Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

upon the proud brow OF many a
stately mansion. whose venerable
head continues TO bend beneath the
stigma of murder. suicide or disgrace.
The tradition Of the Capitol ghosts
| dates back to the early days of its
! construction. long before ii had either
a dome or a goddess above it. Now
there are reported to be about score
of specters, representing many pc
RODS. both identified and still un
known.
To get definite informant ton on the
! ghosts of the Capitol and their per-
formances, one must apply to the old
| timers in service there. Some of these
tales are picturesque and terrifying
in their uncanny features. others
| highly amusing. and still others carry
the tinge of the tragic that makes
| them more thrilling.
These pilgrims from another life or
state roam all over the place. though
the majority contine themselves to the
basement and subcelars, with their
dim vaults and labyrinthian passages
The most amusing of all the stories
deals with the antics of a lively cat.
MANY cats, most of them quite wild.
live in the cellars of the Capitol and
keep constant war on rats ana mice.
| X X X X
WHEN the body of President Gar
w field lay in state. 46 years ago, an
engineer, employed in the basement,
determined to prove to the watchmen
and police that all of their stories of
ghostly visitations and spectral revels
we're groundlesS. He had always ridi-
culed the reports of nocturnal visitors.
| and was particularly indignant at hear
| ing them whisper that the President,
whose body in it's f1ower-hidden casket
lay then in the rotunda. had been
seen" He decided to take some
drastic steps against these guardians
of the law who SO delighted in re-
counting narrowing experiences in his
presence, thinking either to convince
| or to annoy him.
| He felt sure his plan would cure
them once for all of the fool hant
warns" So with great secrecy and
precision he secured two large Eng
| lish walnuts, split them carefully, re
moved the kernels, and pierced tiny
corresponding holes in the half shells
| When the mystic hour of midnight
approached, he tied the shells securely
to the four feet of a black cat and
with her under his arm, made his way
silently and cautiously to the main
floor, where he turned the cat loose
in Statuary Hall.
The noise of those shells clacking
over the marble floors in the dark
ness, as the distracted cat scampered
wildly about, trying to rid herself of
her new shoes, gave the watchmen
the worst fright of their lives. Here
and there a tiny glow of light. flick.
ering in the long halls adjoining the
chamber, gave a weak ray of light
and, in the dimneSs of the semi-dark.
ness, the terrified cat assumed hideouS
proportions and a ferocious aspect.
Planned as a harmless joke, this in
cidcnt was the sensati ton of the hour,
even after the engineer had produced
the cat and shells and told his story.
Despite his earnest protest, neither
story nor evidence offered was &C
| cepted. No one would credit his words
Whether the watchmen were con
WINGED or not, they denied that any
but spectral agencies were responsible
This was not only accepted as spirit
manifestation, but was used as the
basis for a number of versions OF
phantom cat appearances.
One of these, most frequently re.
ported, is called the demon Cat" II
is simply an ordinary tabby at first
sight, but grows to a gigantic horror
before the frightened observer has
time to move. Suddenly it emits a
hiss of rage and. with eye ablaze and
mouth distended. leaps toward the
spectator. who is usually too para
lyZed with terror to move, and is
amazed to discover that the monster
has leaped high over his head and dis
appeared. This cat, according to re
tport, never fails to appear preceding
each change Of administration or il
advance of national disasters.
| X
TO the original cat legend is traced
the beginning of the ghostl,
footsteps that are certain to follow
any one who crosses the ROtunda O
Statuary Hall after nightfall.
The latter, with its encircling row
Of stalwart marble and bronze statue
of the Nations great men. place.
there by their States, is pecularl,
adaptable to ghostly suggestions
Seen in the dim light of clouded da,
or late in the afternoon, it's atmos
phere is aWeSome and chilling. ant
when the elusive echoes respond L
the word spoken on the mystic stone
of the floor. the visitor experiences
creepiness up and down his spine an,
an eerie sensation he cannot under
stand This is accentuated when tn
guide blithely initiates one into tn
mysteries of the Whispering gallery
The wrath of John Quincy Adams
one time President, is the specie
most often encountered in this cham
Der. AT times he may be seen in tn
hall. standing on the spot where hi
desk was located when this chambe
, was the hall Of the Representative
and the identical spot where he ga
when stricken with his last illness.
Though bent with age and infirmity
It's said that the shadowy form show
by its dignity of pose and eloquen
gestures that he is delivering char
acteristic speech. Again it is said tn
. venerable statesman appears in com
pany with the whole Congress OF 1S40
assembled in ghostly conclave. II
his quaint, old-style dress, he is a.
ways recognized and while he roam
!. all over the building and grounds, n
one has ever given an explanation o
his restless, tireleSs vigil.
Gen. Logan is another reported ar
partition. He appears to be gravel.
concerned with the doings OF the com
, mittee on military affairs and is Offer
noted marching up and down the cor
rider or about the committee room