davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-04-24
Rambler Reviews Washington Affairs of the Civil War

William Champion, Z. ]. Champion
and Ed l.. Waters.
l have the belief that the Wash
ington Assembly Rooms was an up
stairs hall. In February, 1861, John
s. Rarey, a horse tanner, was in
Washington, and The Star of Febru-
AIRY Is said: "Rarey, the renowned
horse tanner, endeavored to- get a
suitable place for an exhibition. I'm
fortunately all our places of public
amusement are upstairs rooms where
horses cannot be introduced, con-
sequently the exhibition must be de-
ferred for some time"
l find that Rarey advertised in The
Star. February 90, 1861, that ''he
would show in the Mammoth Build.
ing being erected on the site of the
Old National Theater, E street near
Pennsylvania avenue"
1t was advertised that the new build
ing will be water-tight. well heated.
lighted with gas, furnished with the
most comfortable seats and properly
ventilated
The carpenter work was by Ent-
wisle & Barron. the gas fixtures and
plumbing by William T. Dove & Co.,
the water-tight roofing by Mr.. Parker
and the upholstery by +. w. Sim
iuOilS. I(dIPS gave lectures ON IH9
management of horses and exhibitions
of tanning dangerous horses"
The Star, January 3, 1861, contained
this:
John NJ. Young. having removed
part of his stock saved from
the late fire) under the Wash
ington Assembly Rooms, will con-
tinue the business as heretofore
and be pleased to see his custom
ers.' The fire was not under the As
sembly Rooms. 1t burned the build
ing owned by w. II. Philip and used
as grocery store by Henry c. Purdy,
on the south side of the Avenue. he
tween Four-and-a-half and Sixth
streets. The nearby coach factories
of John NJ. Young, Thomas Young
and John f. Bridget were damaged,
and John NJ. Young removed part of
his stock TO rooms under the Assem-
bly, Rooms. The rooms used by Young
may have been i'm the basement, but
think they were on the street floor
and that the Assembly Rooms were
the second story.
The Washington Turn-Verein gave
a masquerade ball in the Washington
Assembly Rooms Tuesday. February
II. 1861. The only name | find is that
of Charles Werner. who will furnish
the refreshments" The Star said in
a reading notice: "Their festivals are
always fun of life and enjoyment. and
doubtless this one will be of the same
sort"
Evening star., 1927-04-24

Stone, Col. TAFT, Col. Davis. Col. Coke,
Col. Middleton. Col. Bright, Col.
Fahnestock Lieut.. Col. Schwarz-
man. Lieut.. Col. Peck, Lieut.. Col.
Randolph Coyle. Lieut.. Col. Hollings-
worth, Maj. Watt, Maj. Wallach, Maj.
Klopfer.
Committee OF arrangements: Lieut..
T. T.. Lloyd, Lieut.. +. :. Allen, Capt.
King, Lieut.. Lackey, Lieut.. Kane,
Capt Mckim, Lieut.. Barber, Lieut..
Lighter. Lieut.. Clark.
Executive committee: Ensign p. r.
Lloyd, Sergt. Bartle, PvtS. John Hol-
brook Thomas Larcomh and John
Crook; Sergt. r. Fl. Graham, treas
urer.
On the same night February %,
1S61-the Federal Rifles gave a
grand Union ball" at Franklin Hall,
Ninth and ID. II your ancestor We're
left out of the previous lists, his name
may be found in the following:
Managers on the part of the mill
tary: Gen. r. G. Weightman, Col. j.,
Y. Davis. Col. J. A. TAFT, Col. S. j.
Middleton, Lieut.. Col. Schwartzman
Capts. s. w. owen, Lew Towers, p.
M. Dubant, r. G. Stevens, 7. b..
Schaeffer, c. c. Darlington. p. H.
King, Henderson, Diggs. A. r. Allen,
Thissilton, Gerhardt. Balbach, Ruther-
ford, Kelly, Goddard, Berry, Marks,
Rodier and Arnold.
Managers on the part of the citizens:
Evening star., 1927-04-24

