Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-03-15
BLAINI,S UNLUCKY HOUSE.
Thirty Years of Evil Fate Hovers About
Its Walls.


Its Walls.
The death of Mrs. Coppmger, Secretary
Blaine's daughter, directs attention anew
tothe unlucky house in which the Blaines
live. The house is the old Seward man
sion, and in it Mr.. Blaine has met his
keenest sorrows. There were fears of
calamity overtaking him or his family
when 1t was announced that he had
leased the old building, and gossip, super
stitious and tragic, was heard among all
who knew the history of the place.
Had it been haunted house, had
ghosts been seen there in convention,
there could not have been more talk.
Some folks there were, though, who
believed that the luck OF Blaine would
offset everything, and when, ON the Sec
ond Wednesday of last month, the family
of the Secretary of State gave areception
to their host of friends, and the rooms
were filed with gay, fortune-favored
throng the professionals against supersti-
ton declared that the spell, II ever there
were any, was broken.
Yet within a week the eldest son of
the Secretary, Walker Blaine, fell sick
and died. That made talk about the
house, and people said it was an unlucky
spot. Now Mrs Coppinger, Blaine's
daughter, is dead, and once more the
story of calamity is told. The house
stands on Lafayette Square. 1t was
built before the war, and one of itsearii-
est occupants was Secretary Spencer.
Upon his family the evil spirits of the
house first visited their fate. The Sec
retary's son was lieutenant in the navy,
and while his father was in the house his
son was hanged to the yardarm of his
ship for his alleged participation in
mutiny. Then the Washington club had
the place during President Buchanan's
administration. The men about town
belonged to the CLUB, and Philip Barton
Key, the reckless, I'd cnturous district
attorney of the District of Columbia,
was one of the members. There had
long been talk connecting him with the
handsome wife of General Sicl1les, than
a Representative in Congress.
The Sickles' house was opposite on
Lafayette Square, and one February
morning when the sun was shining, q
handkerchief was seen huttering from
one of the windows in the house of Cen
eral Sickles. Young Key answered it
and stepped buoyantly up the square.
Sickles, who had seen the signals, caught
him in front of the house, and, in mo-
ment, Key lay on tho walk wounded to
death. 1t is only a few years since the
tree against which he fell was cut down.
Secretary Seward next occupied the
| place. On April Ia, 1866, while he lay III
| in bed, q man came to the house saying
he had been ordered to fetch some medi-
cine and deliver it in person to Mr.. Sew
ard. This was denied him, but the stran-
| ger knocked down Frederick w. Seward
and servant, rushed into the Secretary g
room and tried to kill him with dagger.
He was captured, but he escaped and
rode off on his horse, which had been
standing in the street. His name was
Lewis Payne, and after q while he was
caught and put to death. The War De-
| partment, fearing that other attempts
| might be made to assassinate Mr.. Seward,
ordered that a sentry patrol before the
house night and day. This was done,
and for four years was continued, even
though for a long part of the time the
Stewards were not there.
Next the mansion was taken by Sec
rotary Belknap He had not been there
long before his wife died. That ended
the occupancy of the house as residence.
The Government rented it and used it for
the ooInmissary- generals Office. When
the commissary generals staff was
moved to the new building of the War
Department. the house was left vacant,
and no one dared 10 face the evil fates
by taking it until Mr.. Blaine leased it.
He tore down the partitions that made
rooms where the attempted Seward as
sasstnation had occurred. and with a
lavish spending of money transformed
the musty old Office apartments and made
them beautiful with the furnishings of a
rieh mans home. But the decorations
have seemed more like those Of tomb,
and men want to know what will be next
in the series of misfortunes that appear 10
come to those who inhabit this historic
homo