The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-12-20
HoUsE WITHIN A HOUSE.
How a Wealthy Woman win Evade
Witch's Hoodoo.

Witch's Hoodoo.
Washington Star: A palace built
literally around superstition is WasS-
ington's newest marvel,and one m.y
safely say that nothing to match it ha=
ever been seen anywhere. Baronial
castles, as well as ediiices of other
kinds. often gain resident spooks or
acquire curses as incidents of their
history, but it has not been the fashion
hitherto to provide in the architects
plans against such troubles, and the
notion of embodying hoodoo killer in
the very fabric of mansion is wholly
novel. The owner of this remarkable
house, which as yet is not quite half
finished, is Mrs. r. H. Townsend OF
Philadelphia Before her marriage
she was Mary Scott, a daughter Of the
late Col. Tom" Scott, OF Pennsylvania
railroad fame Her wealth runs into
the millions. and the mansion afore-
said will cost her about 100000. 1t
will be nearly twice the size of the
famous Letter house, on Dupont circle,
being 1875 feet in width and 123 feet ia
depth. Mrs Townsend is building it,
she says, for her youngest daughter,
now II years of age, and almost ready
to enter society. 1t will be the scene,
doubtless, of some of the most gor-
geous entertainments ever given at tne
national capital. Now, once upon
time-a very proper way TO begin sucn
story as this-Mrs. Townsend inter-
viewed a witch. It was a remarkably
clever witch, and in revealing the
future to her lady patron, she predicteo
a number OF events since realized With
astonishing accuracy in Mrs Town
sends life 1t was a very bright anc
cheerful picture she drew. fon the whole
one may command a good deal 81
and cheerfulness If one pos
sesses millions Of dollars but there
was one unpleasant representation.
This was that if Mrs. Townsend esss
occupied dwelling which had nevey
been lived in before she would die wisss-
in six months after moving in. TA-s
prophecy struck Mrs Townsend -
grewsome, to say the least, and up 70
now she has carefully avoided all risk
Of incurring the penalty suggested. |
Though anxious for some time past to
move her residence to Washington |
and build a home here, she has been |
'estrained from the accomplishment of
his desire by the witch's ominous vat
cination. She had thought Of buying
| house, but could find none that was
arge enough or adequate in other re-
ipects for her purposes. At length,
however, she hit upon an ingenious
method Of evading the hoodoo and get
ing what she wanted at the same time.
ihe decided to purchase the old Hill
-er mansion on Massachusetts avenue,
md to construct a palace around II.
This she is doiug in such manner that
While occupying the new mansion, she
will actually live IN the old Hiilyer
louse, the skeleton of which IS r.
aimed as middle portion Of the re-.
amped structure Her bedroom. he:
and bathroom and her
oudoir viii be in the ancient dwelling.
he original floor joists and framework,
s well as the roof being kept intact.
'hus the hoodoo will be defeated, in
smuch as the construction on which
be builders are now engaged comes
nder the head OF alterations" tech
ically speaking, and Mrs. Townsend
lay consider herself safe against the
llfllment Of the conditional threat re-
Orded against her In the book Of fate.
s...n unrnoaa rrn... .