WDI Fri 92

An Eccentric Organization in New York City --

This is a news clipping about the private, by invite only, Social Club 'Vampires' and their monthly meetups in New York City. While there is no no actual folklore connection to vampires, I am including it as it shows a powerful cultural influence that the idea of vampires had during the 1800s.

## Print Details

* The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
* Wheeling, Ohio, West Virginia, USA
* 6 May 1892, Fri · Page 7
* Author Currently Unknown
* Relevant To: Social Club: Vampires

## Article Text

**THE VAMPIRES FEAST**

*An Eccentric Organization in New York City*

*THE GREWSOME {gruesome} DISHES THEY EAT*

*At Their Initial “Death Watch” They partake of Hair-Curling Viands.*

*They are a Non-Superstitious Crowd.*

*Their Novel Band and Quartette {quartet}.*

NEW YORK, May 4, - “Skeleton Fodder,” “Vampires’ Wings, Breaded,” and “Headstone Croquettes” are a few of the delightful articles on the menu spread at the initial death watch of the Vampires in Mazzetti’s and a crowd of black-robed waiters stood ready to bring you “graveyard cough drops” or “fried souls” if you preferred them.

Over the head of Chief Ghoul John M. Turner hung a huge bat, holding in his claws a human skull, the sign of the organization, and Electrocutionist {electrocutioner} Fred Bennett had the outfit fixed up with colored glass eyes into which he occasionally thew an electric current with startling effect. Back of the emblem hung a gigantic horn, fitted with an electrical attachment, which made it emit a frightful groan whenever anybody arose to speak. In front of the Chief Ghoul was a loving cup filled with “vampire’s blood,” in which an electric light glowed fitfully. Every bottle of wine had a vampire blood label pasted on it, and whenever a toast was drunk the Vampires applauded by moving their arms slowly up and down to their sides like wings.

But with all this grewsomeness {gruesomeness} the “death watch” was a great success, and the pale dawn saw a hundred men vowing to be Vampires to the end.

The Vampires is a brand new organization started early in April by Mr. Turner and a dozen other non-superstitious theatrical people. It is a secret society and its motto is “Unity, Affinity, Fidelity;” but it has no other purpose than good fellowship and mutual aid and encouragement.

It is simply an organization in which if a Vampire “goes broke” every other Vampire will “chip in” and help him out.

Its officers are: Chief Ghoul, J.M. Turner; Vice Ghoul: H.H. Levey; Recording Angel, Dr. I.L. Nascher; Body Snatcher, James B. Bracliffe; Coffin Nailer, Charles Strolimenger, Jr.; Dirge Changer, Signor Carlos Serrano; Bone Polisher, Fred Bohlman; Electrocutionist, Fred Bennett; and Sexton, Charles Angus.

It has a Cross Bones band, composed entirely of orchestra leaders, including William Johnson, of the New Park theater; W. Lloyd Bowron, of the Fourteenth street; Charles Mollenhauer of the Bijou, and E. C. Gohl, of the Windsor theater, and it has a Monument Quartette {quartet} made up of forcibly-retired comic opera singers. Among the other full-fledged vampires are T. Edward Reed, Thomas Jackson, Phillip Smalley, the Tipaldi brothers, Thomas McQueen and Manager Price, of the Lee Avenue academy. Among the guests who are clamoring for a perch in Roost No. 1 are President Hotchkiss, of the Thirteenth Club; John Waller, Frank Dupree, E. A. Pratt, “Dick” Gormau, Harry Fisher, H. F. Seymore, Treasurer Rice, of the Standard Theater; James Dixon, Cecil Kingston, Albert Henschel and Albert Hart.

After the viands had been dissected the loving cup was passed around, and while one vampire drank his four score fellows flapped their “wings” and sang their “shriek,” which begins:

*By gravestones cold and white*

*We spread our wings at nigh;*

*Over the mounds we love dance.*

*And wake a corpse right our of his trance.*

*His trance, trance, trance.*

Anybody was welcome to get up for a speech, but as the trump horn drowned every word he said the feasters got along very comfortably.

It is proposed to hold these death watches once a month from now on until the supply of New York hotels is exhausted.

## Citations

**MLA:** Unknown. “The Vampire's Feast.” The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer , 6 May 1892, p. 7.

**APA:** Unknown. (1892, May 06). The Vampire's Feast. The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, p. 7.

**Chicago:** Unknown. "The Vampire's Feast." The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer (Wheeling, Ohio and West Virginia, USA), May 06, 1892.