The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-07
THE GHOSTS OF MANY SORROWS
Which Make the Old Seward House
Famous In Washington.
Secretary slalne's Grief Recalls the
History OF the Building.
Superstition May Be oroundless,
sut the Place Would Not Sell.

WASHINGTON, Fe bruary 6.-Ths death Of
Mrs. Coppinger, Secretary Blalne's daugh-
ter, directs attention anew to the unlucky
house in which the Blaines live. The house
Is the old Seward mansion. and in 1t Mr..
Blaine has met his keenest personal sor-
rows There were fears Of calamity over
taking him or bis family when 1t was an
nounced that he had leased the old building,
and gossip, superstitOus 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.
When on the second Wednesday Of la,t
month the family Of the Secretary OF State
gave reception 70 their hosts OK friends
aud the ronms were filed with q gay, foE-
tune-favored throng, the Drotestauts against
superstition declared that tie spell, II ewes
there were any, was broken.
Yet within a week the oldest sOa 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 the calamity Is told.
There may 0r nothing In the tale OF super
stition, but certain Is 1t that II the
house was In the real estate market 10
day 1t would be long before IL got a
taker. The house stands on La
fayette square. IL was built before the war,
and one OF It's ear lest occupants was Secre-
tary Spencer. Upon his family the evil
spirits OF the house first visited their fate.
The SecretaTy's son was a lieutenant 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 a
mutiny. Then the Washington Club had
the place during President BuchaDan's ad-
mlnistration. The men about town belonged
10 the CLUB, and Philip Barton Key, the reck-
less adventurous district attorney Of the
District of Columbia, was one CT the isssrl-
bers. There had long been talk connecting
him with the handsome wife of Gen. Sickles,
then a representative In Congress. The
Sickles house was on Lafayette square, and
one February morning, when the sun wag
shining, a handkerchief was seen futlerinR
from one of the windows In the house of
Gen. Sickles. Young Key answered 1t and
stepped buoyantly up the square. Slckles,
who had seen the signals, caught him In
front Of the house, and In moment Key
lay on the walk. wounded to death. IL is
only few years ago that the tree against
which he fell was cut down.
Secretary Seward next occupied the place.
On April IA. 1865, while he lay i'll 10 bed. a
man came TO the house, saying he had beef
ordered to fetch some medicine and dellveI
IL in person tn Mr. Seward This
was denied him, but the stranger
knocked down Frederick w. Seward
ana servant, ruSneu into the Secretary'S
room, and tried TO kill him with a 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
alter while he was caught and put 10 death.
The War Department, fearing that other at
tempts might be made to assassinate Mr..
Seward, ordered that sentry patrol before
the house night and day. This was done,
and for four years was continued. even
though for a long part OF that time the
Stewards were not there.
Next the mansion was taken by Secretary
Belknap. He had not been there long be-
fore his wife died. That ended the 0ccu-
pancy of the house as a residence. The
government rented It and used 1t for the
Commissary- Generals Office. When the
Commssary- Generals staff was moved 10
the new building of the War Department the
house was left vacant, and no one dared to
face the evil fates by taking |" until Mr.
Blaine leased 1t. He tore doGAs. paIti-
tions that made rooms wherG n as
sassinatioiI>e Tad occnEEsd, and with laS
spending of money, transformed the mus.y
old Office apartments. and made them beauti
full with the furnishings Of a
home. But the decorations have seemed
more like those OF a tomb, and men want to
know what will be next in the series Of mis-
fortunes that appear to come to those who
inhablt his historic home.