Odd Fellows Hall, will have care Of
the hat and coat room"
f
A MOTHER list in which the Ram
bier hopes you will find a name
to move you is that of managers of
the Washington Birthday ball by
Company A, National Guard Bat
TALON, at the Washington Assembly
Rooms, February -, 1861. The ad
vertisement calls it "a Military and
Civic Birthnight Ball" Tickets We're
81, admitting gentleman and ladies'.
1t was said in the 'ad" that the
company pledge themselves that moth
ing shall be wanting on their part to
make this one of the most agreeable
and pleasant balls of the season"
Here follow names of "the man.
ayers on the part of the citizens: =:
James G. Berrett, mayor; William r.
Dove, Grafton Powell, Richard Wal
ZACH, George w. Riggs, DIR. Joseph
Burrows, Henry w. Martin, Cornelius
Boyle, ID. B. Clark, John f. Ellis, DIR.
X. Cleary, Otho Boswell. Thomas Nc
Grath. l.. F. Clarke, Samuel T.. Doug
lass, James G. Ellis, Joseph l.. Pear
son, William II. Ward, John n.
Semmes, F. McNerhany, job w.
Angus, f. c. Dyer, William Brown,
Charles Albert. j. +. Boone, jr.; Alex
ander Bully, W. G. Metzerott. James
Skirying, John A. Stephenson B.. b.
Evening star., 1927-04-24

ngton feels that his little house and
lot would not bring one-half it's value
under the hammer. it is proper to eX-
hibit the other side of the picture" +"
The other side OF the picture was
that a house and lot on Massachusetts
avenue between Fourth and Fifth
streets sold for $675. which was only
$50 below it's assessed value-S695.
find this in The Star of February s.
1861: I'VE learn that in consequence
of shortage of funds the hands en-
ployed at the navy yard were not
paid off on the 9Th. their regular pay
day. This has occurred once before
this Winter"
Nearly all fires reported in The
Star-and they were numerous-were
said to have been started by incendi-
aries. The Star, January z, 1861, con-
tanned this: "A citizens patrol for the
prevention of incendiary fires has been
formed among the merchants in
square 379. fronting on PENNSYLVANIA
avenue between Ninth and Tenth
streets, and they have a guard of
four or five men out every night keep
ing watch for inCendiaries. Some 40
men-business men and clerks-in the
square are enrolled and divided into
watches for this service"
X X
THE Washington Light Infantry
Battalion gave a ball at the
Washington Assembly Rooms in
honor of the Putnam Phalanx, De-
cember 6, 1850. The executive com
mittee were Mayor James Y. Davis.
Capts. Towers. Dubant and Stew
ems. The committee of arrangements:
G.. f. Green. j. f.. s. Hoover, II. d.
Morgan. James A. King, Henry Cor
butt and r. w. Goggin.
The Georgetown Mounted Guard
gave a ball in Pompeian Hall, the
Union Hotel. March 4, 1861. The
committee: Lieuts. s. Cough and s.
d. Linn. Quartermaster J. Barbour.
SerSts. J. A. Newman and p Dill.
CorpI. ID. Collins. and Pvts. +. l.. Car
berry, John NJ. Stake. Charles Wood
and J. r. Thurton.
The Franklin Fire Company gave
its saith annual ball January II, 1861,
at Wizards Hall. The managers:
Robert f. Doyle. A. S. Dent. George
r. Crossfield. William H. Tanning,
Jacob Hess. F. II. F'ridIey. Simon
Stearn, c. G. Eckloff, j. F.. Maddox,
r. f. Mooney. John Miller, John G..
Reeves. Thomas j. Fisher. William
Durr. John II. Sessford, Grafton
Powell. William NJ. Payne. Conrad
Finkman. ID. Veighmyer, William ].
Gray, w. Ofutt. John Shackelford.
Evening star., 1927-04-24

