the distribution of the products of
American industry financed by Amer
ican taxpayers.
Lack Postwar Policy.
Second Our lack of a post-war policy
and stronger representation abroad in
some key positions is likely to cost us
dearly in the postwar period. All agen
cies having to do with any phase of the
war effort abroad should be co-ordi
nated
Third. We must cons.tanly combat any
tendency to underestimate our enemies
or to delude ourselves with optimism.
The slightest relaxation in tiie national
war effort at home will be paid in the
blood of American boys fighting over
seas.
Fourth. The American Army. Navy
and Marine Corps are well fed, well
equipped, and every reasonable provision
has been made for their health, comfort
and welfare. No armed force in history
has ever been so well supplied. Com
mand and staff work have been of the
highest caliber. Our leaders have to
date accomplished all that the American
people could have rerasonably expected
of them.
Fifth. The general conduct of our
troops in action has been good. Their
discipline is satisfactory and they are
daily becoming more efficient in the gran
business of war. Combat experience is
forging our Army, Navy and Marine
Corps into the toughest and most effi
cient fighting machine the world has
ever seen. No one who has ever had
any contact with troops would contend
that every man is a fearless hero, who
craves contact with the enemy, but as
organizations our men have displayed
courage and a willingness to fight and
sacrifice which measures up to or sur
passes the finest traditions of our armed
services. The number of individuals
who have performed remarkable feats
of heroism, requiring resourcefulness
and great personal bravery, is unusually
high. The men in uniform have made
up their minds to see this thing through
to victory, whatever it may take. If our
civilian population gives them unstinted
support, they will win tl\e total victory
over our enemies perhaps sooner than
we have any right to expect.
Believes Accounts Distorted.
Mr. President, what I have said is
the record, as complete as I can make
it, of my remarks in theeexecutive ses
sion of the Senate on October 7. It
has not been altered materially in
either form or substance. I tried to
be factual, and to speak as objectively
as possible.
We are told that what was said here
has caused a great deal of bitterness
and resentment in the United King
dom. If this be true as to my own
case, my high opinion of the British
people would cause me to believe that
the accounts they received must have
been distorted even worse than by our
own press. Not a word of my state
ment was intended as an attack on
Great Britain. If any official of the
British Empire, or if the British press
or people, be offended, it is regret
table, for no offense is intended. But
I would not have this statement con
strued anywhere as an apology for my
position. If offense be found, I must
say in all candor that our British Allies
have become unduly sensitive If an
American citizen and Senator cannot
discuss the operations and policies of
his own Government, of which I am 1
a part, without raising a storm of furor 1
and reseetment .throughout the United- -
Kingdom and the empire.
My admiration- for the British people 1
is almost extravagant, but it must be ]
remembered that I .think and speak as
a citizen and a Senator of the United i
States. What I saw was through Amer
ican eyes. I observed, weighed, and
reported as an American who properly
holds the future welfare of these United
States above any other consideration.
I would regret if any word of mine
should cause dissension or ill feeling
between the United States and any ol
our Allies, but if that word be necessary
to protect a legitimate vital interest,
either during this war or in the post
war world. I would still feel duty
bound to speak.
Speaks in Good Faith.
The chain which binds the United
Nations together is frail indeed if
there are links which cannot stand the
strain of expression of opinion made in
good faith in the parliamentary bodies
of a democracy. There are a few who
have expressed the opinion that it is
sheer impertinence for a member of the
American Congress to discuss our re
lations with the British or the part
being played by them in the war. Such
people would do well to observe the
fine restraint and poise shown by the
American people when officials of the
British Empire tell us what is expected
of us. and adopt it as a model of
future behavior.
Only a few days ago that pillar of
empire and great world figure. Gen.
