The silver star., 1899-11-03
HOUSE WITHIN A HOUSE.
How = wealthy Woman wn Evade
Witch's Hoodoo.

How wealthy woman VIII EssoS
witch's Hoodoo.
Washington Star: A palace built
literally around superstition is WASH
ington's newest marvel.and one may
safely say that nothiug to match 1t has
ever been seen anywhere. Baroniai
castles, as well as edifices OF other
kinds. often gain resident spooks or
acquire curses as incidents Of their
history. but 1t 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 a mansion Is wholly
novel, The owner OF this remarkable
house. which as yet Is not quite haif
finished, is Mrs r. H. Townsend OF
Philadelphia. Before her marriage
she was Mary Scott. a daughter OF the
late Col. TON" 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 125 feet in width and 1913 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
time-a very proper way to begin such
story as this-Mrs. Townsend inter-
viewed witch. 1t was remarkably
clever witch, and. in revealing the
future to her lady patron, she predicted
"a number of events since realized with
astonishing accuracy in Mrs. Town
sends life. 1t was a very bright and
cheerful picture she drew, on the whole
one may command good deal OF
brightness and cheerfulness If one pos
sesses millions of dollars-but there
was one unpleasant prognostication
This was that if Mrs. Townsend ever
occupied a dwelling which had never
been lived in before she would die with
in six months after moving in. This
prophecy struck Mrs. Townsend as
grewsome. to say the least. and up to
now she has carefully avoided all risk
OF mourning the penalty suggested.
Though anxious for some time past to
move her residence to Washington
and build a home here, she has been
restrained from the accomplishment OF
this desire by the witch's ominous vat
icination. She had thought OF buying
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 a 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 re-
tained as middle portion Of the re-
vamped structure. Her bedroom. her
dressingroom and bathroom and her
boudoir will be in the ancient dwelling,
the original floor joists and framework.
as we'll 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
fulfillment Of the conditional threat re-
corded against her in the book OF fate.