Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-05
SOME SUPERSTITION.
The Growing Greed for Ghost Stories
and the Supernatural.
THE FAMOUS TAHOE MANSION,
known In WASHINGTON as the Octa-
gon Observation-Disclosures In Louis
dent In Many Places.

b. NJ. writes from Washington TO tn.
New Orleans Picayune: The season OF
ghost stories has arrived. 1t is always
pretty good sign OF dulness in public ar
fairs when stories OF this kind make their
annual temperance. They are as per-
slstant as the ghosts themselves. II
would be an interesting fact to know es
actly how many times there has bee''
printed an account OF the haunted houses
pf Washington With each new pubica.
lion the narration varies from the origi-
nal. taking on new features according TO
The inventive capacity Of the writer. Last
Sunday the Washington Post opened the
season by rcvivns the ancient story Of
the old Tayloe mansion. called the zoe
tagcn house." from the geometric plan
upon which It was constructed. This is
Dne OF the mos; noted OF the haunted
houses. and. independently Of its super
Canirab accessories, the building has
quite a remarkable history. 1t is stu
Hted just TO the southwest of the State
war, and navy building. In what was once
IN aristOcratic section of the capital
Colonel John Tayloe. N rich Virginia
planter. and a friend OF Washington,
built the residence in 1898. and it was
among the finest homes Of that day. Col
Dnel Tayloe and his family occupied the
house In 1901, and entertained the society
pf the capital with all the lavish hospi-
tality Of a gentleman Of the old regime.
Many were the brilliant balls. receptions.
Ind dinners given in the mansion and
there were to be met in the carly de-
Cades Of the century the most famous
statesmen. the distinguished visitors TO
Washington. and the most notable men
md women Of that period
After the destruction Of the White
House by the British i'm 1914. President
Madison. at the invitation of the owner.
took possession Of the Tayioe Mansion.
md lived there several years On the
FecOnd floor was his office. i'm which he
signed the treaty Of Client on the first
moor are large rooms with high ceilings;
on the second and third suites of spa
cious bed-chambers. The building still
belongs 10 a descendant Of the original
proprietor but has long been untenanted.
save by Waterman and his family
The rooms are empty: the floors crack
Under the foot: the doors and windows
Freak when swung upon their hinges
There is everywhere the dust of many
years. and cobwebs spun by innumerable
generations Of spiders The whole build
ing is pervaded by an air Of antiquity
Or mystery: truly. IL requires little imagi-
nation TO say this place must be haunt
ed There is everything here that ghosts
80 most delight in"
'For over all there hung a cloud of fear:
a sense Of mystery the spirit daunted
Which said. as loud as whisper in the ear
the house Is haunted"
The belief in the supernatural vsitants
arose years ago. while it was still the
habitation of the Tayloe family. Bells
would ring at night, without apparent
cause; windows would suddenly open rs
II by magic specires would Tit. unearth-
" noises aroused the denizens. Various
explanations of the cause Of these
ttranse manifestations have been given
some tell of young man who loved a
naughttr OF the house, and was killed in
duel. Hence. his ghost constantly re-
turns to the habitation; others nHrrate
mat man was slain in the place in a
hght over game of cards. and he Is
Htill seeking his adversary 10 mete out
revenge. There are other tales. variants
of these told Of the Octagon house.
nave myself spent a night in the Oc-
tagon house. hoping to realize at last a
chronic longing to see d ghost, or behold
or feel. some thrilling supernatural mani.
hesitation. All the conditions were favor
able-the hour. the environment the at
II
mind for phantasms by coniurine I'D the
scenes which had taken place in the
house-the levees Of Dolly Madison. in
the great receptiOn-rOOm; the historic fig
ures. now rnOuldered. which had ami
mated the fete; and l conceived the ball
room peopled with "A host of spectres
the banquet-board set about with ghosts.
! recalled the story OF the young officer
Killed In the duel and the tradition of
the desperate gambler stabbed AZ the
card-table and many another tale Of
the oIden times. Alas! the ghost cane
not. True there were uncanny sounds
mutterings In the old chimneys rappings
or tappngs. on the walls, creakings ON
the stairs like the sound of footballs. rat
lungs OF windows-all those noises. in
iact, which one hears in old houses in
the dead of night-but never an appari-
tion or message from the land of dark
ness.
NOT far away from the Octagon house
Is another of the haunted manslons-tbe
Van Ness Mansion-which has been ton.
hntless for fifty years. Van Ness was
member Of Congress. who married Mar
TIA burns. daughter of Davy Burma
owner or the farm which included with
I'm its limits much OF the land around tho
White House. 1t was also a grand man
sion in the early days Of the century
Ihe legend OF the place runs that Mrs
Van Ness died i'm childbirth, and that the
mansion Is haunted by her ghost. which
win child form in its arms elides
about the building uttering piteous
shrieks. i"A
II ~ a question whether the supars,l.
tious element In human nature will ever
De eliminated. In some form IL seems in
herent In the mental constitution of every
one OF us. Perhaps there Is a grain of il
even in the mind of the most material
Jstic scientist Who is II that does not
Eive significance 10 some kind of omen.
trognostlc, sigl. presage foreboding
token, amulet, cnarm? The superstitious
element was as marked in the superlative
intellect or Napoleon as in the most ig-
horant negro OF the South. \ belief In
signs Is no doubt mole prevalent in the
South than in other sections OF the coun-
try, owing TO the importation, at an early
period, OF the African folklore. and its
after growth, in a favorable environment.
IL has become intermingled with the Eng
fish. Scotch. and Irish folkIcrc. The
southern child IIay be said to imbibe
superstitious notions from the dawn of
It's conscious existence Among the ear
Hest recollections are the impressions pro-
uuced by dreams and tales of fairies.
witches. vampires, bogies. bugaboos. Like
the savage, the child soon begins to at
tach Importance 10 signs. warnings, har-
bingers of good and evil
lie Is told that some persons have evil
eyes; that the new moon IL to be re-
garded In a certain way; that the four
ieaved clover ne finds In the field Dos
seeses charm. that 1t is unlucky to