davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-19

EDITOR NOTE-If you are ds sirous of securing this weelsy popular booklet CORRECT ENG LISH" address F. M. Kirbys DeH< B-l9O Waterbury Democrat Gerv ice Bureau, 1913 ThirteeneA s. Washington, D. C., with ten cent to cover postage.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-19

c. Was James Roosevelt ever . private in the U. s. Marine Corps?
 A. No; he was commissioned s Lieutenant Colonel in the U. ( Marine Corps Reserves on NoverE Der IS. 1936. Recently he became .. Captain in the active service.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

ages. The various motive theories were thrown
into further confusion by new element which
soon intruded itself upon the grim picture
Among the bodies were found more and
more with no water in their lungs and the
back of their heads Dashed in.
murderer at work among the suicides?
To many this seemed the most incredible
development of all. but not to those who
specialize on mental cases. Minds. like hearts
are of varying degrees of strength and en-
DURANGO Exercise which would hardly fatigue
a normal person may kill another. In the
same way. person, with unstable mind, may
go through his days sane, provided no great
emotional strain enters his life
Such a calamity as has befallen France
is enough to send many a weak mind mad.
The form of this madness. amid a suicide cpl
demc. like that of Abbeville. would most
likely be in the form expressed by the dying
lie Claire. that France had already COM
mitted suicide 1t would be only a step from
that to Fastening the process of universal
suicide by encouraging others on the road.
If the mailman could not persuade one.
the natural thing would be to send them
along anyhow. by tap on the head There
was little evidence of robbery and none of
assault.
explanation was entirely plausible ex-
cept for one important gap. There were so
many of the murderer's victims as to seem
almost impossible that not even one should
have managed to escape his trap and tell
the tale. But nobody reported having even
been approached Yet a murderer, perhaps
more than one. is evidently at work. some
sort of ghoul. with a non-profit motive.
There is a probability that some of the
murders were perpetrated by persons not
insane In village of that size there are
many Outstanding hatreds which would have
been wiped out in blood long ago hut for
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

which caused all the rats of the town of
Hamelin to follow him away and be drowned
But when the piper came to collect the prom
Used reward, the burgomaster of the German
village laughed at him.
It was what today would be called Hit
Ter promise" But the piper played another
magic tune which caused all the children of
Hamelin to follow him away. never to be seen
again
Could someone be Turing hypnotically or
otherwise, these people, most of them young,
to kill themselves? Hardly. The town had
swindled nobody and neither Germans nor
French had any motive for wanting this
series of tragedies Also the Gestapo had
found no evidence of anyone being at the
head of the phenomenon
Grasping at straws in their search for an
explanation some went so far as to see
similarity to a periodical. suicidal impulse
among the jennings rat-like animal of
the Scandinavian countries.
Every few years the lemming so multiplies
that 1t outgrows its food supply and proceeds
to remedy the situation. AL the adult lem
ming population marches like an army
straight to the ocean and out to sea until
1t browns itself. leaving only the young to
reproduce the race and the suicidal instinct.
Perhaps the miseries and shame of the occupa-
ton had awakened some such instinct in the
human race. If so, why was it not manifest
ing in less favored parts of occupied France?
Only the most superstitious gave that theory
a second thought.
There was the atrocty theory. One Of
the very first suicides. victim of a German
officer in all probability killed herself for
that reason. But. to give the devil his due.
there had been comparatively little of that
offense at least in Abbeville and If there had,
it could hardly be stretched to cover the
suicides Of school children and men OF all
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

fear of the gtiiiotine. Everyone knows of
these feuds and before the occupation II
Pierre had been found murdered, his enemy
jacques would at once have been arrested on
suspicion. But now. Jacques may split
Pierres skull and toss him in the river.
without much fear of special investigation.
His body may also be found close by,
drowned.
A FEW have blamed the murders on the
invaders. The score against the Nazis is
high and black enough. Nobody doubts that
they would wipe out the entire village If
it suited their purpose But the killing of
these persons cannot possibly help their aims
and even If they would the Gestapo when
"liquidating" people does not do it that way
Invariably the Gestapo takes it's victims away
and. before execution puts them through a
dreadful form of third degree" also learned
from Russia.
Nearly every day bodies were found aver
aging, at last accounts two suicides to one
murder These were quickly removed from
sight but that did not prevent most of the re-
naming populace from putting on mourning
The commandant. believing that the steady
stream Of persons in black passing his head
quarters was doing deliberately to annoy
him, issued order forbidding all mourning
insignia, on the ground that 1t was reasonable
propaganda. AS justification. he had the proof
that many were mourning as dead relatives
whose bodies had not been found and therefore
should be classed merely as missing"
Meekly, as always, the village obeyed. but
the colonel could not so easily remove those
CLASSY stares nor the unpleasant spectacle
OF empty boarded-up homes, where the
breadwinner had been fished out Of the water
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

