The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-01-09
The Great Caterer and Nurse Of Used Up
Statesmen.

Statesmen.
One of the veterans of Washington
got to gossiping lately about Wormley,
the late hotel-keeper. al knew him,
he said, "when he was steward of the
Washington club, which occupied the
house facing Lafayette square which is
now used as the headquarters of the
Commissary General of the army. You
remember the famous quarrel between
Gen. Sickles and Key. Well, Key was
shot right in front of the club house,
and Wormly was the man who rushed
out and brought him inside. Key was
member of club, and Wormey did
the best he could to prevent publicity
to the affair. Secretary Seward after
ward occupied the clubhouse as his res.
idence. 1t was in this building that
Atzeroth, the assassin, attempted the
Secretary's life. In the war times it
was customary for each cabinet officer
to have military guard around his
house. The assassin passed the guard
saying that he was the bearer of some
medicine for Seward who was then
quite i'll. He gained admttance with
out difficulty, and would have killed
Seward had it not been that the sick
man had had an operation performed
on his throat few days before and the
surgeons had placed an iron bandage
around it to keep his head in the proper
position. Before Atzeroth could ac-
complish bis purpose he was beaten off
by Robinson, the colored valet, who
afterwards received a medal from Con-
gress, and Margaret Broadhead, the
housekeeper, who is now employed in
the Treasury department. Wormly
was called in after the attack, and
nursed Seward until he recovered To
return to the Sickles-Key affair. | have
heard it stated as fact that all through
the war the band of Sickles' brigade
never played The Star Spargled Ban
ner, out of Difference to the generals s
feelings. One of Mrs. Lincoln's broth
ers was Capt. Todd, of the Confedar-
ate army. During the entire war a
correspondence was kept up between the
brother and sister, all of the letters
passing through Wormley's hands.
When Tad Lincoln was sick he P,esi-
dent sent for Wormley, and he nursed
the boy at the White House. Worm
ley was perhaps the most famous nurse
of this century. Among the great men
he attended were Daniel Webster, Hen
ry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, Henry
Wilson, Charles Sumner, and others Of
equal prominence in the history of the
country. When Lincoln was shot,
Sumner and Zach Chandler sent at
once for Wormley. He went to the
Paterson house and remained with the
President until he died. In this con-
nection it will be remembered that sub
sequently Littlefield, the artist, painted
picture, The Deathbed of Lincoln.
At first some of those present objected
to having Wormley in the picture, al
though he was one of the most conspi
cuous figures, and was holding Lin.
coins head in his hands when he
breathed his last. Sumner and Zach
Chandler heard about 1t and threaten
ed to expose the whole matter, and as
consequence the objection was with
drawn. The trouble over that picture
did not end there. 1t appears that a.
soon as Booth fired the fatal shot there
was cry: is there physician il
the theatre I? Dr. Charles s. Taft, o.
the army, happened to be present and
he went at once to the side of the dy
ing President. 1t was through his or
ders that Lincoln was removed to the
Peterson house. Taft remained witt
Lincoln until he died. OF course he
expected to be represented in the pic
ture, and was, but later Surgeon Gen
eral Crane and Taft scratched out anc
his own portrait inserted in the place
The picture was photographed wher
first painted, and clearly showed Taft
where Crane now is. In the famou.
Grant Greeley campaign you remem
ber that Charles Sumner addressed {
letter advising all colored men to VOTE
for Greeley. That letter was writer
10 Wormley, although the fact ha
never been made public before. Wher
Garfield was shot, Drs. Bliss anC
Barnes sent for Wormley, and he sup
piled all the beef tea and other meal
extracts used at the White House dur
ing that terrible summer. A statement
has been widely published that Worm
ley's daughter married one of the
French legation. That is not true. Hi
niece, the daughter of his brother
Ralph, married Paul Girard, the frs
secretary of the French legation some
years ago, and afterward died in France
Among the colored population herr
Wormley was held in highest esteem
He had more influence than FREQ
Douglass, for the reason that Douglas
has always been suspected of trading
his power with them for his persona
advantage, Wormley, on the contrary
studiously avoided the whirlpool o
politics, and devoted himself almos
exclusively to his hotel business, il
which he amassed a considerable for
tune. He entertained no colored guests
at his house, and they never gave hin
any trouble by making application 70
accommodations. - Chicago Time
Washington Letter.