The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-28
Blaine's .Unlucky House.

The death of Mrs. Coppinger, Secre,
tary Blaine's daughter, directs atten'
zion 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 per-
sonal sorrows. There were fears en-
tertained of calamity overtaklng
him and his family when it was an,
nounced that he had leased the old
building, and gossip, superstitious and
tragic, was heard among all who knew
the story 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, thou b, who thought that
the luck of Blaine would offset every
thing, and when on the second We'd
nesday of last month the family OF
the secretary of state gave recep-
ton to their hosts OF friends and the
rooms were filled with a gay, fortune
favored throng, the protestants against
superstition declared that the spell, if
there ever 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 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 supersti-
ton, but certain it is that if the house
was in the real estate market today it
would be long before it got taker.
The house stands upon Lafayette
Square. 1t was built before the war,
and one of it's earliest occupants was
Secretary Spencer. Upon his family
the evil spirits of the house first Wis
tied their fate. The Secretary's son
was lieutenant in the navy, and
while his father was in the house his
son was hanged to the yard arm Of
the ship for his alleged participation
in mutiny. Then the Washington
Club had it during President Buch-
anan's administration. The men
about town belonged to the club, and
Phillip Bartou Key, the reckless, ad-
ven urous District Attorney of the
District of Columbia, WAS once one Of
the members. There had long been
talk connecting him with the hand
some wife of General Sickles, then il
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 WIN
dows in the house of General 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 a mo-
ment Key lay on the walk wounded
to death. 1t is only II few years since
the tree against which he fell WAS cut
down.
Secretary Seward next occupied the
PLACE. On April IA, 1865, while he
| lay i'll in bed, Il man came to the
house saying he had been ordered to
fetch some medicine and deliver it in
person to Mr.. Seward. This was de-
MED him, but the stranger knocked
down Frederick w. Seward and a SER
want and rushed into the Secretary's
room and tried to kill him with dag
Sc. 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
awhile he Was caugh; and put to death.
The war department, fearing that 9TH
er attempts might be made to assas-
mate Mr.. Seward, ordered that Il SEN
try patrol before the house night and
day. This was done, and for four
years was continued, though for a
long part of that 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 occupacy of the house as a
residence. The government then used
it for the commissary generals office.
When that officers staff was moved to
the new building of the war depart
ment the house was left vacant, and
no one dared to face the evil fates by
taking il until Mr. Blaine leased it,
New York Sun.