cents, children %. C. G. Atwell,
agent"
Blind Tom continued his daily con-
certs, with two or three matinees a
week, from December IL to 20. This
was in the reading matter of The
Star, December II. 1860:
tom, the colored boy, whose re-
makable musical performances have
been the theme of comment elsewhere,
made his appearance before Wash
ington audience last night. The or
deal for him was no light one. as the
audience was made up of the best
musicians of the city, but so extraor
binary, so unique. were his perform
ances that critical observation soon
gave place to utter amazement. His
animal spirits are high and he bursts
out into giggle or some eXtravagant
demonstration of voice or limb upon
the slightest provocation, and leading
off in the applause of his own per-
formance with rollicksome zest That
he is not older than is claimed for
him is attested by the pure, childish
alto of his voice"
Blind Tom died of apoplexy at Ho-
boken, n. j., June 13, 1908. In the
National Cyclopedia of Biography is
this: "Of late years he has become re.
IfactOfy, uecnnlng 10 appear at pubic
performances. At the latest date he
lived in poverty with his mother in
New York City. subsisting on charity" !"
A dispatch in The Star Monday,
June Is. 1908, told of the death Of
Thomas Virgins at Hoboken and that
Virgins was Blind Tom. The dis
patch said that Tom was born on a
plantation near Columbus, Ga, in
1850. and was sold with his mother to
J. \. Bethune of Fauauier County,
Va; that when a baby he would imi.
tate the calls and cries of animals;
that he began playing the Bethune
piano when he was years old and
began his public concerts when he
was 8.
In the editorial in The Star on Blind
Toms death it was, written: Since
his temperance in 1904 he has lived
in Hoboken with the widow of his old
master who managed him in the days
of his activity"
THE only 'theater in Washington
then was the Washington, Elev,
enth and G. and while Blind Tom was
Playing at the Assembly Rooms the
Evening star., 1927-04-24

ries were buried deep behind tight
locked lips it has been Dorothy Dix
for whom district attorneys in New
York and elsewhere have sent. Aad
always she has brought the story to
light by her sympathy and her rea-
sonableness.
No later than the Hall-Mills trial the
world had a chance to see how women
in trouble reach out for Dorothy Dix.
In the interval of waiting for the ver-
dict of the jury Mrs. Henry Stevens,
every nerve in her body quivering,
reached out from her seat and grasped
the hand of Dorothy Dix and held 1t
like lost child as she waited to
know if fate had vet another blow to
deal the Stevens family.
Yet amid the welter of tragic mem
cries there is an occasional gleam of
fun. Dorothy Dix chuckles as she
tells of one of those episodes. 1t was
in a murder trial of which she has
forgotten all the names. But she re-
members the judges charge to the
Jury that was tantamount to an order
Evening star., 1927-04-24

the death verdict calmly, without
culver or moan.
And there was that amazing crowd
from the New York underworld
Lefty Louie, Gyp the Blood, Bald Jack
Rose. Do you know that Jack Rose,
that gambler and underworld denizen
of New York. stands out in my mem
ory as a. great witness, side by side
with Willie Stevens in the HallMills
case? His English was so perfect, so
beautiful. He was so meticulous In
his answers. He couldn't be shaken,
no matter how much a district attor-
ney raved and roared and stormed at
him.
X
0'THERE was the Nan Patterson
= trial. too; that stands out in my
memory. Nan Patterson, you recall,
was one of the original Florodora Sex
tet She was beautiful girl and wild
as they make them. She killed Caesar
Young, a rich bookmaker of the race
tracks.
TTsxice she was tried for that crime
and escaped each time. | think / shall
always remember the last minute of
that second trial. Old Judge Golf was
on the bench The jury had brought
in asverdict of not guilty. Judge Goff
looked down at Nan Patterson as she
Evening star., 1927-04-24

