Evening star., 1925-10-04

year. Her death was the cause OF
numerous public expressions of
mourning. Her husband. John Peter
| Van Ness, died March :. 1915. He
came to Washington as member OF
Congress from New York, and was
married to Marcia Burnes on her
twentieth birthday. May 9, 1902. Gen.
/ Van Ness was four times mayor Of
Washington. one Of the three COM
Inissioners TO supervise the recon
Struction or repair of public buildings
| damas sed by the British in 1914. presi-
dent of the Branch Bank Of the United
States at Washington. and first presi-
dent of the Bank of the Metropolis
now the National Metropolitan Bank
The mausoleum, with its relics, was
removed to Oak Hill Cemetery in the
Spring of 1873 and is there. It's re
moval had been long discussed
Joshua Francis Fisher acquired other
property III MauSoleum Square than
he decided to the First Congregational
! Church and subdiyided his holdings
March D, 1866, as per plat in the Dis
trict Surveyors Office. \ lane was
run east and west through the square
and an act was passed by the 56th
Washington Council. July, 1867, au-
thorizing the mayor Ito cause the
alley called Grant place TO be gradu
ated according to the accompanying
plat of the city surveyor, dated June
p, 1867" and directing that curb
stones be set and cutters paved.
Grant place and other parts of the
square We're built on, and residents
came to think of Mausoleum lot asf
drawback on realty values.
MAUSOLEUM lot was sold II Dublic
A'A auction, June S, 1872. under A.
cree of the District Supreme Court.
The decree was the result of suit
in equity filed May 4, 1872, by William
w. Philip, Madalena Van Ness. Louis
]. D'Auley and Christian D'Auley, Ed
ward Van Ness, Charles W. Van Ness,
Julia Van Ness. Henry Loney, Ann NJ.
Loney, Harry Hutton, Meta Hutton,
William T. Van Ness, Eugene Van
Ness and Helen Van Ness against
Catharine Hill. Elizabeth Chew. Louisa
Smith, Julia Van Ness. Washington
I. Van Ness and Ann Gertrude Van
Ness
D'Auley, Henry Loney and Harry
Hutton. We're described as heirs-at-
law "of John p. Van Ness who died
a widower and intestate, seized OF a
large amount of real estate"
The defendants Julia Van Ness,
Washington l. Van Ness and Ann
Gertrude Van Ness were described as
infants under Il years, and defend
ants Catharine Hill. Elizabeth Chew
and Louisa Smith We're described as
heirs-at-law of Richard Smith, who
died in 1868.
The heirs desired that the property
be sold and proceeds partitioned be
tween them. with the reservation of "A
fund for the purchase of q lot in n
cemetery and removal of the mauso-
leum to il. John =. Hanna was coun-
sci for the plaintiffs. Judge Andrew
Wylie appointed W. s. Cox as auditor.
and in hearings before the auditor
Benjamin +. Morsell testified that the
lot could not he fairly divided between
the heirs, and William Gait testified
that he had lived in the neighborhood
eight years, and that for year or
two there had been talk of complain
ing to the city officials that the mauso-
leum was a-nuiSanCe.
May 20. 1872, Judge Wylie appointed
Charles W. Van Ness of New York
trustee to make the sale. The lot.
containing 6,519 feet, was bought by
Jesse b. Wilson for 1856. one half
cash and the balance in notes matur-
ing in and II months. Vouchers
filed by the trustee showed that $3.50
was paid for the lot in Oak Hill 81, 500
to Jacob Niehmeyer for removing and
rebuilding the mausoleum, Sl00 to
Edward Clark for experimenting its
reconstruction, $500 to John F. Hanna
for legal services. $3.50 to A. Schneider
for building the vault doors. $40 to
Joseph Gawler for removing eight cof-
fins, S. to Edward Forsyth for run
ming the lines of Mausoleum lot, S77.30
to Thomas Waggaman, auctioneer,
and there were receipts for. advertis-
ing in The Evening Star, National Re
publican, the Partiot, Sunday Herald
and the C3pital