Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-21
A VERITABLE STAR CHAMBER
A Parallel Helped Out by the Ceiling Of the
Commissioners Room.
The Secret Deliberations of the Dis
trict COmni issiOners Little
Leaked Out Today.

Just two hundred and f1fty-four years
ago the famous Star Chamber. which was
held in the palace Of Westminster. and
which, IN the matter of injustice to public
liberty, equaled the Spanish inquisition,
was abolished by the formal act Of the peo-
pie Of England. After resting out of sight
and well nigh out Of mind for large sec
ton Of the Christian era the methods which
made that institution odious have been re-
vived under the auspices of the Mystic
Order of Three at their lodge rooms on 1st
street, formerly known as the District
building.
One Of the explanations given for the
title of the English inquisition is that the
room in which the kings aiders and abet-
tors held their secret sessions had it's cell
ing gorgeously decorated with gilt stars.
1t may be only coin ncidence, but the paper
which covers the ceiling Of the board room
of the District Commissioners Is also
decked out with the same conventional fig
ures. Another explanation given for the
term which has been applied to the secret
proceedings of the Mystic Order of Three
Is the fact that Star reporters are conspic-
uouS by their absence, where formerly their
presence gave the assurance of fair and
reasonable publicity in the general inter-
ests of the people of the District Of Co.
lumbia.
Where Silence Refgns.
A solemn stiffness now broods DER the
place where once was hustle and activity.
Clerks move about with fingers to their
lips, tiptoeing along the halls as though
they feared they might be heard by the
listening ears of alert reporters. They
clasp their nervous fingers tight about a
complaint tor non-Collection of garbage or
report from the superin ntendent of the
street cleaning department., as though they
held kings ransom in their hands and
feared the doughty pencil pushers might
waylay and despoil them of their precious
burdens. There is talk of adopting sys-
tenn of secret grips and passwords, lest
some scribe, more daring than the rest,
should disguise himself as chimney sweep
or hireling of the garbage contractor and
minsle in their midst, with nose keen and
sharp on the trail of a news item.
News? Hens teeth are proyerbial for
scarcity, but they are thick as leaves in
Nailambrosa compared to the matters of
public interest which are allowed to pass
through the official filter of the Mystic
Order of Three. DR.. Tindall broke into the
room where the reporters are confined this
morning to read his paper where he would
not be overpowered by the odor of sanctity
which pervades his official sanctum. To
all inquiries as to what was being done by
the Representatives of the District in secret
session assembled, his one response was,
There is nothing new. ..5. e...4eAs
An Empty Letter Book.
Even the beautiful. yellow calf-bound
letter book, the reporters only oasis in the
Sahara of nothingress, was dry and bar
rem this morning. Up to noon there was
nothing in it but some letters written late
yesterday afternoon with reference to the
establishment of contagious wards in local
hospitals. At 80 the outer guard who
stands at the door of the room where the
Mystic Order of Three holds council stole
up to Dr. Tindall and whispered d few
words into his eager ear The secretary
disappeared in the direc ton of the holy of
holies. At 1902 the o. c. Official copier)
to the NJ. o. T. whisked off the beautiful.
yellow, calf-bound letter book, and then all
was still again, with that ominous still
ness that forebodes something-no one
knows just what. In a few moments the
place became rife with rumors that the
triumvirate ,duumvirate, ,more-strictly speak
irg, in Mr.. Ross absence, were contemplat-
iEg substituting asphalt block for cobble
in the rear of a lot in square 4-11-fi. AS
usual, it was impossible to substantiate the
rumors.
At 1914 the information was officially
promulgated that the Commissioners had
been informed by the secretary of the board
been made in the salaries of some of the
teachers. These changes have already been
published, perhaps not officially.
So far as is known, this constitutes the
entire labors of all the branches of the
District government up to 1916 this after
noon.