BILLIE. 1liClC " 90
not a mark on the
body and nothing by
which to recognize
the girl. The police
made every effort
to discove r her
identity but they
could find no clue.
Since the corpse
had to be buried.
the police had pho
tographs taken and
a sculptor made
plaster casts of her
beautiful face. These
casts were exhibited
widely and 1t wasn't
long before the
Unknown of the
Seine" hung in plas-
ter reproduction in
countless homes and
public places s. in
GLIDING Abbeville.
There was a psy-
Geological possibility
that the plaster face
had sugg e stive
power. Anyhow if
the bust was guilty,
II h a d b e n d e.
stroyed as must any
rson or thing
which opposes the
Nazis will But the
idea went right on.
A MONG the less
"a educated of the
French arose a sort
of modernized YER
sion of the Pied
Piper of Hamelin
legend. This myth
ical person had
piped a magic tune
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

Seine seemed to be asleep; there was
a look Of peace on her face and her
mouth seemed twisted in an enigmatic
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09
THE UNKNOWN
OF THE SEINE"

II reminded every
one Of the legend of
more than 40 years,
that fishermen. cast
ing their nets in the
Seine River below
Paris fished up the
body Of a young girl.
Usually the corpses
Of persons who have
be n drowned are
hlosted and puffy be-
yond recognition-ex-
cept in such cases as
that of Marie-Laure
who was fshed up
only a few hours
after death.
But this girl of the
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09
CONTINUED From Preceding Page)

CONTINUED From Preceding Page)
hidden TO leave their own vicinity without
written permission of their conquerors.
They would be found brought back and
punished Colonel Armbrlster threatened. He
was surprised and indignant that his village
should have more rlnaways than others. He
had been less harsh in his measures than
most any other commandment and citizens of
Abbeville had other reasons for wishing to
stay.
The natives are mostly old, prosperous
families who have accumulated good bust
nesses and substantial fortunes besides These
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

occupation but that was no answer because
so much of the rest Of France, even Paris,
was in the same situation. Everywhere
there had been a rise in the suicide rate but
nothing like the jump in this village which
should have been able to stand the afflic-
ton better than most any other place.
The Germans worked out theory and
were not slow TO act on IT, They said it
was sort of mass movement and in Ger
many any such thing must always be orga-
nized Therefore they assumed that this
must have some sort of organization, sui
eide club with president and other officers.
The Nazis have no objection to the idea of
other races removing themselves from the
earth. This is their ultimate fate anyhow.
making way for the superior Nazis ac-
cordng to Nazi philosophy
The trouble is that passive suicides If
organized might easily be converted into
active hostile ones. A man on his way to
death might just as well take az many Ger
mans with him, by assassination as he could.
This would be very bad, II the idea should
spread throughout all the occupied lands of
Europe.
The suicide club idea must be npped in
the bud so in came those expert bud-nippers
the Gestapo secret agents. With their usual
methods, copied from the Russian OGPU. they
bribed children TO repeat what their parents
had said; they cajoled and threatened petty
criminal half-wits and ne'er-do-wells to tell
them all they knew or imagined they knew.
Out of all this the Gestapo CLEANED plenty
Of evidence of "treasonable" attitudes among
the natives but not the slightest trace of
suicide organization nor that anyone knew
why any man. woman or child had taken his
life. This no proper business for the
-GsAtape which withdrew its operatives and
tdrned in report with a sting in its tail
recommending that the Herr Kommandant
wake up the civil authorities. II he wished to
know why his village was van
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

the Hotel de Vile
(the village munich
pal building). They
removed a plas t c r
bust from its niche
and carried 1t to the
exact center of the
bridge between the
island and the main
land. There, at ex-
actly high noon. a
bugle blew two notes
sharply. four times.
meaning Pass aufi"
"a tt e n tion). Then
with all Abbeville
ookin e on, n e y
smashed the bust and
threw the pieces into
the river. The bust
had borne the inscrip-
ton:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

had been slowly built
up. generation after
generation. in various
small in dustrie 8,
especially the lock-
smiths craft.
What they had in
banks and securities
was soon taken from
them in one way or
another, but the build
ings remained and
usu ally considerable
boards of buried gold.
The village is sur
rounded by rich farm
ing land which was
duly robbed Of most
Of its live stock and
foodstuffs. but the
Nazis could not rob
the river and the
Channel Of its wealth
of fish.
Therefore. the deni-
zens of Abbeville
were in most ways
better off than other
places. However, the
Nazis did not capture
and punish the runa-
ways. Instead tn e
bodies of these began
to be found on the
banks of the river
and along the neigh
boring shore of the
Channel. which only
deepened the mys-
terry.
WHY should there
be a suicide-epi-
demic in Abbeville ?
Everyone asked this
and tn e command
dant. loudest Of all.
or course 1t has
something to do with
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

