Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-05
IN ''OLD RYE" HOUSE
Recollections Of Charles
O'Conor and His Hotel.
POOR PAT KINGS DEATH
MANY TRAGEDIES IN E STREET
IN THE EARLY DAYS.
Young Man Got Into Wrong House
and Was Shot-William Henry
Seaton's Sad Fate.
POOR PAT KINGS DEATH

John Brown raid on Harper's Ferry there
was a respectable second OF third rate hotel
of fifteen CT twenty rooms thrown open for
guests IN E street near It'll street north
west said an old Washingtonian today.
The proprietor was clever, middle-aged
Irishman named Charles O'Conor, with
whom l had slight acquaintance. He had
held clerical position at 81 good salary for
some years in the State or Treasury depart
ment, and, finding himself suddenly drop
ped from the rolls and without other re-
sources, engaged in the MOTEL enterprise. for
which, l regret to say, he was in no way
fitted. He called his place The Old Rye
House." name which rather detracted
from the character of the establishment and
which it did not deserve. better nomen-
clature might have saved it and him from
the failure which soon followed.
"One bright morning / was going down
18th street toward Pennsylvania avenue,
when l saw an excited crowd of men and
boys about the doors Of the hotel Two men
overcome by Illuminating gas had just been
found in their beds. One was Captain Pat
rick Henry King, formerly of the WASH
ington Light Infantry, whom 1 knew long
and intimately. and the other Benjamin F.
Cooley.
The doctors worked over these men for
several nOuTS Trying TO reSuScltate them.
They were successful in the case of Cooley,
who was taken to hospital, where he
gradually recovered, but was never again
the man he had been UP to that time
Poor Fat King, who was at one time a
printer in the Intelligencer office, was gone
forever. l never knew a man more popular
personally. He was missed and mourned by
thousands of his fellow-citizens. To receive
his bright smile and hear his agreeable
voice in salutation was a treat. His charac-
mr. Ia C nyNtt ,n1I
Il attended Kings funeral from his late
residence in 9th street northwest between
l. and NJ. The cause Of the accident was
discovered to have been a defective gas
fixture. The gas had been turned off and
on again by the same mocement Of the
fingers.
That brought O'Conor's house into I'M
pleasant notoriety. 1t soon after got an
other blow. and O'Conor went down and
was counted out. He confessed himself
beaten and threw up the sponge, sold out
and was lucky enough to get back again
in his old department position, or one just
as good.
Shot While in the Wrong House.
Late one night, passing OConor's, on
my way home. I stepped in to inquire of
his assistant. Col Bowman, If he were
through with a number of books I had
loaned him. l learned that about week or
two before Col. Bowman had dropped dead
one day after a hearty dinner in the Old
Rye House, and his present address was
Mount Olivet cemetery.
Recovering from my surprise, 1 was
about to leave when 1 was called by name
from back room In voice / did not at
once recognize. l looked in at the door and
discovered young man of about thirty,
seated at a small table with two or three
others playing cards. A small bet was on
he a a n linnnr ~
player. This young man was rather under
the influence of liquor. l whispered a word
or two in his ear; asked him If he would
not go along home with me. 1 merely want
ed to get him out of the house and start
him for his boarding house, having no idea
Of accompanying him.
''Of course. he wouldn't go. I left him
there. and the next day all the town was
morning he had been shot dead for a sup
posed burglar on the second floor of the
house adjoining his own, in Philadelphia
Row. block Of new houses on Capitol Hill
HE was bunglingly fitting key in the
doorlock of a bed chamber occupied by a
young married couple whom he had awak-
ened The husband shot him through the
heart, and he died instantly.
II knew the unfortunate young fellows
name well at the time, yet have quite for
gotten 1t since, but not the occurrence.
1.-The coroners inquest cleared up all the
mystery. exonerated all parties, and espe-
cially indicated the character of the victim
of this all-around deplorable blunder. The
young man was at the time clerk in an
important position in one of the government
departments, and It was there We became
acquainted
Crimes in E Street Northwest.
way back in 1898, one day early in Oc-
tober there took place in E street the first
of the many succeeding tragedies which
1t was In E street poor Zeb Kendall, who
was murdered, lived with his father, Pay
master General Amos Kendall. Rufus Ell
lott, his slayer, was never apprehended.
In E street Frank Hamper murdered Mar
tin Regain and escaped to Indian territory.
at the intersection of E street and
Pennsylvania avenue John Essex killed
man with one blow of his brawny fist and
reached a safe sanctuary in the same terri
tory. John Day shot his wife to death al
most on the same spot. and was never
brought to trial. Horatio Bolster murdered
a woman in E street between 18th and 18th
and was sent to the penitentiary for long
term.
THE Mccarthy and Dennis Darden re-
volver street duel took place not over a
hundred yards from E street and 18th
street. Poor. brave John Mccarthy died
riddled with bullets. firing at his adversary,
who stood over him and watched him ex-
pire.
There were other murders and crimes
in or near E street. one Of which will live
forever in history. the assassination of
Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth. But to re-
turn to the subject. In 1923. less than a
year before 1 was born. William Henry,
the eldest son Of Col. VIM Winston Sea-
ton, the then future mayor of Washing
ton. went out on his thoroughbred saddle
horse to take his customary morning ex-
ercise. He went unattended. and no I'M
easiness was felt concerning him, as he
was skilled and fearless rider Time was
up for his homecoming. and his mother
stood at the parlor window of their home
in E street opposite the old, brick, yellow
painted Post Office Department Of that day,
the site now occupied by the land office.
Around the corner of Sth and E streets
she saw him. his horse CALAMITY prancing.
The next moment something frightened the
horse and it started on gallop, dragging
her son. one of his feet having caught in a
stirrup. The young mans death was a