Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-11
WAsHINGToN's MYSTERY HOUSE
The Oetaeon, Where Dolly Madison
Set Up Her Court.

/ with the light on all night ii you do,
/ Why it's the kind of story that will
| send all manner of delicious indefina-
| BILE little shivers and thrills over you
| at 1G A. NJ. on a sunshiny day.
| Oetasop House is where Dolly Madi-
! son, the fascinating, set up her Demo-
cratic Court of the Republic when the
| British burned the White House III
| 1914. And as if that were not romance
enough for any house to claim, there
are ghost stories galore. two more or
| less well authenticated underground
| passa geways, secret stairway ami
secret doors opening cut of blank
walls. Here is a really old-time mys-
terry house. From it runs a secret pas
sageway, now walled UP. to the White
House itself, and for this, the story
goes, Dolly was responsible.
AS runs the story. the clever and de-
lightful Dolly, really the first mistress
the White House ever had, with that
queer physiological twist not uncom-
mon in the feminine mind. knew IN
her prophetic soul that in time the de-
feated British would want another test
of prowess with the valient little Re-
public of the New World. When such
time should come, she figured cleverly
again, the White House would be a
point of attack and she wished to be
prepared for a secret flight. She knew
the Tyloes, who owned octagon House.
very, very intimately. Hence. the Sc
cret passageway.
But when the time for her antieipat-
ed flight came something interfered
with the prearranged plan. The Brit
i'll, in, hand almost IN t1e
door of the White House. Dolly linger-
ed long enough to gather her priceless
silver and to cut the Gilbert Stuart
portrait of Washington from its heavy
gold frame before she fled by the south
portico and sought shelter with friends
in Virginia. whence her husband had
preceded her. Some months later she
returned to- Washington and then II
was that the Octagon House became
the home of the Presidential family.
The strange troubulous times IN
which the house was built-'twas
abuilding while Washington was Pres
ident-must have had some share IN
determining its mysterious eonstruc-
| tion. The arehitectewas a man OF re-
nown. Dr. William Thornton, who de-
signed the Capitol. and aided JEFFERSON
years later in the plans for the UniVef-
sity of Virginia.
The house is full of secret doors anu
even now, wide open and to be inspect
ed by anyone who elects, there ~
tunnel leading out under Eighteenth
street Where the destination may
have been none of this generation can
say. for most of the land in that part
of the city has been changed by hliihs
in. Communicating with this under
ground passage is a Rack stairway
running from the basement TO 'hs
third floor. and either the second or
third landings are reached from II
through secret doors. The pasepodros
and chairboards on the blind SIDE run
far past the doors before being cut
through. and after all these years the
Joining remains so nearly perfect ina
none but a quick eye detects the slight
| est appearance of an opening, for tnere
are no keyhoies, hinges or KNOBS.
The unique arrangement of the mousse
which is built in octagon shape on the
outside and with rooms surrouhoihs
the circular hall, with a spiral stalf
| way running from basement 10 rooi
| and all the rooms connecting-some
| of them by secret doors, TO pc sure--ie
| such that had an arrestins party en-
| tered anyone familiar with the mouse
| or even passably clever might have es-
| caned quickly and quietly. Quick eRress
| also was provided for from what was
| once the dining-room through secfe'
/ door into a closet and out to the stree'
/ through a easement window
| such are the actual facts. The ghost-
| w personages who gather there consul
| tute another story
| Way back in the history of the iyioe
| family. so runs the romantic tale there
| was q beautiful daughter OF the houss
whose love affair with an ofhcer 10 me-
| majesty the king of England prousll'
her nothing akin to happiness. De-
spairing of ever being able to marry
him and vexed by opposition ana re-
peated bitter appointments, one
night as she wendell her way upstairs
to her bedchamber, the Pickering llell'
of the candle she carried thro"ihl
ghostly shadows across the stairs
melancholy seized her. and she nuns
herself into the dark well encifcled ps
the upward climbing staircase
Mangled, bleeding, never to utter an.
other conscious sound, she was picket
up from the stone tagging of the pase
ment floor and died an hour later II
the arms of her heart-broken motnei
who crooned over her as she had Wnei
she nestled in her arms as paps
| Many times since, SO runs tne Stoi
| she has been seen With her ficheliii'
| candle light TO mount the Suits 9
midnight and with a heartpreaklil'
cry throw herself into the darkness III
| | ty feet below.
II Another story is that the spirit
the old mansions departed greatheS
returns in the witching hours petWeei
! midnight and dawn. There is ioN
hum of pleasant conversation W
sound of silver and the ciinK
/, | glasses as a splendid company IS WIN
. ed and dined, and phantom coachs
! with gay liveried men drive up !.
take away the departing guests VIM
grand danes with powdered wigs am
wearing gorgeous satins and brocaae
and courtly gentlemen with short sii
4 hose and gold-laced coats pass acfos
the silent threshold into the carknes
| of night whence they came.
In circular room at the head OF W
stairway on the second floor one vol
: unfairly speaks with hushed voice, 10
thare tr,llv fingers the spirit of mem