HERE is a gap in the row of
buildings on the south side Of
Louisiana avenue between
Il Four-and-a-haf and Sixth
streets and that gap was the
site OF Canterbury Hall, which was
opened Wednesday evening, November
10, 1861. In an advertisement in The
Evening Star, November S. 1861. it is
said: Canterbury Hall tiate Washing
ton Assembly Rooms previously the
Adelphi Theater) will be opened in
few days"
Before going on with the story of
the Canterbury. the Rambler viii go
back to that of the Washington AS
sembly Rooms. In the history of that
place are lists of names of Washing
tonians, and in those lists you may
md names of friends.
The first advertisement have found
mentioning the Washington Assem-
bly, Rooms was in The Star, December
6, 1860. 1t is an advertisement of con-
certs by Blind Tom, then 10 years old.
The advertisement follows:
Tom the Blind Negro Boy Pianist,
The Wonder of the World! The Mar
vel of the Age! A Living Miracle.
Blind from birth, without moments
instruction, not even knowing the
name of a single key of the finger
board and the shape of the piano. yet
n master of the piano, playing from
the operas Of Norma Linda Lu-
cretia Borgia, Daughter of the Regi-
ment, 'Trovatore. 'Traviata' and
others with a master hand and master
touch.
Here Is a study for learned men.
A negro child. only 10 years old,
raised upon a plantation, simple mind.
ed, child in all his wishes and wants,
Yet master of one of the greatest sci
ences. playing two pieces of music at
once and conversing at the same time
reproducing the most difficult pieces
after once hearing them. playing the
secondo to any piece without ever
hearing it once, then changing seats
and reproducing the primo correctly,
performs with his back to the in
strument-sings in German and
French without understanding either
language. All of which will be done
on the stage. Concerts at the Assem-
bly, Rooms, commencing Tuesday eve.
ming. Doors open at 61a. concert
commencing at IA. Admission so
Evening star., 1927-04-24

to bring in a verdict of guilty. A
child had been beaten to death.
That was a stupid jury" she re.
calls They looked stupid and they
acted stupid. Presently they came
back tramping into the courtroom.
And the foreman read out verdict Of
not guilty. You could hear the gasp
of astonishment at that verdict.
And then suddenly in that tense
moment the courtroom burst into up
roarious laugher. Everybody in it
knew everybody else. The wife of one
of the Jurors was sitting close by the
jury box. Without a word, as she
heard that not guilty verdict, she
stepped swiftly forward and with
every ounce of her strength slapped
her juror.hustand stinging blow in
the face that sounded like dropping
an unabridged dictionary on a hard
wood floor.
Il X
GPTHERE were such strange ca ases,
Dorothy Dix went on. II re-
member one man in New York who
Evening star., 1927-04-24

the souphouse statement, so let me
prove it: The Star, February 2. 1861,
published this: "A souphouse was
opened the day before yesterday in
what is called the 'Swampoodle' To-
cality of the city, under the auspices
of the benevolent association con-
nected with the parish of st. Aloysius.
The first day some 200 loaves of
bread were distributed to the poor of
that district and about 100 needy fam.
lilies were relieved. We have now in
the city no less than four of these
souphouses inactive operation"
This from The Star of February 4.
1861: I'm these piping hard times.
when every property holder in Wash
Evening star., 1927-04-24

of the church; the twinkling jewel.
flecked bosom of Cleopatra s eardrop,
the airy white cobweb of Queen Anne's
lace.
Many flowers, too, are named from
religious story or symbol-the beautI-
full trinity flower of our Spring woods,
with its pure white petals and three.
fold division: the passion flower. as
cension lily. st. Bernard's lily, Jerusa-
lem cross. star of Bethlehem. Adams
needle, Aaron's rod and Solomon's
seal
There are flowers whose common
names have become poem in all ears
that know English poetry; cowslip.
primrose. pansy. daffodil. violet, Nav.
tiower-we know them we'll When
we order unprotestingly from the
scotsman packet of Myosotis laXa
the flowers we raise from 1t tend,
cherish. gather and give to our friends
are Myosotis no more-they are for.
Get-me-nots.
Evening star., 1927-04-24
Ill.