The Famous Sculpture, Unknown of the
Seine" Commemorating a Tragedy Years
Ago That Prompted Several Suicides In
Paris Copy Of the Head In Public
Building of AbbeviIle May Have Given the
Idea to Some OF the Towns Suicides.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

Continued on Page 2A
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

. Pn by American weeky Inc Great Britain VI Feted
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-09

know why his village was van
ishing.
However, a few things were
done. One morning a German
lieutenant led a squad of sol
diers into the museum room of
Evening star., 1941-06-01
By John Clageff Proctor.

During the year 1900 there were six
houses in the block where now stands
Loews Capitol Theater. One of these, a
two-story frame, was occupied by Clot-
worthy Stephenson; Mr.. Bolts occupied
a two-story frame as tavern, and about
this period David Craufurd built dou-
BILE brick house adjoining the corner
where now stands the National Press
Building, and where prior to this was
the famous Ebbitt House. Craufurds
daughter, Sarah c.. married Richard
Forrest, to whose heirs the property de-
scended, and it is said the garden at
tache6 to this home extended southwark
nearly to Pennsylvania avenue.
The southwest corner OF Thirteenth
and streets was also early built up
with three-story building and occupied
as a tavern by George Miller. 1t was
from an upper window of this house
early in December, 1915, that a colored
female slave jumped and injured herself
critically toward the close of the war of
1812-15. Jesse Torrey, a Philadelphia
physician, who visited Washington and
wrote of this event in 1877, told the very
pitiable story. Apparently referring to
himself in the third person, he wrote:
"A black woman. destined for trans
portation to Georgia, with a coff1e which
was about to start, attempted to escape.
by jumping out of the window of the
garret of three-story brick tavern on
F street, about daylight; and in the fall
she had her back and both arms broken!
I remarked that I did not wonder that
she did so and inquired whether it had
not killed her? To which he replied,
that he understood that she was dead,
and that the Georgia men had gone with
the others. The relating of this shocking
disaster, excited considerable agitation
in my mind, and fully confirmed the
sentiments, which had already adopted
and recorded, of the multiplied horrors
added to slavery. -
Il proceeded with some haste, early on
the following morning, in search OF the
Evening star., 1941-06-01

on a presidential cruise without at lee
one member of the White House secre
tariat being aboard.
In this connection, Marguerite A. LIE
Hand, the Presidents personal secretary,
has been on more cruises aboard the
Potomac and the Sequoia than any other
person, excepting the President. This, in
itself. is evidence of the Importance OF
the work transferred from the White
House to the decks and cabins.
Through long association. Miss L.
Hand has gained knowledge of the
Presidents Office methods which enables
her to be of utmost assistance. She has
become as indispensable as one person
can be to another in an environment
where efficiency is at premium.
Following the vice presidential cam
paign of 1920 when Miss LIE Hand be-
came his secretary, she has witnessed
the impact of illness, long convaleScence,
ascent to the White House and the
record breaking occupancy of the preSi-
dency which have filled a score of
Franklin D. Roosevelt's years.
Those years of the Presidents life
and all the others leading back to his
childhood serve to explain why he
spends as much of his busy time as
possible on the waters of the Potomac
River, Chesapeake Bay and the open sea.
The Chief Executives grandfather
ran a fleet of ships in the China trade
when American Clippers were supreme.
The boy Franklin learned elements of
navigation and the handling of boats as
early in life as those things can be
learned. He sailed his fathers craft,
the Half Moon, from Boston to Campo
bello while in boyhood And he early
came to place great store upon the Joy
and satisfaction of being in a motorless
craft with charts and compass, with the
laying of course as the task to be met.
Given an inherited and intensified
love of things marine; add the natural
advantages of freedom from Interrupt
ton which isolation on the water
affords; the result is a great fondneSs
held by the President of the United
States for the U. S. S. Potomac.
And that fondness most certainly will
lead to a continuing and extensive use
of the vessel during approaching weeks
when decisions of great consequence
must be made.
Thus will be presented paradox
A naval vessel which never will come
10 know the clash of battle is going to
play . major role in the conflict now
gripping the world.
Evening star., 1941-06-01

