Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27

MS NlSlIor INTO the queer SNAPPED little
cell. he had many amusing tales to tell
and relics to display. In a curious closet,
which he delighted to open up, his over
alls hung next to fine black dress suit.
His son. who for years assisted the father
in his perilous business, was the big item
When this son died a year ago. Ports
was heartbroken, and went gradually
downhill until his sudden death the other
week. He was taken Ill in the little room
white dome, and before. many minutes
was dead.
One of the exhibits Ports kept in his
''home" was a bit Of dark blue cloth
that he said was part of the coat that
the man who walked Off the dome, and
didn't live to talk about it." had on at
the time of the occurrence. Ports seemed
to find particular fascination in this
story-perhaps because of the similarity
to his own case. His history of the af-
1t was in March, 1875. the next year
after my fall. Nobody ever found out
whether this man fell or jumped from
the dome. Not long before Blondin had
when he had crossed Niagara on a tight
rope. Maybe the stranger had this in
mind-maybe he had it too much in
mind.
For several days before. he had been
wandering around the Capitol. taking in
the sights and talking to the workmen
and guards. He said his name was John
Mcmahon, and that he was studying to
be a priest. So when he remarked that
he believed he had more faith than Peter,
and could walk upon the water, nobody
paid much attention to him. The Capitol
always has been and always will be a
place for cranks, and unless they get
troublesome nobody bothers them.
ION the morning that the accident oc-
Cured Mcmahon climbed to the top of
the dome. AS far as we know. it was
his first visit there. and it certainly was
his last. Wallace Chapman, now a mes
senger in the architects office, was then
the guard on duty in the dome. He had
to attend to some business in the lower
gallery. and when he went down the
spiral stairs he left the man standing on
the gallery-the one directly under the
goddess and just over the tholuS
A few minutes later, Chapman said,
he was Mortified to see dark mass fly
ing past him. and there being no flying
machines visible in those days. he knew
something had happened sure enough.
In minute he heard a crash as the
mans body hit the roof just over the
tympanum of the east front of the build
ing. l was working in that part of the
building, and. following the excitement,
rushed with some other employees to the
place where the body was lying. John
r. French. who was then the sergeant-at-
arms. was the first one there, and he and
Chapman dragged the body from where
1t was dangling over the pediment
We'll, We carried the body down into
the crypt. Every bone was broken. and
to this day there are inch-deep dents in
the facing Of the copper where the poor
fellow struck
Forts always wound off this story with
a bit Of humor that he thought extremely
neat. He declared that four other per-
sons had taken leaps for life from the
dome, because two ceremonies of mar
rage had been performed at that sub
lime altitude
When anything special or unusual hap
pened at the Capitol Ports appeared to be
always In evidence. One of his amusing
anecdotes dates back to the year 1885.
when man blew in one windy morning
and asked to be directed to the dome
stairway. On being accommodated he
commenced his upward journey and con-
tinued as far as the second balcony
There he proceeded to divest himself of
his clothes. which he arranged In an ex-
ceedfngly neat pile. When he accom-
plished the task entirely. and to his sat