Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-26


United States; today the troop is perfect
military organization of loyal men,"
Written for The Evening star.
SHE LEFT A CONVENT.
A Sensational Incident Of Over Sixty Year
Ago Recalled
THE WILL OF RELATIVE OF GEN. VAN NESS
BRINGS Up A TRAIN OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
FIRST TOOK REFUGE WITH THE WIDOW OF TIE
MEXICAN zMpERoR.
MANY YEARS AGO THE CITY OF WASH
Az ington was startled by the announcement
that the superior of the Convent Of the Vista
ton OF Georgetown had withdrawn from the
religious order Of which she had been for many
years member and had returned to the world,
relinquishing the name of Sister Gertrude, a.
she was known in the community, and assum-
Ing her own name Of Miss Ann G. Wight For
years thereafter she resided at the Van Ness
family mansion, now, alas in ruin, and became
very conspicuous member of society, enter
ing into all the gayeties Of the fashionable
world. There was relationship, it was un-
derstood, existing between the Van Ness fam
lily and Miss Wight, and though she is not mem
toned as relative. the heirs of General Van
Ness provided for Miss Wight very literally,
| it was understood, as General Van Ness left no
will. This incident of the long ago was re-
called to my memory by seeing in the office of
member of the Washington bar the will of
Miss Wight, executed in Rochester, in 1865.
a ans amounts devised by the will are
of them prominent in social and political life
mere and elsewhere. The only relative men
toned in the will is her cousin, DR.. William
Queen OF Charles county, Nd. to whom she
bequeaths $1,000 Of st. Louis city bonds yield
ing per cent. The other legatees are Oh aries
W. Van Ness Of New York, her goddaughter.
Ann Gertrude Wight Van Ness, daughter Of
Col Eugene Van Ness of Baltimore; three
| other children Of Col Van Ness, Mrs. Britain
mia W. Kennon, Martha c. Kennon, her daugh-
ter; Martha C. Williams and Columbia Wit
| tins, Mary and Ellen Peter, daughters of Maj.
Geo. W. Peter; Kate and Gertrude Upshur,
daughters Of Capt J. H. Upshur; W. Carroll
and John Mercer, sons Of DIR. Thos. s. Mer-
Ger, Louis and Sidney Henop and Richard
Bowden.
She makes Mrs. Britannia w. Kennon her
residuary legatee and appoints F. /. Henop of
New York her executor, to whom she allows 10
per cent commission, and says: mo one is to
hnd teult with it. 1t is no ones business but
mine" To the will is attached codicil giving
description OF her personal property,
trinkets, books. apparel, &C." She wishes
Mrs. Kennon to take charge Of her personal
effects and to distribute them according to in
structions. Then follows list of dresses, laces,
jewelry, books and paintings, &c.
HER DEPARTURE FROM THE CONVENT.
The rapid fight of time is again illustrated
as find on inquiry that Miss Wight left the
Convent c1 the Visitation in 1881, sixty-one
years ago. She had been an inmate Of the con-
vent abo at fifteen years and held the position
OF directress. On the advent of a new superior
another member OF the order was appointed in
her piece, and soon after she left the convent
while the community were at dinner, and the
first intimation the superior had of her alb
| sence was when the late Father Lucas came to
the convent and said he had met her on the
| street. From the convent she went to the
house OF Madame Iturbide, the widow Of the
late Emperor OF Mexico. then residing in
Georgetown, and afterward took up her resi-
dence at the mansion of Gen. Van Ness. Her
will, made in 1865, was probated in 1868 at
Rochester, where she died at about the age of
seventy. The will was witnessed by only two
persons: which would convey the person
atty, but not the real estate she
that would go to her fathers heirs,
| OF which as yet none have been found The dis
tribution Of the personal effects named in the
will was duly made it is presumed. Our city sixty
| years ago was but very small place land the
intense excitement this affair created can hardly
be imagined now. Gen. Van Ness left no will and
the bulk Of the estate went to his brother, Cor
nelius P. Van Ness, who was at one time col
lector Of the port of New York and minister to
| Spain, where he married. During Gen. Van
Ness life he gave the ground upon which Tenn
perance Hall (now Marinis HalD was built.
The hall was used for other purposes and the
ground and building reverted to the heirs Of
Gen. Van Ness. Gen. Van Ness made many do
nations OF land to churches some OF which, in
| deed all OF which, has since become very valua-
BILE.
THE OLD VAN NESS MANSION.
The mansion where he lived in grand style
becoming his wealth is now in a state Of dilapi-
dalton and the resort Of negroes, and the cot
tage of David Burns. the original proprietor Of
much Of the land upon which our city is built
has been allowed to fall into ruins The old
| general, could he come back and see the desc
! Grafton OF the home upon which he lavished
| expense and care, would lament the mutabiIity
OF fortune. I remember the general very well.
| He drove a coach and four and the cape of his
| long blue broadcloth cloak he wore in winter
was bordered with gold lace. Mr.. Thomas
Green resided in the old mansion after the
| death Of General Nan Ness, and it will hardly
| be credited now that he was charged with being
concerned in a scheme to abduct Mr. Lincoln
and confine him in the cellars of the old man
| sion, and the story was told of chains being
found there, and Mr.. Green, then a man OF
| seventy at least, was arrested and confined in
| the old Capitol.
The Col. Eugene Van Ness of Baltimore men,
toned in the will was one of the victims of the
sensational poisoning case which occurred in
Baltimore some years ago and for which Mrs.
| Wharton was tried at Annapolis.
JOHN F. CoYLE.
Love il Enough.