Smuts, in a speech which was widely
publicized throughout the world, as an
expression of official British opinion,
told the people of the United States
very frankly that we were expected
to furnish in large measure the men
who will make the bloody assault to
breach Hitler’s fortress of Europe. Few
Americans failed to grasp all the impli
cations of Gen. Smuts’ statement. The
lives of American boys are infinitely
more precious to us than all the ma
terial which will ever be handled under
lease-lenri. Nevertheless. Gen, Smuts’
statement did not evoke any great
public resentment and outcry in the
United States. The President did not
send a message to Congress comment
ing with thinly veiled sarcasm on ad
vice from abroad. I have not seen in
the American press caricatures of Gen.
Smuts, ridiculing him for making a
public statement as to what he con
sidered the obligation of America in
the performance of its duty to the
common effort. I have not heard of
any member of Congress becoming
unduly excited.
Expect to Do Our Part.
Every patriotic American expects our
country to do its full part in this war,
but I do not believe that doing our
part requires us so to keep our light
under a bushel that, where permitted
to think, we are expected to speak in
whispers of the contribution of our
own country’ to the cause of Allied
victory. ' v
I therefore am not greatly disturbed
by that portion of the American press
or officialdom which sees ghosts every
time any person in American public
life has the temerity to suggest that it
is proper for our Allies to appreciate
the extent of our efforts and sacrifices
in this .w’ar as we .appreciate their
efforts and sacrifices. We have come
to a pretty pass if a citizen of the
United States cannot support with
wholehearted devption the cause of
his own country without •ubjectin*
aimself to the charge that he is anti
British or anti-Russian.
Recently a man who has spent his life
n -the service of the United States wa-s
pilloried in some quarters because he
publicly stated that -the people of Russia
were not fully aware of the assistance
given them by this country. Russian
armies and Russian people have won the
undying gratitude of the American peo
ple for the heroism and spirit of sacrifice
with which they have met the onslaught
of the brutal hordes of Nazi Germany.
Too much praise cannot be given their
heroism and. with rare exceptions, that
praise has been spread with lavish hand
in every public forum in the United
States and through press and pulpit. It
does not detract one jot or tittle from
the valor of the Russian armies or the
sacrifices of the Russian people to men
tion in public the fact that the United
States and. for that matter, Great Brit
ain as well, have made a stupendous
effort to furnish equipment to those
armies, and that the equipment given
must have contributed in some measure
to the victories won.
Express No Resentment.
The American people have before them
each day the achievements of the Rus
sian armies. The Russian government
has not hesitated to complain frequently
and publicly of our failure to open a
second front, when and where Russia
wants it. instead of when and where our
own military experts think advisable.
The American people have expressed no
resentment of this criticism and it is
inexplicable to me that a suggestion that
the masses of the Russian people should
have knowledge of our efforts to aid
them is likely to cause disunity between
comrades in a fight involving the fate
and freedom of both' the people of tha
United States and of Russia.
I yield to no one in the fervor of my
desire for the closest unity between tha
Allied NaPions to achieve the victory
over our common enemies. I am as
anxious as any man for the United
States to co-operate with Russia, Eng
land, China and the other Allied powers
in maintaining peace in the years to
follow that victory. I believe any lasting
world peace must have as its keystone a
complete understanding between tha
United States and the British Empire.
But, Mr. President, this co-operation and
understanding cannot be had except
upon a basis of equality and frank and
fair dealings. If such matters as I have
touched upon in this report cannot be
publicly discussed by a Senator of the
United States even in time of war, it
certainly* does not augur well for the
harmonious relations the American peo
ple so earnestly desire in the postwar
period, because victory over our enemies
will far from settle all world problems.
For my own part, I have too great a
faith in the common sense and inherent
fairness of the average citizen of all tha
United Nations, wherever he may live,,
to believe that harm can result from
fully publicizing the true facts as to tha
contribution of every nation engaged in
this great common enterprise, whether
it be military operations on land and sea
or in the operations of lease-lend, either
direct or reverse. Frank discussion will
always dissipate the clouds of suspicion.
It will promote a better understanding
between all the Allied Nations in tha
trying days ahead of us after the vic
tory' is won. It will pave the way for
the necessary sense of appreciation of
sacrifices in a common cause which
begets good will between peoples. On
such good will and understanding any
permanent peace for this stricken world
must depend.