The Cairo Building

This is a worthy story for a “From the Crazy Vault” post … check it out. I came across the tale in the Washington Times from October 7th, 1894.

Falling down an elevator shaft from the eleventh story of a building is not an everyday event. Ordinarily, when it happens to a man, the subsequent proceedings interest him no more.

Albert Deal, however, enjoys the distinction of being an exception to the rule; that is, if there can be anything enjoyable about the affair beyond the fact that he lives to tell the tale. He was precipitated from the top to the bottom, 120 feet, of the elevator shaft at the Cairo Flats, on Q street, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth, yesterday afternoon, and by nothing short of a miracle escaped with apparently no worse injuries than a badly sprained back and several slight bruises.

Albert Deal was a 28 years old and Pennsylvania steamfitter down in D.C. He was working on the final phases of the Cairo Flats building being built by T. F. Schneider.

“Precipitated from top to the bottom.” Wow, I can’t imagine how terrifying this fall must have been. The story continues …

It was just after the lunch hour. Deal had taken two heavy radiators up to the eleventh story. When the elevator was lowered again it stopped about midway of the shaft. After it had been fixed and let down to the basement, Deal called out to John Martin that he was coming down the rope to find out what was the matter with the cogs. Martin gave the word to the engineer, and the latter replied, “all right.”

Deal started on his descent. No sooner had he swung himself out into the shaft than the rope began to slip from the drum, and the horrified man shot down like a flash. Somebody had been terribly careless.

There was not an outcry from Deal. Nor did his presence of mind forsake him. To let go of the rope meant certain death. In holding lay his only chance for life. With grim determination he held on. What thoughts passed through his mind as he shot through space with fearful rapidity, he himself will probably not be able to tell.

Wow, really? Okay boys, I’m heading down to the basement and I will slide down on this 120 foot rope dangling down the elevator shaft. Is that OSHA compliant?

view down an elevator shaft

Faster and ever faster revolved the drum, quicker an even quicker became the descent. Deal held on to the rope, and also managed to maintain an upright position, thus saving himself from contact with the huge protruding beams in the shaft.

At last the basement was reached and with a plunge Deal was dashed upon the platform. Then consciousness left him.

Immediately the Emergency Hospital ambulance was summoned and Deal conveyed to his home, No. 1141 Nineteenth street northwest, where Dr. Weaver rendered assistance and restored him to consciousness. Upon examination it was found, as already stated, that Deal had suffered no more serious injuries than a badly sprained back, and his physician thinks that his patient may be about again in a few days.

Unbelievable … first that he survives at all, but second that he basically just sprains his back and will be sore for several days. Oh, not to mention the slightly different 19th century medical practice of taking the patient to his home to await the doctor. Sh*t, I’ve been hit by a Metrobus … quick, take me home to my futon and tell the doctor to swing by ASAP.

There has been trouble with the elevator ever since it was put in place. The workmen about the flats have been always doubtful of its stability. Yesterday morning it was noticed to run badly and only the safety notches prevented it from failing. Twice Deal had to climb out to fix it, and at last his impatience over the ever-recurring obstructions caused him to attempt what might have cost him his lift.

In true litigious American style, Deal sued the developer, T. F. Schneider, for $25,000 due to negligence. The lawsuit claimed that the accident was caused by carelessness and lack of safety promotion on the work site by Schneider. Deal also stated that he had $300 in medical bills (a lot of money then) and that he was no longer able to earn a livelihood as a steamfitter.

The court found that Deal was the sole individual responsible for the accident since he alone decided to swing out on the rope to investigate the cause of the elevator troubles.

How’s the elevator in the Cairo running these days?

Related articles

• Crushed In Elevator, Edward Fossler Falls Ten Stories (ghostsofdc.org)
• Robert H. Muir: Manager of The Cairo (ghostsofdc.org)
• Congress Heights: The Healthiest and Most Delightful Suburb of Washington (ghostsofdc.org)

I love Hawaii (who doesn’t?) and over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a number of vacations in the islands with family. I’m quite fond of the place and have some great memories from my visits.

