The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-12
The Mark on the Door.

A Philadelphia letter of recent date
Gays: The people of this community
are greatly alarmed over a mysterious
marking Of houses which has been per-
lpetrated all over the city during the last
| few days. It's not confined to any par
ticular section, bur is the general topic
OF excited conversation. Block alter
block has been marked in the Nine
| teenth, Twentieth, 'Twenty-eighth and
Twenty-ninth wards. The houses not
marked are exceptions only, and not the
rule. The place Of marking is under the
bell-pull, and in some instances on the
bricks under the window. In most in
stances chalk is used, but in some cases
paint or tar has been rubbed. The char
acters are about two inches in length,
on an average, and doubtless have some
meaning. In some wards '23' is used,
in others "22," al" So" IS" and differ
ent other combinations, and under them
"a circle.
In the Twenty-ninth ward on some
houses a coffin Is marked; In other sec
in Others, again, I'm inclined stroke
crossed by waving lines. Few houses
in the same block are marked alike, and
through all runs, apparently, some care
full system. There is widely ielt alarm,
although the general outward disposi-
position Is to treat the affair as q joke.
If it were confiped to "a small section
this would doubtless account Tor IT.; but
the marking has been done all over the
city, u herculean. task requiring an eX-
tensive force to do it. Again, in the
weather of last week there must have
been a large number of jokers indeed
who would have worked SO Industrious
ly to create the alarm that is felt. The
mo- llama In hnIr nv
and generally wind up with the asser-
zion that "It is mysterious anyhow"
With the females the case is different,
and in many places never was such an
alarm felt. Some refuse to allow their
children on the streets, and others will
not answer the bell after nightfail, while
| whole neighborhoods ring with it; and
this morning, when the alarm appeared
10 have become general, groups OF people
could be seen examining the mysterious
marks. There was u most general scrub
blng ofitlem Oft where the MARKS We're
| by chalk. A gentleman who rode from
| Thirteenth and Jefferson streeCs early
this morning noticed scores OF houses
thus marked along Thirteenth street.
Catain GodDou yesterday said that, in a
walk from the Nineteenth ward to his
own home in the Tenth ward, he saw
hundreds OF houses marked, and upon
arriving home found the mysterious
marks under. his own door-Dell. Mem
bers OF the Councils are speaking of the
matter as exciting the greatest alarm in
their own wards. One man in the Nine
Leenth ward sat up all last night, with a
shotgun, to shoot any one VINO should
mark his door. A general theory is held
| by those who believe 1t a serious matter,
| and they are many in number, thai 1t has
| a connection with the Communists, who
are known to be several thousand strong
IN this city. Indeed, one OF their speak
ers lately said That their lodges have ten
thousand members. These lodges are
secret, and the meetings are always held
80 as to attract attention. Hence the
suspicion that now tends that way.
Many other reasons arc given, but most
are SO foolish as TO be in nowise enter
tained. Perhaps in a few days the rea-
son OF this myterIous movment may be
explained, and tue alarm quieted 10 at
tribute it to a joke is ridiculous. 1t may
be alter all thai ithas some well-meun:
reason. The strictest orders have been
given to the police to endeavor to dis
cover the persons doing the marking,
Who will be punished to the utmost eA-
tent OF the law.