The Washington herald., 1919-03-09
THE WASHINGTON HERAID.> SUNDAY. MARCH 0, 1910

onaliy opposite their old home and
gave them food and quarters there.
Then she interviewed the men who
had, been responsible for the action
against the hermit and exacted from
them a promise to provide for the
couple. Several days later modest
building IN the northwest suburbs was
purchased and the queer couple given
a permanent home.
Lawyer and Chiropedist.
A quarter Of q century ago Henry
Hawkins, lawyer and chiropodist,
was a familiar figure In downtown
Washington. There was a saying
among real lawyers that Henrys
claim to be a member Of that honor
able profession was based upon the
fact that when young man he had
read one volume of Blackstone.
Chiropodsts, including Or" White.
whose corn parlors" were on Penn
sylvania avenue. opposite the oid
Willard Hotel. declared th6t Haw-
kins' assertion that he was profess
sional chiropodist was chargeable 10
the fact that he had manufactures
and peddled HAWKING Magic Corn
Salve."
Henry usually dressed in the height
of fashion and invariably wore a high
silk hat, which gave him a rather
distinguished appearances. HIS iapo-
ratory" was In Sam Reeder's snoc
shop, in the basement OF Thirteenth
and E streets northwest. There ne
manufactured hi8 corn salve in one
pound ''batches," packed 1t In little
pill boxes, which sold at % cents per
box. Later he opened parlors on
Missouri avenue. where corns ana
bunions were "expertly removed Al
this period Hawkins also became Q
pension attorney and some OF his
clients, old veterans. believing he had
wonderful influence, besought him to
get them government jobs. One OF his
Clients" who had left his good right
arm on the battlefield Of Shiloh, de-
sired a place as watchman under the
District government, then located on
Louisiana avenue at Fifth street. Ar
rayed in his best clothes, topped with
his beaver hat. Henry looked the part
Of Congressman. He called upon
. one of the District Commissioners and
pleaded for the employment of the
, veteran. The Commissioner. impressed
by Hawkins suavity and appearance,
| and believing him to be a national leg
slator, promised to give the matter
prompt attention. As the interview
| was concluded the Commissioner ask
ed for the card Of his unidentified
| caller. Henry passed him PASTE
board slip and the Commissioner read:
HENRY HAWKINS
Attorney-at-Law and Expert
Chiropodist
Missouri Avenue
, One Corn Removed Free. Additional
Corns, 90 Cents Each
And They Never Return
1t is related that the astonished
Commissioner collapsed and nearly
fell from his chair.
PoIicemaR,s Fortune True.
The eastern cohmons in the extreme
| southeastern and northeastern sections
| of the city furnished good camping
grounds for gypsy fortune tellers and
colored ''voodoo doctors" thirty years
ago. The former occupied tents, while
the voodoos performed their uncanny
= rites in the shacks that were nu-
merous in that locality. One OF the
gypsy women, who had quite a rep
utation as an expert fortune-teller.
pitched her tent on the commons near
Congressional Cemetery.
Many men and women from the
fashionable quarters who desired to
take a peep into the hazy future WIS.,
tied her tent. One day Policeman
Bloom, on whose beat the gypsy was
located, decided to take a look ahead
and learn what Of good or evil was
in store for him. He accordingly was
given a sitting by the fortuDe-teller
He was seated on a steamer chair
listening to the gypsy, who informed
him that "a blond man would soon
make trouble for him
A slight noise at the opening Of the
tent caused Bloom to turn his head
and to his CONSERVATION observed
Night Inspector Matthews blocking
the entrance. Matthews was a decided
blond. with light hair and whiskers.
You have been In this tent twenty
minutes" the inspector said, ito the
| neglect of your bea."
There's the blorfd man you told me
about" Bloom said, land he's brought
the trouble along with him
Inspector Matthews laughed upon
learning OF Blooms fortune and how
it had seemingly come true and de-
cided to give the policeman a repri-
mand and warning instead of citing
him to appear before the trial board
for neglect Of duty.
Before the late Sigmund Block be-
came a detective sergeant at police
headquarters he was uniformed and
patrolled the beat on which "Chinch
Row." Third street southwest, is To-
Gated. He related that one of the oc-
| cupants OF a house in the row was
Molly Mussy, an aged woman, who
kept a small store. She illicitly man.
ufactured an intoxicating beverage
which she designated as "Molly's
poteen.'
ut was deadly stuff" Block in
| formed me, "and was responsible for
much of the crime and disorder in
| that neighborhood. 1t was a saying
among her patrons that IL she did not
| dispose of the batch of poteen she
made in the early morning before
closing time the stun would be spoil
ed before the following morning and
would run all over the place"
Would Bottle Sunshine.
Perhaps the oldest character that
ever came to Washington was an aged
man with long silvery locks, who made
his appearance in the Patent Office
nearly forty years ago. and said he
desired to patent his scheme for bot
tling sunshine. He did not have a
model of his invention, but carried
several rolls of soiled paper. which
he explained were his drawings and