Queen Liliʻuokalani (Honolulu Advertiser)

Being the history nerd that I am, I’m intrigued by their unique past, especially the more recent history of the islands, from the original western name of the “Sandwich Islands”, to unification under King Kamehameha, to the overthrow under Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Hawaii has a fascinating history, and it’s one that has a unique and, in my mind, a fascinating connection with Washington, D.C. During the 1890s, the islands saw major upheaval, coups and battling interests for control over the precious resources of the island. The woman charged with protecting the interests of her people and her island nation Lydia Kamakaʻeha Pākī, formally known as Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii.

We all know that, in the end, Queen Liliʻuokalani was unable to maintain Hawaiian sovereignty. Hawaii was eventually annexed by the United States under the McKinley Administration and became our 50th state about 60 years later.

What most people likely do not know is that she made a well-publicized trip to the mainland — using a passport from the Republic of Hawaii — to make one last effort at maintaining Hawaiian self-determination.

This post is about her time in the our city.

Queen Liliuokalani, last royal ruler of Hawaii (1917)

Queen Lil makes an unexpected stop in Washington

The deposed Hawaiian Queen was in Boston in 1897, visiting her American cousins, when she left for Washington, without letting anyone know her travel plans.

She arrived in the city on January 24th on the night train and went to the Shoreham Hotel at 15th and H St. NW, where she had registered an apartment (read a good post on the Shoreham at Streets of Washington).

The Baltimore Sun reported on her Washington arrival and below is an excerpt from the article.

Very little information as to the object of Liliuokalani’s visit here can be ascertained. Mr. Palmer said she was traveling in private and he believed she would decline any official attentions. Whether she would call on President Cleveland he did not know.

It is believed that Liliuokalani will remain until after the inauguration of President McKinley. Her visit is supposed to be based on the hope that the government of the United States will try to secure a large pension for her from the government of Hawaii.

With the exception of the time during which she attended divine services the ex-Queen remained in her apartments at the Shoreham today. In the morning, accompanied by her Hawaiian attendants, she went to St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church, within two blocks of the hotel. United States Treasurer Morgan was her only caller during the day. He came to pay his respects and to invite the ex-Queen to inspect the gold and silver vaults in the Treasury building.

By the way, Mr. Palmer was Captain Julius A. Palmer, her private secretary. They met in Boston and had no prior acquaintance until her stay there. He had a distant connection through mutual family friends that brought them together and she felt he was trustworthy.

Well, she did end up visiting the President at the White House, only a few blocks from her hotel. And don’t forget, back then the inaugural ceremony was held in March. Take a look at video of the inauguration (the first one ever captured on film). Also, you can watch film of the McKinley second inauguration on Ghosts of DC, which I posted earlier this month.

Shoreham Hotel at 15th and H St. NW

A friendly visit with President Cleveland

Liliʻuokalani had a good relationship with Grover Cleveland and was hopeful that he would be able to aid in restoring her to her rightful place. She made a visit to the White House on January 25th, 1897, in the waning months of Cleveland’s term as President and this was the newspaper report of the meeting.

The President greeted the ex-Queen in the most kindly fashion, expressing pleasure at her call and stating that he should have felt disappointed had she refrained from making him a visit while she was in Washington. He caused her to be seated, and, while the others stood in the background, the President and Liliuokalani chatted with evident interest on both sides for twenty minutes.

The ex-Queen asked for Mrs. Cleveland and the President responded that she would be glad to see his visitor, but a messenger sent to Mrs. Cleveland to summon her to the Blue Room returned with the news that Mrs. Cleveland had gone out walking.

In all of the talk there was no reference to politics, save a brief expression of thanks by Liliuokalani in behalf of the Hawaiian race for this action in withdrawing the annexation treaty, which was pending before the Senate when the President assumed his office four years ago. Not a word was said about “restoration,” either past, present or future.

President Grover Cleveland (Wikipedia)

The ex-Queen greets several hundred in Washington

The day after her visit to the White House, Liliʻuokalani held a reception to greet the residents of Washington. This was reported in the Baltimore Sun and an excerpt from the article is below.

