Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-11
AN oLD-T1nE "cITY OF THE DEAD"

AN 0LD-TIME "CITY OF THE DEAD"
HoLMRADs BURIAL oRoUND-rTs HIsT0RY-TsN
THOUSAND BODIES INFERRED IN IT-PsoMINENr
WASHINGTON FAMILIES REPRESENTED On THE
BOOKS-THB ACT OF CONGRESS GIVING IT FOh
SCHOOL PURPOSES, ETC.
The act OF Congress, approved March 30 last,
entitled Gan act to protect Holmead Cemetery,
In the District OF Columbia" provides shat all
the right and title Of the United States to and
in square No. 100, In the city of Washington,
commonly known as Holmeads cemetery, bo,
and the same is hereby, granted to and vested
in the District Of Columbia, and shall be used
by said District for public school purposes, and
for none other. The Commissioners OF the Dis
trtct, or their successors In Office, may at any
time seal any part or the whole OF said square;
exclusively invested in sites for public schools
or In the erection or purchase Of school build
ings, and shall be used for no other purpose
whatever But before making any disposition
OF the said square, the District of Columbia
shall remove all the bodies remaining inferred
therein to some suitable burial ground. together
are so removed"
HISTORY OF THE CEMETERY,
The aforementioned square Is bounded by
10th, goth, s and Boundary streets, and was
used as burial place as far back as 1884, the
first interment therein being that of Mr.. Robt.
smith, a member Of Boston family, whose
BURIAL took place MAY goth OF that year. His
remains were Inferred in the extreme northeast
corner of the ground, and probably when only
for use as graveyard, 1t being the free gift of
Anthony Holmead for such purpose. In the
| subsequent allotment of lands In the city the
remainder OF this square, falling to the govern
| meht, was added to that already used for burial
| purposes. For years the square was not tn
| closed, and at one time the mail stages running
md
| through the grounds Subsequently there was
| a common post and rail fence placed around it,
and bars were put up on either side Of the road
| II has been the common belief that the land
was devised in the last century to the govern-
| ment for burial purposes, with provisO in the
| purposes it should revert to the lawful heirs;
| but this question has been examined, and it has
been found that the United States had per-
feet title to at least three fourths of the square
by allotment, and to the remaining portion by
deed without any provlso. 1t is claimed, how
ever, that under the laws as they existed at
the time the cemeter.' was laid OuJ the pur-
chaser of lot in the same acquired zee simple,
and that In the early part Of this century pur-
chasers OF lots placed their receipts on record,
and that therefore Congress had no authority
to vote the land away In which these owners
had title. There is, however, no opposition to
the District taking possession, but 1t Is likely
to reimburse them for their payments for lots.
It appears from the names Of prominent fami-
lies on Jne cemetery DOCKS, that this must b i've
been for about half century the
PRINCIPAL CEMETERY IN THE DISTRICT.
Within Its bounds there were inferred the
remains of people OF all colors and rationale
ties, and the records show that quite number
of Indians (name5 not given) were here buried.
The northeast section OF the ground was first
used for the whites, and there we're divisions
for the colored race In the southwest portion Of
the ground, and for soldiers who died du ing the
war CT 1912 In the southeast section, and to this
section many bodies were brought from "Camp
Hip (Where the naval observatory now stands,
on which hill large body Of troops was en-
camped during the latter part OF that war. In
the northeast section of the ground was in
TERED the body Of Patrick McGurk,
THE FIRST MAN EXECUTED IN THIS DISTRICT.
McGurk, in $685. lived on F, between 18th
and 18th streets northwest. By trade he was a
bricklayer, and was very much given to intem-
perance. Some times he woul1 go home intoxt-
Gated and quarrel with his wife. On one occa-
sion he went home in this condition and beat
his wife severely, she at the time not being in
condition to bear such brutal treatment. The
result was that twin children were still born,
and Mrs. McGurk died soon afterwards. NC
Gurk was arrested and committed to the jail
then two-story building portion of which
now forms the stable attached to Sproh'5 re5tau-
rant. This stable Is in the alley between AZ
and 9Th streets and street and Louisiana ave-
nue.. He was tried and convicted, the principal
evidence against him being the declarations of
his wife-for there were no witnesse5-and the
case was taken to the Circuit Court, which
caused delay in the execution of the sentence.
HORRIBLE SCENE AT THE FOOT OF TIE CAPITOL.
At the time appointed for the execution gal
lows was erected at the foot of Capitol Hill, be-
tween Pennsylvania and Maryland avenues
The Capitol grounds were not then enclosed,
but scattered over them were large number OF
forest trees, especially On the west portion.
Near these trees the galows was erected. When
the time arrived he was taken in a cart to the
place OF execution, attended by priest. When
mounted on the platform he was asked IL he
mad anything to say. His reply was: ''Wnen
mans character is gone his life is gone" These
were the last words he ever spoke He then
cast his eyes above him, as If looking at the
sun, and the next moment he jumped off the
platform with the rope around his neck before
The "Jack Ketch" had time to draw the cap
over his face The priest, whose name was
Young. instantly shouted to him: "McGurS,
don't hang yourselfH' The executIoner imme-
diately ran up the steps and tried to pull him
on the platform again, but he could not succeed
further than to get his feet on the platform, his
body still swaying off; 50 he jumped off again.
and, while dangling in the air, some one below
hastily cut the rope which held the drop. and
1t fell. McGurk made three or four conclusive
struggles with his arms and shoulders, his arms
being pinioned, and his life was gone.
NOT ALLOWED TO REST IN TIE GRAVE
In a short time his body was placed in coffin,
placed In a cart and conveyed to Holmead's
graveyard and there buried. This caused great
dissatisfaction among some OF the citizens who
had relatives buried there. Accordingly, a small
VI PcISOuS WcHG W GuC graveyard, eX
humed the remains, and reinterred them on the
opposite side OF the Enclosure, in small rayine
on the land OF the late Colonel Michael Nour5e
This act coming to the knowledge OF some OF
McGurk's friends, a party of them went out one
night, dlsinterred the body, conveyed it slck,
and deposited 1t again In the graveyard from
whence it had been removed. Upon this being
discovered great excitement arose among
those who had friends buried there, and they
determined, at all hazards, that the body Of the
murderer should not rest there. Taking ad-
vantage or an OODOrtunffg when the T,a rtv
were off guard, they dug q grave In the next
square east OF Holmeads battle-ground, near
a little branch that runs through thicket of
brushwood and thornS-a perfect quagmire-so
as to turn the water over the grave, and then
buried 1t again. This occurred In 1904, during
the administration of President Jefferson
Years afterwards a coored man in the employ
OF the late VIM. O'Neal, while engaged in dig
ging q pOst-hoie, came across the remains Of
the coffin which had contained the body OF Nc
Gurk. subsequently 1t was admitted by some
OF the Hines family, OF the first ward. that they
were of the party who removed the remains
because they were opposed to allowing them to