north were the homes of Robert Brown,
Mrs. Wilson and a Mr.. Mcdaniel.
Between E and F and Tenth and
Eleventh streets, John Hines, great
great-grandfather Of the writer, bought a
lot in 179a from william Thompson, esq,
and here he erected home for himself
in 1900. 1t was the first house in the
block, and here he died on october g.,
1916.
After the death of John Hines, the
small frame house in which he resided,
and which faced F street. became the
property of Col. Joseph Nourse, register
of the Treasury, who had a part in the
moving of the public property, when
he Federal Government moved to Wash
ington in 1900. For many years after
ward, or at least up to 1865, the old Hines
residence was occupied by John Cramp-
ey and his descendants, including VIII
lam D. Crampsey. Prior to 1866, part
f the house was cut away to open an
ley running north and south through
his block.
LII WlICIC WOOON u
-othrop's building now stands were
ZONES of a Mr.. Crawford, constable,
nd a Mr.. Person and Presbyterian
1hurch. The original st. Patrick's
church faced F street, was on the
,orth side and near the corner of Tenth
rect, and for many years had as its
lose neighbor Gonzaga College.
st. Patricks Church had very early
eginning in the new city, possibly as
ar back as 1892, when Father Caffrey,
S founder, is believed to have come
?ere at the invitation of his friend and
'ountryman, James Hoban, architect OF
lie White House.
James Hoban was buried in St
Patrick's Cemetery, which was also in
the square between Ninth and Tenth
and F and G streets, but his remains now
rest in Mount Olivet Cemetery on the
Bladensburg road. Father Caffrey re-
turned to Ireland and in all probability
died there.
In the early days of Washington
stores and business houses were gener-
ally confined to Pennsylvania avenue
Evening star., 1941-06-01

and Seventh street, but following the
Civil War a few ventureSome merchants
located in this thoroughfare, and by the
early eighties the change from resi-
Dental street to a business locality was
quite noticeable. One of the main
reasons for this no doubt was the run
ming of the horsecars along this street,
which began early in 1866. However,
after w. B. Moses erected his large
building at the southwest corner of
Eleventh and F streets in 1885 others
soon followed, and the transformation
of the residential area to very busy
thoroughtare was not long in becoming
complete.
On the site of the Moses Building was
once the home Of the Doyle family, and
here John Hadley Doyle as lad resided
for number of years, when his neigh
bors included many prominent persons.
At the southeast corner of Thirteenth
and streets, according to, Mr.. Doyle,
was the boarding house Of Mrs. Moore,
whose son became the district attorney,
and to the east lived Gen. De Rousseau.
AT 1912 lived Michael Tally, at 1908 John
G.. Killian, and at the southwest. corner
OF Twelfth and F streets were the Great
Falls Ice Co. and johnson Bros, the
latter coal dealers. On the north side
of F between Twelfth and Thirteenth
streets, at 1917 lived John F. Ennis and
next door John F. Ellis and at the
northwest corner of Twelfth was Fus-
sells ice cream parlor At the northeast
corner of Twelfth street was the drug
store OF DR.. Randolph Elliott, nearby
being the haberdashery of Mrs. CraW-
forth, with her numerous supply OF cats.
and at I'LL the confectionery store OF
Mrs. John Killian, where yellow tafy
was always in great demand by the chill!
dren. Next came the residence of Co
Bushrod Washington, later the home E
Col. Llewellyn Washington, and the Ca
inetmaking shop of Henry Kaiser.
Other Residents.
At 1107 was the home of Mr.. and MI
Vaudeville Eliot, whose son Irving be-
came Well-knoWn sculptor, and at the
corner, the residence of DR.. Leslie Scar.
At the w. B. Moses corner was II,
Evening star., 1941-06-01
Potomac Plavs World Role as Presidents Floating Office
By Ira L. Smith.

dent Roosevelt reached the momentous
decision from which issued the dis
patching of his note to the London eco
nomic conference setting aside currency
proposals that had been advanced for
consideration.
Frequency with which the Nations
leader took to the water in those days
indicates the extent to which complex
= ties and perplexities abounded.
Actions Planned.
To list subjects which have been dis
cuSsed and actions which have been
planned aboard the presidential yacht
is virtually to call the roll of top-flight
subjects and actions which have engaged
the Presidents attention.
Two of the more recent cruises deserve
special consideration because important
United States action in the field of in
ternational affairs came soon after each
of them ended.
Late in August of last year, the Presi-
dent boarded the Potomac with Harry
Hopkins and James v. Forrestal, Un-
dersecretary of the Navy, included
among his guests. The Potomacs en-
gines scarcely had cooled after that trip
before the President informed Congress
that executive action had been taken
to trade United States destroyers to
Great Britain for defense base sites.
And hard upon conclusion of cruise
at Charleston, S. c., the President re-
vealed that he was considering plan
to furnish arms and munitions to Great
Britain on an extended basis, this being
the lend-lease legislation.