WASHINGTON, Jane. 26.–Washington is accustomed to receptions given by the highest officials of this government and the representatives of foreign governments, but the spectacle of a queen, although a dethroned one, giving an audience to a number of people has never been seen here before.

When Queen Liliuokalani announced yesterday that she would meet the Washington correspondents this afternoon it was expected that a number of people not invited would gratify an idle curiosity and call. The reception was intended to be merely an “unofficial and informal” meeting, but probably five hundred women called, bowed to her “ex-Majesty” and left with whisperings of delight at the idea of having been presented at “court.” The number of men present was so small as to attract attention.

Liliuokalani talks English with ease, and has a command of language that surprised her listeners. She shows, furthermore, a knowledge of affairs she has not been given credit for, and on the whole impresses some with being a fairly educated and well-meaning person.

…

She wore no earrings or jewels of any kind. Ladies who came to see her far outshone the Queen in brilliancy of attire.

…

To all she spoke of the weather here as compared to that in Hawaii. The Queen evidently fell into the habit of people in this country of discussing the weather when possibly at loss for something else to say. She is not so large a woman as she has been represented. While of a commanding figure, she is not obese and possibly does not weigh over 175 pounds.

D.C. weather is like Hawaii? I highly doubt that, but thanks for not rubbing Hawaiian weather in the face of Washingtonians, who likely never would set foot on the islands. Second, did the paper really comment on her not being obese and pegged her weight at less than a buck seventy-five? I hope she didn’t read the article.

The last Washington visit by a royal that I can dig up was one in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales (i.e., eventually King Edward VII). This was the first ever visit by a British heir to the throne, and likely the first visit to Washington and the U.S. by a member of any royal family. So, this was a huge deal since it almost never happened.

The former Queen moves into the Cairo

Interesting … the Cairo building on Q St. NW was the residence of the former Hawaiian monarch back in 1897. She lived there for about five months on the 10th floor.

Previously, she had stayed close to the White House at the Shoreham, but moved into the Dupont Circle hotel in February of 1897. Below is the mention of it in the Washington Post on February 16th, 1897.

Liliuokalani, ex-Queen of Hawaii, and her retinue have moved from the Shoreham to apartments in the Cairo. The change was made yesterday, and the reason given by Capt. Palmer, the spokesman of the party, was that her ex-majesty was anxious to secure permanent quarters before inauguration. The rooms she occupied at the Shoreham had been engaged by others for inauguration week. How long the party intends remaining in Washington can only be conjectured. Capt. Palmer says he has not been confided in, but it is known that Liliuokalani declined to engage her apartments at the Cairo by the month.

The Cairo Hotel (Library of Congress)

The ex-Queen had quite a favorable opinion of the building and wrote of it in her memoir.

…on or about the 14th of February, I moved with my party to the large thirteen-story building on Q Street, N. W., known as “The Cairo.” Its newness and immaculate cleanliness impressed me favorably at once. My rooms were in the southwest corner, from which I had a glorious view over the country and down the Potomac; and although unused to being on the tenth story of any building, yet, when I became accustomed to the height, it ceased to worry me. Everything was done by the owner, Mr. Schneider, and his lovely wife, as well as by the manager, Mr. Sherman, and his amiable wife, to render the stay of our whole party agreeable to us.

So if you, or anyone you know, lives in the Cairo’s 10th floor, southwest corner apartment, they now have a really cool story about their place … and your property value probably just went up.

A royal’s affinity for Washington

The ex-Queen shown great hospitality in Washington and commented that her visit to the city was one of the most delightful she had ever experienced. Below is another excerpt from her book.

Time would fail me to speak of the countless new friends who vied in making my visit to Washington one of the most delightful seasons I ever passed. It was my custom to give a reception about every fortnight; to receive callers at eight to nine any evening, and often at other times. Both houses of Congress were well represented at my receptions, if not always by the gentlemen themselves, by their wives or daughters. Although all were presented through Captain Palmer by name and by card, yet it will be seen that, when there were seldom less than two hundred callers, and my largest reception numbered nearly five hundred persons, it was not possible for me to return all calls.

