Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01

OF Chaate


for $3.50. "a negro man about 80 years
of age known by the name OF Benja
min Slye but commonly called Ben"
The bill of sale Is that Ben shall faith
fully discharge the duties Of servant to
the said Griffith Coombe for and during
and until the full term OF four years
without loss Of time other than that
which may be occasioned by reason
Of sickness or other bodily infirmity'
1t shall be the duty "of the said Grit
nth Coombe to manumit. liberate and
set free the said negro man, Benjamin
Slye, otherwise called Ben. free from
further servitude after the expira-
ton Of the said four years" 1t is
written in the bill OF sale that If Ben
run away, the time between his leave
taking and recapture shall be added
to his term OF servitude. The record
index for 1906 shows that Griffith
Coombe bought a slave described as
"negress Nice
Griffith Coombe's first realty trans.
action in Washington was July 8, 1897
when he bought lot In square $50,
now covered by the House Office
Building The seller OF the lot was
Thomas Law and the lot began 121
feet from New Jersey avenue ION a
line with the lot bought by Henry
Ingle from Daniel Carroll OF budding
ton" The deed contains a jungle Of
metes, bounds, and useless words,
and the Rambler. being dumb in the
head from heat and other natural
causes, did not work the puzzle OF
where Griffith Coombe's lot was. He
| thinks. though. IL thinking is per-
missible in the rambles. that the lot
was on the north side OF c street
southeast, l2I feet east OF New Jersey
avenue.
BY the way. Thomas Law lived in
tall, thick, brick house at the north
| east corner Of New Jersey avenue and
| c street southeast. If You have come
4 TO the age of discretion and wisdom
\ you remember that the house l am
pointing to was the home of Judge
| Joseph Holt during and after the
Civil War. He died there August l.,
| 1894 Judge Holt was born in Brock
| inridge County. KY, 1907, and was
! Postmaster General in 1859 and Score.
| tary of War, 1860, in President
Buchanans cabinet. In a reference
book at hand. read that Holt was the
only member Of Buchanan's cabinet
not a Confederate sympathizer. ex-
cept Lewis Cass, who resigned as
Secretary of State under Buchanan
because the President would not
strengthen the garrison OF Fort
| Sumter Lincoln made Holt judge
advocate general Of the Army with
the rank OF colonel and he was pro-
NOTED to brigadier and brevetted
| major general for distinguished serv-
Ice In the Bureau OF Military Justice. ;"
| He was retired in 1875. Holt was
Judge advocate of the military COM
mission which convicted Mrs. Surratt.
Herold, Payne and Atzerodt, and of
| the court which tried Gen. FitZ-John
| Porter for alleged inaction in the
| second battle OF Manassas.
| VOU were told by the Rambler last
Sunday. on authority of paper
| by Madison Davis that Griffith Coombe
| lived at the corner of Georgia avenue
and Third street southeast. In the
Washington Directory of 1843 his ad-
dress Is given as the west side OF
| Third between n and o. near N south
east 1t is the same place. Georgia
avenue is now Potomac avenue, being
given that name when Seventh street
extended was named Georgia avenue.
| Madison Davis said: 1T was one OF
| the first houses in Washington. 1t
was built before the seat of govern
ment was moved from Philadelphia F"
That may be. The property was
bought by Griffith Coombe from James
| D. Barry in 1873. Robert Barry of
Baltimore was a co-purchaser with
Coombe The deed is dated May 81,
| 1918, and James d. Barry sells to Grif-
| fifth Coombe and RobeSt Barry of Bal
timore lots /. and . in square III
| for 10000, together with the three
| story brick dwelling house, outhouses.
wharf and warehouse thereon erected. :"
Square TIL is between Second, Third,
n and Potomac avenue southeast. /
| think the wharf which Griffith and
| Robert Barry bought in 1918 had been
| known from that time to some time
before 1900 as Barry's wharf, and
within the memory of persons who. I
hope. read the rambles, was known as
Guinand's wharf.
Leon William Guinand was an i'm
portant man in South Washington,
and it was probably he who first
thought of building the Anacostia and
Potomac hcrso-car railroad, which ran
| from the navy yard gate to Union
town. and was extended from Eighth
street southeast to Seventh street
southwest along M street and extended
from JTniontown through Anacostia to
On the day of the filing of the deed
| from James ID. Barry to Griffith
Coombe and Robert Barry for the
brick house and wharf at Georgia ave
nue. and Third street deeds were nied
under which Griffith Coombe bought
from Matthew Brown for $4,000 lot
/ / square 686, and from Daniel Car
roll Of Duddington lot in the same
square for $1,49S.50. That square,
1 bounded by B and G north and Della
ware avenue and First east, is covered
by the Senate Office Building. The old
/ Griffith Coombe lots are at the south
1 east corner of the square.
/ have the will of Griffith Coombe,
attested February 8, 1S45, and filed
for probate october 9, 1886. The
original or antique spelling of certain
| words in this document will strike
/ Won. I assume 1t was written by a
4 LAWYER / make that assumption be-
cause Of the cumbrous English and
/ useless words. Part Of the paper fol-
| lows:
!. Griffith Coombe Of the City Of Wash
! ington.
/ II give and bequeath all my estate
real and pursonal whatsoever ana
wheresoever whereof am now or may
be at the time of my death. in any
/ manner entitled to have, claim or de-
mand mo charge or convursion which
! I NAV at any time hereafter make in
Or OF the form or body OF my estate
/ or property real or mixed to be taken
a. any revocation in whole or in part
! OF this my Wild unto my wife Mary
coanbe hur lures and assigns for
/ ever In trust nevertheless to and
for the uses. intents and purposes fol-
flowing. that is to say;
i "First. to and for the sole use OF
nv said wife for and during the turn
Iof l1ur natural life.