Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-07-17

IN clear day can be seen the dome OF the
~ Capitol At Georgetown University the
Sugar Loaf IS sometimes known as Mount
Soracte. the Maryland mountain being the
same distance from the college as that spur of
the ApennineS is from Rome. Appropriate to
the Sugar Loaf in Winter is the description by
Horace of the Apennine peak: Behold, how
Soracte stands white with deep snow with its
forest bowed under its mantle and its streams
stilled by the frost!"
From the lofty Sugar Loaf can be seen the
lily farms of Frederick County, where 100 acres
under water glimmer with millions of goldfish
and lovely, floating lilies. Visible on the land
scape the clustered spires of Frederick,
immortalized by Whittier. who little knew
when he wrote the poem what furore he had
started
merly the property of William w. Corcoran the
washington philanthropiSt, are the other peaks
Of the mountain Through the dense forestry
of the adjoining spur CLEANS the gigantic White
Rock. This top-tilted boulder. whose cavern
GUS structure formed popular gambling cave
for neighboring youths, is also called the
Devils Den Here, it is declared, on q howl
ing. stormy night the lanterns of the card
players were snuffed out by the ghost Of the
Sugar Loaf
mountain so magnificent would be in
complete without its mystery. Sugar Loaf not
only has its murder story with extra embellish-
ments of insanity and an unknown motive for
the crime, but, with superior distinction, has an
authentic one.
named Sophia Preston, who had lived alone in
hovel on the mountain and had gotten her
living by begging in the neghborhood, was
found murdered. There was no clue to the
murderer until John Thomas, who lived near
the Sugar Loaf made a voluntary confession
of the crime. In his trial of April, 1849 he did
evidence produced to indicate one. The Fred
erick Citizen declared that according to all
testimony before the jury this man Thomas, if
not laboring under insanity at the moment,
must have been at the time under the in
fuence Of an extraordinary temptation Of the
devil. The devil must have been bodily present
and by physical force compelled his victim
to the unnatural deed"
The plea was insanity. but the jury brought
in a verdict of murder in the first degree and
the judge pronounced the sentence of death.
So general, however was the belief that Thomas
had been temporarily insane that application
was made to the Governor who committed the
sentence to imprisonment for life.
John Thomas never returned to the Sugar
Loaf but old Sophia's spirit, it IS said haunts
the mountain, a ghostly specter mourning her
doom.
Near the Sugar Loaf is branch of the
Monocacy, where, during the Revolutionary
War, the johnson Iron Furnace, owned by Gov
Thomas johnson and his three brothers, sup
piled cannon and shells that were used at York
town. In need of frewood they asked the
Legislature for permission to buy from the
State the timber from the mountain That
discord prevailed in those days among the
Senators and Delegates is shown by the con-
troversy resulting from the request.
On March g. 1876, the Senate voted the
owners of the furnace an option until Sep
TENDER to purchase any part of the vacant land
Of the Sugar Loaf at the price of shilling
and 8 pence per acre This was opposed and
voted down by the House of Delegates. The
Senators believed that the State should show
appreciation Of the services Of Gov. johnson
Continued ON Ei0hfh p00e