- VERY murder trial that she
- ever covered had it's distinct,
separate, own note. so to speak,
IL says Dorothy Dix
And my experience as a re-
porter covering murder trials ranges
from a stepmother who beat an Is
month-old baby to death in Mount
Holly, \. j., back in 1901. to the Hall
Mills trial, also in New Jersey, in
1926. 1t is little amusing to me that
my career as a murder-trial reporter
should have begun and ended in New
Jersey over a space of a quarter OF
Q century. But, oh. the trials that
have come in between those two New
Jersey trials! And every one of them
has, as / said. some dominant note.
''One was womans blind. unreason'
ing, insane jealousy. 1t was out on
Long Island. The woman was Mrs
Carman. She killed one OF her hus-
bands patients--he was a very dis.
tinguished doctor in that section CT
Long Island that we newspaper re-
porters always used to call the Hus-
band and Wife Murder Belt.
Mrs. Carman was frantically Jeal-
Gus of every one of her husband
feminine patients-so jealous that
finally she installed secretly detecta-
phone in his Office, which was in their
residence. The doctor was rather a
gay old bird. and from what came out
at the trial we knew that Mrs. Car
man had listened so some damaging
statements as she sat in her boudoir
with the headpiece clamped on. And
there was one patient who seems TO
have been DIR. Carman's best beloved.
Mrs. Carman was the perfect type
Of the elderly clubwoman. You could
picture her seconding resolutions and
making ringing, if slightly confused,
speeches and saying IL was just too
had and something ought to be done
about it'-but it was difficult to pic
ture her as a killer.
However, one afternoon she had
been shopping and came home with
binding headache and all tired out.
Her feet hurt and her corsets hurt
they wore corsets in those days. She
went straight to her boudoir in that
frame of mind and the first thing
she did was to clamp on the headpiece
of the detectaphone TO hear some
thing. She heaSd plenty, apparently.
She rushed TO a drawer, got out a
pistol, rushed out of one door of the
house and around to the window of
the Doctors Office. She explained aft
erward that she knew the door would
be locked. She shot through the win
dow.
do you know, I think the war de-
partments of different nations have
overlooked a bet They should form
regiments of jealous women in the
next war. I don't know why it is: it
must be some divine dispensation-bu
n jealous woman who never saw
gun in her life can pick up a strange
weapon and shoot straighter than the
best sharpshooter the Army ever pro-
duced. The average man with a re-
volver will miss. / never knew jeal-
GUS woman with a revolver to miss.
She'll ring bull'seye and bring her.
self down man or a woman every
time. And that's what Mrs. Carman
did. She shot through that window
and killed the lady who was her doc
tor-husband's patient.
y u
Sc lust as insane jealousy was the
dominant note of the Carman
trial, there was another note 10 the
trial of Police Lieut.. Charles Becker
Of the New York Police Department
Evening star., 1927-04-24

James G. Berrett. w. w. Seaton,
Richard Wallach. Ben Ogle Taylor, J.
NJ. Carlisle. George S. Gideon, w. ID.
Waliach, John Savage, Lewis Gle
phane, Thomas Donoho, Samuel
Lewis, Ferdinand Butler, WOodford
Stone, DR.. J. r. Blake. William T.
Dove, Grafton Powell, DIR. J. r. Nor
gan, c. J. Burch. w. Smith Lincoln,
John p. Hilton, John Pettibone. John
T. Given. John +. Coyle, r. Doyle, c.
w. Cunningham.
On the part of the company: Capt.
j. RI. Dubant. Lieut.. Goodrich, Quar-
termaster Quinter, Paymaster ]. T..
Stuart.
The Star shows that large part
Evening star., 1927-04-24

French, G.. Cameron, James Brown,
Thomas p. Morgan. b. p. Smith, VIII
liam A. Mulloy, DIR. j. +. Willett,
Adam Gaddis, John T. Given, George
Iillard, James Gordon. Henry Polkin-
horn, Hudson Taylor. William r..
Baily, J. f.. Holmead, Joseph Redfern,
Thomas j. Fisher William b. Webb,
Samuel Pumphrey. Reuben Clark,
John c. Cook. George Fl. Plant. j. r.
Abel. F. Mohun, Thomas Lewis, j..
Mel. Hanson.
Managers on the part of the mill
tary. Mai. Gen. Weightman, Maj. Gen.
Force, Brig. Gen. Hickey, Brig. Gen.
Bacon, Brig. Gen. Ould, Brig. Gen.
Caperton, Adjt. Gen. Jones, lnsp. Gen.
Evening star., 1927-04-24

a monument overlooking the harbor
entrance. through which a million
American soldiers passed from the,
Summer of 1917 to November. 191S,
is to be erected in Brest, France,
Evening star., 1927-04-24

.,~|CHeFches Ia iemme--fnd the u,n-
an--iS usually the first more by the
police in solution OF battling NUS
terry. So Dorothy Dir, the tcorid's
most famous 1C0mdn reporter. found
II during her newspaper career. Writ
ing memoirs of her qudrter-centurp
activities in the police courts and
"coUeriH0" murder trials, Miss Dir
tells IN this instdllment OF ntany ia
NOUS cases in achich tcomeR hare
figured.
Evening star., 1927-04-24

