Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-23
DIG STARTLING FIND
Workmen Excavatingfo for Walls
Discover Skeletons.
STRIKE FORGOTTEN GRAVES
Preparing for Wing to Children's
Hospital.
CEMETERY NOT RECORDED
Sam Douglas So Frightened by Com
ing Suddenly on Skull That
He Quits His Job.

Sam Douglas. black as the ace OF
spades, tall and powerful and past mas
ter with the pick and shovel, has disap-
peared from his usual haunts. All trace
of him is lost. but it Is suspected he Is
back In Charlotte county, Va. whence he
came several months ago. At the Office
Of J. H. De SibouY. architect, is a small
account which shows that several dollars
are due Sam. But as long as those dol
lars are in Washington 1t is dollars to
douRhnuts that Sam will not come to
them.
Sans life In Washington was happy
until he went to work at the Children's
Hospital. where some remodeling and
extra building were being done by Mr..
De Sibour. To be accurate, the southern
extension Of the hospital was being re-
modelled and two new wings were being
added. In the southern extension was
the boiler room. This extension was put
up about fifteen years ago. but some
ronths since the walls began to sag and
rIops had to be put in.
In their preliminary examination Mr.. De
Sibour's men found that new foundation
was necessary as a basis for walls that
would stand. So they tore up the floor of
the boiler room and started digging. Lead
Douglas. All day long Sam sang as he
worked. There was nothing sullen about
Sam. He was as cheerful a Virginia
darkey as could be found. AS he began
the excavation work under the boiler
room Sam sang:
Swing low. sweet chariot, comm for to
carry me home"
Suddenly the singing ceased. Then
Good Lord!''
The next minute Sam was on his way
out OF the building. He had caught up
his coat as he went. Passing a teamstsr
Tell 'em l amt never goin' in dat
buiidin' ag'in."
Sam Disappears.
Sam disappeared down the street and
has not been seen since.
The other workmen looked where Sam
had worked and started back There lay
Sans pick. one end Of 1t buried in
human skull. which grinned cheerfully
+, II. Rosengarten, who is in charge of
the. work. was hastily summoned When
he saw the skull he recalled that he had
noticed depressions in the ground outside
the. building and Immediately jumped at
the conclusion that the Children's Hos
.patai was resting over a graveyard. But
he 'dd not tell the workmen that. He
told them he supposed some doctor had
left skull lying around.
But the more the men dug the more
bones they found. Every now and then
q skull would come to light Then a leo-
or an arm Finally. one fairly well mum
mined body appeared. !, As soonsas the air
Struck II, however, It crumbled..
BY this ame the workers had overcome
their feeling Of fright, and were enioy-
ing the game Inquiry proved that at one
time there had been a negro Cemetery
wnere the hospital now stands, Nobodv
seems TO know much about II. and ~
course, the building office records show
nothing.
In fact. if the building ONCE records
mad been taken to be Of .any value AZ
would have been impossible to nut nm the
aoditions to the hospital. for when Mr..
Hosengarten went to get a permit he was
lmI0Ined tnat none could be issued. The
Cd by 18th and 14th streets and " and
streetG According to the building in
spect0rs ONCE, an alley runs whare tho
noSpltal stands. But the hospital has
peen there thirty years. and maybe the
Duildln9 inspectors plats were correct
Small Treasure Dug Up.
40 the men worked among the remains
or their fellows they ran across some
5ewelry. finger rings and earrings and
pins Of all sorts. These were divided nm
John Henderson, one OF the workmen
who lfHes In W1llowtree alley. fen heir
70 gold ring in the general distributor
he put 1t on his finger and wore it home
Saturday evening.
Monday morning John reported to NJ
Rosengarten.