The Washington times., 1901-12-22


1agstan on the White House During the
few minutes that il occupied its LOFTY
perch a glass. two hundred yards
distant, revealed it as a raven OF unusual
size
The Executive Mansion, though the old
est OF cur public buildings. is yet without
that hallmark OF gentility-a ghost. In
this respect It is ranked by the Capitol,
which has five or six "spooks" to its
credit. However. it has long been main
tanned that the daily course OF the sun
- causes strange shadows to appear near
the capitals of the columns of the north,
or main, portico OF the dear and venera-
bic edifice known 10 all the world as the
White House
II is averred that four years ago, just
prior TO the death OF Mrs. Nancy Nc
Kinley, these shadows formed an unmis-
taxable likeness Of that worthy woman,
who has taken her place in history with
those other mothers of martyrs-Nancy
Hanks Lincoln and Eliza Ballou Garfield.
New shadow on the Column.
Nearly year ago these columns dis
played new shadow-that OF a human
hand. with bent forefingcr. upheld in an
attitude OF warning. IT appeared every
day for fully a fortnight and then was
displaced by silhouette OF President Nc
kinley in profile. This portrait, a start
ling likeness, while il continued visible
with the changing OF the suns position.
was metamorphosed into portrait of
Queen Victoria. wearing her crown. These
shadows are always most distinct in the
winter months.
The recent assassinations and attempted
assassinations Of rulers bring TO mind the
fact that almost every reignng house in
Europe has its traditional death warning.
several of which have been manifest in
recent years. History and literature both
furnish evidence that credence in death
omens is as old as death itself, and by no
means confined to the ranks of the hum
bic.
in all ages the anointed of the Lord
as well as countless mental and spiritual
rulers of men, have deigned to arow these
superstition. which are SO numerous
that a volume might be written in regard
to them. The majority of them have been
transmitted to us without the particulars
in which they originated. SO that in most
cases it is impossible to find any con-
nection between the omens and the fam
lilies TO which they pertain.
spcoIss of Imperial Houses.
For several generations white lady
-favorite guise of royal banshees-has
appeared in the halls of the vast Winter
Palace at ST. Petersburg This building
was completed in 1864, and, when in regu-
lar occupancy. shelters 5000 persons.
Whose ghost 1t is that wanders through |
this palace Of 'splendor and fearful mem
ories"s IS not known, but in a country |
in which all classes OF society are Sub |
1ected to a police espionage so rigid that |
even word or a look may be interpreted |
as treason, It is difficult to conjecture |
whether this jisembodied spirit is that |
of soue cne utterly forgotten or only too !
well remembered by the melancholy Ro |
manCfis.
Each OF the imperial houses OF Haps 1
burg and Hohenzollern has its white |
lady" The first appeared by night in the |
palace of Schonbrunn, issuing from and |
returning to the chapel about five months
before the assassination of the Empress
Elizabeth Though challenged by a SEN
tinel, and Immediately pursued by
search party, she was not discovered
Official note OF this visitation was made
in the military records of the palace.
GhostIy Midnight Rides.
In the forest surrounding Helligkreuz,
near Mayerling the white lady. accom-
panied by wild huntsman, is in the habit
Of galloping at night on a shadowy horse
under The splendid old trees. The pale
cquestrienne was seen on the eve of the
suicide of Crown Prince Rudolph at May
erling.
A less recent appearance OF this ghostly
visitant occurred just before the daugh-
ter Of Archduke Albrecht, uncle of the
present Emperor Of Austria, was burned
10 death. about generation ago. The
young srchduchess gauze dinner gown
caught FIRE from a cigarette which she
was secretly smoking, her father having
forbidden her to do -
The white lady appeared also shortly
before the execution Of Emperor Maxi
milan In Mexico. and a fsw weeks subse-
quent to the departure Of Emperor Fran
els Joseph's youthful kinsman Archduke
John, eleven years ago, on the voyage
from which he never returned. Her ap-
pearance seemed TO the imperial family |
TO furnish satisfactory evidence that he
had perished at sea while rounding Cape
Horn, or his way to Valparaiso.
The Empress Maria Theresa. Ehile
praying beside the tomb Of her husband
in the Caprchln church of Vienna. which
since 1883, has been the burial place OF
the Ha7sburgs. had vision-pro rosumably
of the white lady-which announced TO
the empress that her thread of life was
nearly spun. This occurred the night Of
November = 1850. and the empress died |
twenty-seven days later.
Raven of the Hapsburgs.
a historian relates that while the
Duke o. Reichstadt resided at schonbrunn
one Of the imperial eagles that surmount-
ed and adorned the palace was hurled
from its pedestal by a thunderbolt, and
dashed to pieces The superstitious Aus
trians regarded this as message Of Fate
that the son OF Napoleon wa doomed to
an early death, which occurred shortly
sfierward.
The house Of IIapsburg has mere than
fits share OF evil omens. Every misfortune
that befalls Il Is heralded by the appear
ance Of a raven. and occasionally by large
numbers Of these birds of direful
prophecy. a flock Of ravens few over
Olmutz when Archduko Francis Joseph at
that place and that moment, was IN the
act of accepting the crown and sccpter Of
Austria.
When Macmillan was about TO leave
that country for Mexico, to assume his
duties as sovereign. raven was seen by
him and the Archduche IS Charlotte, during
their last walk in tie grounds of their
palace az Miramar. The raven persistently
followed them, and when they seated
fhemsolves on bench beneath the syca-
more trees IT hoped toward them and
Settled itself on one OF the folds OF the
train Of The future empress.
When Archduchess Maria Christina, !
now Queen Regent OF Spain, was about ,
10 depart for her future kingdom, an TN
usually large raven, lowering over the
horses heads, kept up with them dur
ing the entire drive. On the day when
the body of Crown Prince Rudolph