…

Governor Perkins received me on my first visit to the Senate Chamber, where I went with my party simply to watch the deliberations; he provided us at once with seats in the gallery reserved for the personal friends of the senators, but subsequently he did a greater and more conspicuous kindness than this. On Friday noon, the 26th of February, I informed Captain Palmer that I had great curiosity to see the inauguration of the President of the United States, if it were possible to get seats. He said that it was rather late to make the proper arrangements. I requested him to communicate my wish to Governor Perkins. So, at two o’clock of that day he went to the Capitol, was welcomed by Senator Perkins, introduced to the members of the committee, and leaving the matter in their hands, he returned to the hotel.

Queen Liliʻuokalani was able to attend McKinley’s inauguration ceremony as well as some festivities afterwards, however she lamented regretfully was unable to attend the formal evening balls due to her fatigue. It was a spectacle for reporters to see the ex-Queen in the Senate gallery as well as being in attendance at the new president’s inauguration.

Reception by the former Queen of Hawaii

William Lee (Wikipedia)

The May 7th, 1897 Baltimore Sun reported in their social column that the Liliʻuokalani gave a reception in honor of Mrs. William Lee, held in the ballroom of the Cairo Hotel (1615 Q St. NW).

Mrs. Lee was the wife of William Lee, a prominent book dealer, publisher in Boston and partner in Lee & Shepard. She was visiting the Lee family in Boston before her arrival in D.C.

Below is an excerpt from the article.

WASHINGTON, May 6.–Liliuokalani, ex-Queen of Hawaii, gave a reception this afternoon at the Cairo in honor of Mrs. William Lee, of Boston, who is a relative by marriage. The large ballroom where the reception took place was brilliantly lighted and decorated with palms and roses.

The hostess received in a gown of handsome velour of an electric blue shade, the bodice trimmed with superb lace. At her throat she wore a handsome design in diamonds. Upon the corsage was a large Masonic design.

Mrs. Lee, who stood at her left, was gowned in grayish blue brocaded velvet and satin of a striking flower design; diamonds glittered upon the corsage and in her hair.

A mandolin orchestra played Hawaiian music and a feature of the occasion was the singing of a “Prayer and Serenade,” composed by the ex-Queen, sung by Miss Myra Lura Mason.

Among the several hundred guests were Sugeon-General Wyman, Representative and Mrs. Binger Hermann, Miss Lee and Mr. Isaac Townsend Smith, consul for the King of Siam.

The former Queen of Hawaii appeals to President to withdraw the treaty

WASHINGTON, June 17.–About 3 o’clock this afternoon ex-Queen Liliuokalani filed a protest in the office of the Secretary of State. It was delivered into the hands of Secretary Sherman by Mr. Joseph Heleluhe, representing the native Hawaiians. Mr. Heleluhe was accompanied by Capt. Julius A. Palmer, the American secretary of Liliuokalani. Mr. Sherman treated the bearers most courteously, but gave no indications of his action in the matter. The former Queen’s protest is as follows:

I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, by the will of God named heir-apparent on the tenth day of April, A. D., 1877, and by the grace of God Queen of the Hawaiian Islands on the 17th day of January, A. D., 1893, do hereby protest against the ratification of a certain treaty which, so I am informed, has been signed at Washington by Messrs. Hatch, Thurston and Kinney, purporting to cede those islands to the territory and dominion of the United States.

Francis M. Hatch was from Portsmouth, NH, educated at Bowdoin and was a practicing attorney in Hawaii. Lorrin A. Thurston was a lawyer and politician, born in Hawaii to American parents, who was instrumental in overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy and advocating for the U.S. annexation of the islands. William A. Kinney was born in Hawaii to American parents, attended the Punahou School (President Obama’s alma mater) and was a lawyer and local politician.

All three of these American men were strong supporters of annexation by the United States.

I declare such treaty to be an act of wrong toward the native and part-native people of Hawaii, an invasion of the rights of the ruling chiefs, in violation of international rights both toward my people and toward friendly nations with whom they have made treaties, the perpetuation of the fraud whereby the constitutional government was overthrown, and finally an act of gross injustice to me.

Because, the official protests made by me on the 17th day of January, 1893, to the so-called provisional government was signed by me and received by said government with the assurance that the case was referred to the United States of America for arbitration.

