The Washington times., 1922-05-24
GH0S 7 Of
PENROSE
PAYS VISIT
Comes to Mrs. Rinehardt's
Apartment, Rocks Itself,
and Reads Paper.
By MILDRED NORRIS,


copyright, 1921. by Cosmopolitan News
Service.J'
Political circles here are inter-
ested-and not a little agitated-
by reports that Boies Penrose
has come back in spirit form
The shade Of the late United
States Senator from Pennsylvania
and noted political "boss" haunts
the Wardman Park Hotel here,
where he lived and died, accord
ing to incidents related by Mary
Roberts Rinehart, the author, and
members of her household.
Mrs. Rinehart and her family
now occupy the apartment.
Political Nervous.
They testify to a series OF star.
Ting occurrences, and their story
Is followed by reports that the
earthly visitations of the dead polit-
ical ruler are not confined to his
former apartment. An unseen hand
on several occasions, II is related,
pressed the buzzer Of the office he
occupied in the Senate Finance
Committee room in the Capitol.
Was II the hand of Penrose?
Political opponents of the man
who had the power to make Presi-
dents and held undisputed sway
over Republican politics in Pennsyl-
vania show nervousness when the
question is put to them.
The ringing OF the bell of his
former apartment was the first evi-
dence, according to members of
Mrs. Rinehart's household, that his
shade had emerged from the spirit
world.
The bell rang three times one
night. A young man relative OF Mrs.
Rinharts went to sthe door. He
found no one outside. To his amaze.
ment the bell continued ringing. He
saw the bell being pressed out not
the hand which moved It, he related.
On another night the woman
author and others in the room saw
a rocking chair suddenly move and
then rock slowly as though a heavy
body sat in II. 1t was the chair in
which Penrose usually sat during
his lifetime, II is said. The chair
continued to rock for some time.
1t Reads the News.
DR.. Stanley Rinhart, the authors
husband. was said to appear skeptical
when this incident was told 70 him,
but on still another night he was one
of the witnesses to even a stranger
happening. He and others in the
room, II is declared. saw news
paper that had been lying on table
moved by an unseen hand to the
rocking chair. The chair then rocked
slowly as before.
One night all the family went out
and when they returned, it is related,
they found the position of almost
every piece of furniture in the room
changed. Inquiries at the hotel
office and later investigation re-
vealed that no servant or member
of the hotel staff had been in the
apartment during the family's alb
sence. The moved pieces of furni-
ture, hotel employees pointed out
aghast, had been arranged in iden-
tically the same positions they stood
when Penrose lived in the apart
ment.
1t was in this room the great
boss" held conferences with finan-
cial kings and noted political figures
which shaped many of the nations
policies.
On three occasions when the late
Senator's personal buzzer rang in
his old office in the Senate Finance
Committee room. William b. Stew
art. long his close friend and conf.
dant, was present.
"It did sound just like Penrose's
ring" said Stewart. 1T gave me a
start" Stewart, however. refuses to
believe that the finger which pressed
It belonged to the disembodied
spirit Of the great political master.
He says II Is Just mysterious"
Servants at the hotel are said to
refuse to 60 near the former Pen.
rose apartment.
VIII the dead boss" next haunt
the Senate1