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

Copyright Photo by Harris & Ewing.
there Is none so rich in pha ntoms as
! the famous old Octagon, on the corner
| of Eighteenth street and New York
avenue built in 1898 by Col John Tay-
loc, and now the busy home of the
Institute of American Architects.
| During Col. Tayloe's occupancy of
| this, the most palatial mansion in the
city in its day, romance and joy held
| full sway. as it was the scene of lavish
! hospitality and brilliant social event,
with which tradition has introduced
tragedy in such liberal fashion that
some of the most friGhtful of the
| stories have become accepted as facts.
One of these which has been handed
down related to the fate Of an octo.
| room, a faVOrite of the lord of the
| manor, as it was then. She was MUIR
| dered. through jealousy, by her lover.
young English naval officer, whose
ship was at anchor at Georgetown. Ac-
cording to this version of the story,
her body was walled up in one of the
| closets on the top floor after the
craZed lover had committed suicide by
| leaping over the baluStrade from the
| top landing.
| Former occupants tell of hearing
shrieks and the crash OF q falling
| body in the hallway.
! Another version is that young
| lady Of the family eloped and married
against her fathers wishes. When
| she returned to beg forgiveness she
met with such rage on the part of her
| family that she either flung herself
or was flung by her Infatuated brother
| from the top of the spiral stairway.
! According to another Octagon
| legend. the blame for the tragedy and
the haunt is placed Ii on pet kit
ten which lay on the steps near the
secondfioor landing. just where the
| warm morning sun sends it's cheering
beams through the big colonial win.
dow that looks to the east over the
| boX-bordered flower beds and walks
Curled into snug little ball of sleepy
bliss, the kitten was not observed by
the terrified girl rushing down the
stairs to escape her fathers wild anger
over her disobedience. She stepped
upon the kitten and in the resultant
fall her neck was broken. The shock
of her death and his own rage killed
her father.
| Frequently, It is asserted. the
phantom of a young girl in floating
white draperies glides swiftly down
the stairs, and the spfcter is invari.
ably accompanied by the sound of
shrleks, and heavy crash.
Ihere are persons in Washington
who insist that no one may cross the
hall at the foot of the stairway on GER
| tain days without unconsciousIy going
around some unseen obstacle on the
moor, nor can any one either ascend
or descend the splendid colonial stair.
way on the anniversary of this trag-
edy without stumbling over the
spectral kitten.
CCREAMs, groans and bell ringing.
with the rafting of chains. which
some of the old neighbors insist they
have heard emanating from the base.
ment Of this house of mystery. have
Deen ascribed to the spirits of de-
ceased slaves who once languished in
the dungeons and underground pas
Sages, or who were sold upon the
DOCK that stood on the premises from
me time the wealthy Eirginian. owner
ana breeder of a famous string of
racing horses, set up his lares and
penateS here, until slaves ceased 10
De sold within the territory of the
District of Columbia.
Ihese signs of supernatural
nature disappeared with the closing
vi tne suDterranean passage leading
10 the river through which the CON
splrdtofS IN the plan for the kidnap.
ping of President Lincoln intended
conveying him to the boat designed
10 take nm to his place of incarcera-
tloh. rms was blocked off and filled
up win the eXcavatinS for the new
interior Building across the street.
Wv an mat remains of ancient as.
pect In the most modern of cellars
with which the aged house is enI1in'
ped, is huge fireplace. with it's great
ovens In which the feasts of early
days We're prepared
X X X
A MORE attractive story of the o.
tagon calls to mind the lovely
Do!ly Madison and her famous court
which held forth here after the burn.
ing OF the Presidents house nv the
British, in 1872. 1t is said that the
watcher may hear the phantom car.
RACES roll up to the door, the calls
OF the footmen announcing guests and
the siam of carriage doors, and all of
the incidents of magnificent ball en-
acted by a brilliant phantom throng
or the olden time, when small clothes.
shoe buckles We're in vogue for men.
Gay laughter. merry jest, the clink of
glasses, rustic of silken skirts. click
of tiny heels and the lordly clanl< of
swords We're combined with the faint
strains Of the old-fashioned colored
orchestra, scraping out the stately
measures of the minuet
u
MOT far away. one of the loveliest
and quaintest of houses, in the
heart of the city, was for more than
60 years considered queer" and, as
time passed, it grew more queer. Oc- |
cupant after occupant left it after the |
shortest of stays. No one could tell |
Of anything seriously wrong with it |
except it's uneasiness. as it always |
seemed to be filled with a sense of |
something stirring. Doors had a way |
of swinging wide open after being |
securely locked. Lights would go out |
for no apparent reason and always |
there was the sound of light footsteps |
up and down the stairs, down the halls, |
and through the rooms. No matter |
how thick the rugs and carpets, those |
steps were always audible. At dusk, |
at times, there would be signing and |