FamorRp Women List Which dnty
rCarnnBa RUTH lranaEa lWeeOu in
Evening star., 1927-04-24

Sc lust as insane jealousy was the
dominant note of the Carman
trial, there was another note TO the
trial of Police Lieut.. Charles Becker
OF the New York Police Department
The Washington times., 1927-02-24
RONPING AROUND THE RADIO DIAL
By GARDNER MACK,

that ] celebrated the first anniyer.
sary or the establishment oe this
column BY taking q night off and
nearing nothing that happened on
the wave lengths save the crashes
OF static that came through while
getting q bit OF information as to
the tuning conditions. Bat the sub.
stitute listener who heard all OF the
thinRs rather carefully tells me the
University Of Maryland Glee Club
made the next best impression as
= Wednesday evening feature. The
club ID much improved since its
last appearance. I'm told, and deliv.
cred an excellent concert last eve.
ming.
The South American Troubadours
who figured in the program from
WGN somewhere in the middle eve.
ming have third place on the memo
that was given Of the nights deliv.
cries. Once or twice we have
advised listeners to keep In touch
Wifh WGN which, to our way of
thinking. is delivering some Of the
best entertainment to be found with
the dials.
The United States Army Band
concert was given Il fair rating and
the saxiphonists, toothpasters and
cough drop aRgregations were
spoken Of as delivering about the
same sort Of program usually heard
from them. A brass band of
unusual size and volume operated
at WSB during the late evening
with considerable profit to the
listener and WIS. Chicago. deliv.
cred rather interesting musical
program.
The Washington times., 1927-02-24
BEST PROSPECTS

1850 >. Strickland Gillian,
humorIHt in talk on Family Bud.
gets, Washington, WRC (4eal.
p. fn.--4United states Navy
Bend Orchestra. WashinSton. WRc
$50 >. m.--Lieut. Col I. Ia
mund Bulls, United States Army
talk on Curious cuatoms In 80.
fea, washington, WMAL (ae4).
,. n.Chicago symphony ORE
chestra, ChieaBo, WMAQ (a4s).
70 p. fn.--Ncrwegiap program.
Baltimore. VIDAL (2te).
CHAIN PROGRAMS
>. m.--.our Muslcal united
States" New York, WIZ, WIZ,
KDKA. XIV.
$3.50 p. fn.--Arcadie Birkenholts
Interpreting great composers. New
York, WEAF. WGR. WEI, WV,
>. m.--clIcouot club Eskimos.
New York, WEAF, WEET. WAR,
MTAG. MGR, WEI. WcAE,
Voc. WCco. WGY: RadIotrons.
New York. WIZ. WHz. KDKA.
10 ). m.-Goodrieh zippers. New
York, WEAF, WEEP, WAR,
WTAG. WGR, WIFI, WCSH, WCAE,
WTAM, WV, WsAI, WGN, KsD.
woo. Wcco. WADE,
DANCE MUSIC
$3.50 p rn.-Bob Groon1e's Nov
city Orchestra. Washington, WMAL
10 p. m.--Le Paradis Band.
Washington, WRC (469).
1880 p. rn.-Johnny JohnsOFl'a
orchestra, New York, WIZ (aSB).
ii p. m.--EmerSon GiIps Orohea.
ira, Cleveland, WTAM (3ssl.
The Washington times., 1927-02-24

knowledge Of the affairs Of their
kind. for long periods Of time, even
than the dead-thanks to the sim.
pie radio receiving set the light.
house keeper today lives in the
midst Of the whirl Of the worlds
affairs and ID AZ up-to-iate as to
the happenings along Broadway or
State Street. as to fashions and
shows, ais to politics and the price
OF hogs, as the most sophisticated
city dWeller. In fact the light.
house keeper il even better In
formed because he has little to do
to divert his attention from con-
slant loud speaker deliveries as he
can keep the set receiving while
he does his work-and In conse-
quence he is really better informed
than the average apartment house
dweller who listens but an hour or
two. "a day.
The radio set has put lighthouses
Just where other forms OF traffic
signals are-in the midst of the
whirl of men and affairs.
All of which is particularly inter.
esting. largely because it becomes
second hand, by reason of. the fact