The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-12-31
ODD FOLK AT CAPITOL.
Some Of the Queer People Who
Land at Washington.


York Press: The great white United
State capitol building is a sort OF CEN
tral magnet Of great power which at
tracts many queer people from all
sections OF this broad land. Capt ].
p. Megrew, Union war veteran with a
splendid record. is i'm command of
the capitol force and the peculiar peo-
pie who flock 10 the big building come
under his observation.
Away back in the 70s before Cap,.
Megrew became the chief OF the capi-
tol police. the tragedy of the dome"
occurred. A young Catholic priest,
who had become demented from over
study, ascended to the platform just
below the Goddess of Liberty. more
than 259 feet above terra firma. He
was observed to walk around the
| dizzy heighted balcony and gaze at
capital city spread out far below like
a map. Suddenly he mounted the iron
railing and. without uttering a sound,
the unfortunate man plunged head
long into space. His body went whirl-
ing downward and struck the copper
roofing over the rotunda. He then
rebounded and went down to the
plaza below. When picked up, in the
language of an old capitol employe,
the body was as fiat as a pancake"
Every bone in his France had been
broken, and il was necessary to strap
his remains to a broad plank to con-
vey them to an undertakers.
Statuary Hall is one OF the most in
teresting apartments in the capitol
1t contains the stone and bronze stat
ues of number of Americans. dis
tinguished alike in war and peace;
famous generals. statesmen. explorers
and diplomats-contribut to the
general government by the several
states. each state selecting it's most
illustrious sons. Included among these
statues are those of George Washing
ton and Thomas II. Benton, of Mis-
souri,; Daniel Webster and General
! Starke of New Hampshire; Robert
Fulton. inventor OF the steamboat, and
H. III. Muhlenburg, of Pennsylvania;
Ethan Allen, of Vermont Cass. of
Michigan: General James A.. Garfield
and Allen. of Ohio: Roger Sherman.
of Connecticut; John Jay. of New
York; Richard Stockton and the dash
ing General Phil Kearney. of New Jer-
sey: Abraham Lincoln, General Shields
OF Missouri; Jacques Marquette. the
priest explorer Senior Kenna of West
Virginia. and Clinton of New York.
During thegrecent sessions of con
gress StatuarN Hall was visited daily
by a queer little man whoospen sew
eral hours on each visit addressing
the statues. He finally became known
to the Capitol policemen as. the little
statue man. Approaching. and rails
ing his nat politely, he would say
Good morning, George. | hope you
are well today. The trusts are still
making trouble for the people. ! wish
you would raise your voice against
the giant evil"
Then. proceeding to the statue of
Fulton who is represented as work
ing on the first steamboat, the little
fellow would remark: "Ah. how dye
do, Robert? l see you are still hard
at work on your invention. 1t is
ing machines and automobiles. Steam
boats are becoming obsolete"
Next he would approach the hand
some bronze statue OF Gen. Phil
Kearny and say: TOO bad you were
shot. General. You are a gallant fell
low and made a noble fight to uphold
the honor of the flag" Xnd so he
would pass from one statue to an
other, making little speech to each.
This queer fellow was harmless, and
the police never disturbed him, but
curious crowds would gather and listen
to him as he spoke with earnestness
to the inanimate figures or metal
and stone.
Another queer visitor to the capitol
was a we'll dressed old woman who
carried quart bottle filled with
doubtful mixture which she wanted
congress to buy from her for the small
consideration of s2,OOO,OOO This stuff
she called her national elixir" and
claimed it would perform miracles. 1t
would make politicians honest, make
the poor rich. give every member of
congress life tenure. and spread pros
perity broadcast over the country.
natty little woman. who always
dressed in deep mourning. and who
represented herself to be the widow
OF Cuban patriot who was killed
during the struggle between Cuba and
Spain was another frequenter of the
capitol during the Sessions ~ congress-
She claimed to be in poverty, and sue
ceeded in securing cash from represen-
tatives and senators until her true
character became known. II finally
was learned that she was an adj
ventures from New York city. There
after she was refused admittance to
the capitol.
There was a. young man who visit
ed the East front OF the caHtol daily
to witness most marvellous perform
ance which was never enacted. On
the central portlco is a large statue
OF Columbus. holding aloft In his
right hand the atlas Ca great round
marble BALD. Opposite Columbus on
the plaza. about 200 yards distant. Is
a.