New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-08
USES WASHINGTON'S ARMS
Story of Lord Dartmouths Alleged
Right to Fly american Flag.

Lord Dartmouth. who sails next month for the
! United States TO visit the college in New-Hanp-
SHIRE that bears his name. and TO lay the corner
stone there of the Dartmouth Hail, Is a peer
who is entitled other claims on the interest OF
the people Of the United States than the active
patronage accorded by the second Lord Dartmouth
TO the OLD educational institution at Hanover. y. H
The first Lord Dartmouth. who. as admiral OF the
British fleet in the Mediterranean bonbarded and
destroyed Tangier a OF Eliza beth Wash
lngton. eldest daughter and chief heiress OF Sir
William Washington Of Packington Lecestershire,
and as the descendant and heir of Elizabeth Wash
Ington the earl has the right 70 the same arms
as the first President of United States. though
cannot find any authority for the contention often
put forward that the earl and his family have the
right to fly the flag of the United States Probably
this story has arisen from the fact that George
Washington's armoriaI hearings consisting Of three
stars and two stripes-that is to say, the heraldc
devices OF the Washington family-served as basis
to the designers Of the first flag of this Republic,
and that Lord Dartmouth is entitled TO fly flag
bearing the arms of the Washington family though
not the American flag IL exists
Lord Dartmouth IS no stranger to the United
States He visited tAis young man
with the present Duke Of Sutherland. and spent
nearly two years in the West. seeing something of
frontier life of ranchng and OF big game shooting
in the Rockies. For Il time he a conspicuous
figure at court. and was vice-chamberlain to the
late Queen Victoria. In recent years however, he
has devoted himself to the management Of his
large estates, and also to literary research. 70
which his attention was turned by the wonderful
collection of literary treasures among his family
papers, including all the correspondence of Pepys,
of Diary fame. with the first Lord Dartmouth
large number of letters from Dean Swift Lord
North. King William III. George III and John
Wesley. There is Of the letters of Wesley in
his possession bearing the date Of June IA. 17I5,
which begins as follows: 'An my prejudices
against the Americans" This. of course. relates
to the War of independence. may add that King
Edward has recognized Lord DartmoUths interest
in literary research by appointing him one Of the
members OF the Royal Commission on Historical
Manuscripts.
The family OF which the Earl of Dartmouth is
the head bears the patronymic Of Lega. and IS Of
Italian origin. the house of De Lega figuring eX-
tenstvely in the history OF Ravenna Of Naples, and
especially Of Venice. The first of the family 10
make his mark in England was Thomas Lega
who Lord Mayor OF London in the reign OF
King Edward III. The ancestral homes Of Lord
Dartmouth Patshull House, at Wolverhampton.
which was built about two hundred years ago. and
Woodsome Hall, near Huddersfeld which has been
in the possession of the family from the sixteenth
century.
There is a mystery connected with woodsome
Hall. in the shape of a room which, like the hidden
chamber in Lord Strathmores home, at CLAIMS
Castle. has been kept locked for at least two hum
dred years. At time Woodsome Hall was the
home of the Hon Susan Lega, sister Of the first
Lord Dartmouth. who ruled the household. in
Guiding her brother with a rod OF iron She
Tented. however. according to tradition, toward
favorite servant, one Simon Jenkins, the butler.
one morning. to the CONSERVATION OF Miss Susan
and Of the entire household, he was found dead,
hanging by a rope to hook in the wall of the
Hon. Susans boudoir. Whether or not his a
case Of the pangs Of despised love Will never be
known, but after the coroucr's inquest, and he
had been buried. required by the law OF those
days, at the crossing of two highroads, with a
stone his face and stake through his breast.
the Hon. Susan called the household together and
addressed them follows:
You all know that Simon was worthy servant,
and did his duty well very fond OF him and
much regret his loss. but should not care 10 see
him again In thu flesh walking. they say suicides
do So. then. Il any one Of YOU shall see him walk
ing about any OF my corridors give you notice
that he or she shall instantly quit NY service"
So saying. Miss Susan sjalkoJ out OF the room
fancyins that she had laid poor Simon's ghost
ever. But. alas for human hopes, That same
night. after the Hon Susan had dlned and taken
her usual Vcst-graudlal nap IN her boUdor. she
suddenly started and screamed and pulled the bell
In rushed all the servants. from the new butler
down, 10 know what the matter might be. They
found her wild and ravtng None Of them dared
ask what the matter was. But suddenly she re-
covered her composure. and sitting bolt upright IN
her chair I'm her prim and digulded way. exclaimed
Let this room le kept locked from this time forth
for evermore." and with that leaning her gold
headed cane. she left the room.
II spite of this. the saving goes that slmon's
ghost haunted the adjoining corridors until one day
the Hon Susan vanished mysterously. no record /
OF her death being found in the family archives or
parish registers. Then it is said that Slmon's !
ghost ceased to haunt Woodsome Hall. Be this as
ii may, the room which she ordered be Kept 7
locked remains closed to this day. and both the |
family and the people Of the district are firmly
convinced that We're it to be opened tho place |
would be haunted more not only by the ghost
Of the suicide butler. but likewise by the phantom |
of the Hon Susan herself
Lord Dartmouth a contemporary at Fton OF |
Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Rosebery and |
Arthur Balfour, the present Premier. He has !
travelled all over the world has all his life long /
been devoted 10 cricket. and is a prominent Free |
Mason. He is likewise fond of golf and photog- |
raphy- He married a daughter of that patriarch |
OF the British peerage the Earl Of Leicester
King Victor EmmanueIs pet ambition is TO sig |
naize his reign IN the annals Of Italy by convert
Ing Rome into seaport The project Of connect |
ing the Eternal City with the sea by means OF a /
snip canal. IS, of course, not one. In fact |
it has been urged a number Of times. But now !
thanks 10 the energy and determination OF the |
King, the scheme IS about to be put into execu- |
ton The Tiber, which should be the natural |
means OF navigation between the METROPOLIS and (
the sea Is unfortunately useless for the purpose
as the shifting sands at its mouth its winding !
course and its ever changing shoals and pools not
merely render IL unavailable for any seagong ]
craft. but are likewise OF a nature To preclude anv
attempt TO render it navigahe for ships of large /
tonnage by means Of dredging.
The canal. however. could easily be constructed /
and offers engineering difficulties The total
cost has been estimated $l1 100000 the idea being
to make IT wide and deep enough TO enable two .