Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-02-21
NEW VOL. 25-NO. 81.
Blaine:s unIucky House.


The death Of Mrs. Coppinger. Sec
retary Blaine's daughter, directs at
tention anew TO the unlucky house in
which the Blaines live The house is
the old Seward mansion and in it Mr..
Blaine has met his keenest personal
SORROWS. There were fears of calam-
ity over-taking him or his family
when il was announced that he had
leased the old building, and gossip,
superstitious and tragic, was heard
among all who knew the history Of
the place. Had it been a 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 second Wednesday
of last month the family of the Secre-
tary OF State gave reception TO their
hosts Of friends and the rooms were
filled with gay, fortune-favored
throng the protestants against super
stition declared that the spell, IL ever
there were any, was broken.
Yet within week the eldest son OF
the Secretary. Walker Blaine, fell sick
and died That made talk about the
house and people said il was an un-
lucky spot. Now Mrs. Coppinger,
Blaine's daughter, is dead, and once
more the story OF calamity is told.
There may be something, there may
be nothing, in the tale OF superstition,
but certain il is that II the house was
in the real estate market to-day IL
would be long before it got taker.
The house stands on Lafayette Square
Ii was built before the war, and one
OF its earliest occupants was Secretary
Spencer Upon his family the evil
spirits of the house first visited their
fate. The Secretary's son was lieu
tenant in the navy and while his
father was in the house his son was
hanged To the yard arm Of his ship
for his alleged participation in n mu
tiny. Then the Washington Club
had the place during President Buch-
anan administration. The men about
town belonged to the club, and Philip
Barton Key, the reckless adventurous
District Attorney OF the District OF
II. la. ~ 1ar
There had long beer talk connecting
him with the handsome wife OF Gen
eral Sickles, then Representative in
Congress. The Sickles house was on
Lafayette Square, and one February
morning when the sun was shining,
handkerchief was seen fluttering from
one OF the windows In the house OF
General Sickles Young Key an
swered ii and stepped buoyantly up
the square. Sickles, who had seen
the signals caught him In front OF the
house, and in moment Key lay on the
walk wounded TO death. Ii Is only
few years since the tree against which
he Tell WAS cut uONn.
Secretary Seward next occupied the
place. On April IA, 1865, while he lay
i'll in bed, IA man came TO the house
saying he had been ordered to fetch
some medicine and deliver IL In per
son TO Mr. Seward This was denied
him. but the stranger Knocked down
Frederick w. Seward and servant,
rushed into the Secretary's room, and
tried to kill him with dagger lie
was captured but he escaped and rode
off on his horse which had been stand.
ing in the street His name WAS Lewis
Payne, and after while he was
caught and put to death. The War
Department, fearing that other Mt
tempts 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
long part OF that time the Stewards
were not there.
Next the mansion was taken by Sec
retary Belknap. He had not been
there long before bis wife died. That
ended the occupancy Of the house N
residence. The government rented
1t and used il for the Cominissary Gen.
erals Office. When the Commissary
Generals stan was moved to the new
building OF the War Departm ent the
house was left vacant, and no one
dared to face the evil fates by taking
II until Mr.. Blaine leased II. He tore
down the partitions that made rooms
where the Seward assassination had
occurred, and with lavish spending
OF money transformed the musty old
Office apartments and made them
beautiful with the furnishings Of
rich mans home. But the decora-
tions have seemed more like those Of
a tomb, and men want to know what
will be next in the series Of misfor-
tunes that appear TO come TO those
who inhabit this historic home. N. J..
Sun.
A New York woman attended the
theatre in that city the other night.
and sat In the third row Of orchestra
chairs Suddenly there was a com-
motion In the third row Of chairs
from the orchestra Gentlemen hur-