Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-13
MYSTERIOUS INVASION.
Unidentified Parties Forcibly Ente
Home Of Late Frederick DOUGLASS.

Report of forcible entry to and the SUBJ
sequent ransa cking of the home of the
| late Frederick. Douglass, at Cedar Hill,
Anacostia, was yesterday afternoon made
| to the police of that precinct by the per-
| sons in charge of the premises, and resulted
| IN an Immediate Investigation being under
| taken by a number Of, officers whom Ser
geant W.T.. Anderson assigned to the case,
with instructions to find out the perpetra-
| tors. Although. as the outcome of the en-
deavors of the policemen, it has been as
certained that but few articles were car
! ried off, the peculiar entry and the evident
search that was afterward made in certain
| portions of the building are causing inter-
esting speculation.
The Douglass home comprises an estate
of fifteen acres south of Jefferson street
| between Pierce and Adams streets, and the
| old mansion is a yeritable storehouse Of
| literary historical and art works, besides
containing innumerabIe curios and articles
associated with the last days of Fred
Douglass, whose life ended there so sudden
ly several years ago.
The first report of the matter was
| brought to the police station by Harold T.
| Dougherty of the copyright office, Library
! of Congress Mr.. Dougherty, it is stated
| has been living in the Douglass place for
several months, but lately has been absent
| from the city, and 1t was during this alb
sence that entrance was had to the house.
the police at Anacostia to give attention to
the estate, and Officer j. F. Reagan stated
| last evening that as late March 5 he
inspected the premises and found them to
be intact. A colored man named Henson,
who lives in the rear of the place, was like
wise presumed to look after the premises
and to report any occurrences demanding
investigation to the authorities. The entire
| estate, 1t is understood, Is under the con-
troll of the Frederick Douglass Memorial
and Historical Association.
officers J. w. Mccormick, V. G. King and
T. A. Lusby were sent to take charge of
the case They discovered that panel
had been kicked from a rear door, which,
however remained locked on the inside
On the other side of the house a board had
been knocked from the cellar window and
the cellar door nearby was thrown open.
Entering by this door access was easy to
the interior of the home. where doors be-
tween rooms were found open and window
thrown back A roller top desk in the hall
on the second floor which had been used by
Mr. Douglass, had been forced open, there
being evidence that papers had been ran
sacked, while some trinket stones that he
had brought from Nova Scotia were gone,
The officers were told that a key, which
was invariably kept In this desk and which
opened a chest containing silver and plated
ware knives etc, had disappeared Being
unable to unlock this chest. the officers re-
moved the back, but were told the con-
tents had not been disturbed. The lock of
a cabinet in which rested numerous curios
and trinkets had been forced and the con-
tents seemed to have been given an over
hauling. The lock of chiffonier had also
| been forced, nothing being missed, how
ever. s. Z