The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18
% III old sE1hibitsI III, House Where
Ghosts Haze Walked a Century,
Weird Stories Told About Old Ocagon House In Wash
singtoni Shortlyto BE Used BY the s45
ast3a Cnlpnia Danes gtS 45a #s
Colonial Danes.

Colonia
(t'rom Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, u. e.. March Tiff
there ever was al house haunted, u 'is
the old Octagor House, ono OF tho SHOW
structures OF this city. IT Is something
oyer u hundred years OF age, so that its
antiquity would cntitlo 1t to 1.-The DIS
tinction Of being favored haunt Of
supernatural visltants. and y most i,a-
suredly has that reputation. Il have never
heard a man or woman who knew any
thing OF the history of the house who
was hold enough to express an absolute
disbelief in the stories circulated con-
corning It..
II is the octngont House that tho
Colonial DANES or tho District of Column
s bia will hold their colonial exhibit IN ting.
year, beginning the 18th OF April, the
anniversary of the founding OF the first
Episcopal Church at Jamestown, In 1909,
1t Is snld. Tho proceeds OF tho extibi-
ton arc to BIO devoted to tho restoration
and preservation OF the church. which
was tho first established In America BY
English speaking people, a Catholic
Church having been built at ST. Angus
tine. IT is said, about half century.
earlier.
Many Weird Stories.
Many stories are told OF strange sights
ana sounds seen and heard In the old
mousse after the death OF Colonel John
Tayloe. In 1928. Tho house was vacant for
some years, and was given over to rats
and mice, and such wandering spirits as,
chose TO make 1t n habitat.
Without going into nll these stories. 1t
~ sufiicient to relate one, which is tho
roughly well verified by the descendants
OF Colonel John Tnyloc. who built the
mansion In 1898.
dinner was In progress Mt the honse
one evcntE when the old butter rushed
III. exclaiming TINT spirits were ringing
inc bells NAown tho stairs. Tho host and
the guesta all went down to the servants
quarters. In the basement, to investigate.
They found the butler hud some ground
for his declaration that supernatural
hands iwere/ ringing the bells. They were
rianginsan aud jIngling in maddcst fashion.
and the NOT careful investigation failed
to show what caused the ringing. 1T is
said that the wires to the bfils were
afterwards GU. In order to ascertain, II
possible. tho cause OF the remarkable
occurrence but the ringing would start
frequently, although the bells and the
wires We're entirely disconnected. The
circumstance WAS never explained.
The old house was built In i79s by
Colonel John Tayloe, who served In the
patriot army during the war With King
George. He was a great friend Of Wash
ington. md 1t Ii said the male parent OF
his country. who used to ride over from
Mount Vernon to see the progress that
was being made on the public buildings,
was In the habit OF going down TO
Eighteenth Street and New York Avenue
and talking over matters In general with
his old army friend. The house was
completed in 1900, the year after the
death OF General Washington. the year
in which this city became the seat OF
government.
Dolly Madison Lived There.
whc,, tho British burned the White
House In 1911. President Madison and
Mrs. Dolly took up their anfde IN the
= f,ctagop. and Ii IN probable they resided
,hera for n year or more. while the White
House was being rebuilt. The treaty OF
Client. which conciuded peace with
Great Britain, was signed In certain
room OF the house, which Is stiil shown
10 visitors.
The interior OF the house Is finished
in solid mahogany. deliberately carved.
The rnantel. covered with nsures OF In
tricate workmanship IN b.S i,.liof. is the
admiration OF every ono who beholds II.
The material used is fine cement, patntea
white.
There nrc secret doors galore in the
walls OF the mansion. and one who knows
tho trick Is liable to Surprise his ur-
Informed companions Thy disappearing
most any time In the most mysterious
way.
The architect of the mansion was DR..
William Thornton, who waa born IN the
West Indies from some unexplained rea-
son. and for reasons no less mysterious
moved to the swamps of the Potomac.
when he was more than thirty years OF
{ age, and should have known better. The
regularity OF the man was manifested
In the house lie induced his patron to
build, an eisht-cornered structure, where
the bells ring without visible hands null
Ing the wires. and In which nobody save
architects has had n homo for years.
Tie building WAS purchased some years
ago by the American Institute of Archi-
tccts, and this body has loaned the build
ing 10 the Colonial Danes for the pur-5
pose OF the show in April.
Colonial Exhibit.
Ii is the intention OF the DANES 70
exhibit q lot of colonial relics. TO see
which 1t will be necessary to, pay q Ger
tain sum at the door That will be the
cost to get inside The cost to get out is.
another matter. Colonial Danes from NIL
over the country are rendering relics, for
which the secretary of the associa Don
tt4i 49, - 500