The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-12-15
HOUSE WITHIN A HOUSE.
How wealthy Woman win Evade q
Witch's Hoodoo.

Witchs Hoodoo.
Washington Star: A palace built
literally around superstition is WasS-
ington's newest maryel,and one n.y.
safely say that nothing to match it has
ever been seen anywhere. Baronial
castles, as well as edifces 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
novel; The owner of this remarkable
house, which as yet is not quite half
finished is Mrs. r. Fl. 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 It
will be nearly twice the size Of the
famous Letter house on Dupont circle,
being 125 feet in width and 123 feet in
depth. Mrs Townsend is building 1t,
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 the
national capital Now once upon q
time-a very proper way to begin sucn
story as this-Mrs. Townsend inter-
viewed a witch. 1t was remarkably
clever witch, and. in revealing the
future to her lsdy patron. she predicteo
a number of events since realized With
astonishing accuracy in Mrs. Town
sends life. 1t was very bright anc
cheerful picture she drew, on the whole
one may command a good deal oi
brightness and cheerfulness If one pos
sesses millions of dollars-but there
was one unpleasant prognostieation.
This was that if Mrs. Townsend ever
occupied dwelling which had ne~@s
been lived in before she would die VITA
in six months after moving in. Tnj
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 home here, she has been
restrained from the accomplishment of
this desire by the witch's ominous vat
icination. She had thought of buying
a house, but could find none that was
large enough or adequate in other re-
spects for her purposes. At length,
however, she hit upon an ingenious
method Of evading the hoodoo and get
ting what she wanted at the same time.
She decided to purchase the old Hill
yer mansion on Massachusetts avenue,
and to construct palace around it.
This she is doing in such manner that
while occupying the new mansion, she
will actually live In the old Hillyer
house, the skeleton Of which is To-
tanned as a middle portion Of the IT,
vamped structure. Her bedroom, he-
and bathroom and her
boudoir will be in the ancient dwelling.
the original floor joists and framework.
as well as the roof, being kept intact
Thus the hoodoo will be defeated, in
asmuch as the construction on which
the builders are now engaged comes
under the head OF alterations" tech
nically speaking. and Mrs. Townsend
may consider herself safe against the
'ulhllment Of the conditional threat re-
corded against her in the book OF fate.