Because, that protest and my communications to the United States government immediately thereafter expressly declare that I yielded my authority to the forces of the United States, in order to avoid bloodshed and because I recognized the futility of a conflict with so formidable a power.

Because, the President of the United States, the Secretary of State and an envoy commissioned by them reported in official documents that my government was unlawfully coerced by the forces, diplomatic and naval, of the United States, and that I was at the date of their investigations the constitutional ruler of my people.

…

Therefore, I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, do hereby call upon the President of that nation to whom alone I yielded my property and my authority, to withdraw said treaty (ceding said lands) from further consideration. I ask the honorable Senate of the United States to decline to ratify said treaty, and I implore the people of this great and good  nation, from whom my ancestors learned the Christian religion, to sustain their representatives in such acts of justice and equity as may be in accord with the principles of their fathers. And to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, to Him Who judgeth righteously, I commit my cause.

Done at Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, this seventeenth day of June, in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-seven.

(Signed)
LILIUOKALANI.

JOSEPH HELELUH,
WEKEKI HELELUHE,
JULIUS A. PALMER,
Witnesses to Signature.

This is a powerful and compelling appeal from a woman desperate to restore the self-determination of her country. But, the momentum to annex the island nation was unstoppable. American business and strategic interests were the priorities of the McKinley Administration and the American Territory of Hawaii was just around the corner.

By the way, the treaty she speaks of — Secretary of State Sherman, Hatch, Thurston and Kinney — was never ratified by the Senate, but Newlands Resolution was passed by both houses of Congress, effectively annexing the Republic of Hawaii, making it the United States Territory of Hawaii a year later, in July of 1898.

President McKinley meets with ex-Queen in the East Room

Here’s an interesting one which mentions her brief meeting with the President. This article was in the Washington Post on July 27th, 1897.

Ex-Queen Liliuokalani was represented at the White House yesterday by Mr. Julius Palmer, of Boston, and her chamberlain, Mr. Joseph Heleluii, who presented memorials from the three great patriotic societies of Hawaii. While they were not made public, it is understood that the memorialists represented themselves as being opposed to any policy that touched the Queen’s sovereignty.

Later in the day Liliuokalani herself had a short interview with the President. She arrived in town Saturday night, and finding that the  President’s regular public reception occurred yesterday afternoon, she entered a carriage with Mr. and Mrs. Heleluii and Mr. Palmer and was driven to the White House. Their cards were sent up, and they were requested to wait at one end of the East Room, apart from the crowd of callers. This they did, the Queen being seated. The President requested that she wait until he had shaken hands with the public, and then he had a short talk with her, saying that he regretted the condition of Mrs. McKinley’s health alone prevented her from meeting Liliuokalani.

The ex-Queen is comfortably quartered at  the Ebbitt, and the length of her stay here has not been determined.

After her stay at the Cairo, it appears that she made a final move over to the Old Ebbitt Hotel (near the current Old Ebbitt Grill).

President McKinley in the White House Treaty Room (1900)

Her visit to the Capitol was merely one of etiquette

The former Queen of Hawaii was not having very much luck convincing policy makers during her time in Washington. She visited the Capitol on June 30th, 1897 to meet with senators and representatives.

Capt. Julius A. Palmer, private secretary to ex-Queen Liliuokalani, yesterday said the [sic] was positively no truth in the rumor that a monster petition was being forwarded here from Hawaii by the ex-Queen’s subjects in her favor.

“The people in Hawaii,” he said, “have as yet learned nothing about the treaty having been signed. We were not expecting such an act on the part of the administration, so a petition of, the kind mentioned was not deemed necessary. Communication is bad between the islands. It is not as it is in this country, and even after the news reached there it would take several days to circulate it among the people.”

“I wish to state, also, that the visit of the Queen to the Capitol Tuesday, was wholly without political significance. It was merely in the nature of a social call. It was only natural that, as Congress will shortly take its adjournment, and the Senators and REpresentatives leave Washington for the summer, as well as the Queen, she should pay the visit. She is a great stickler after etiquette, and desired to make the call on this account.

It sounds like this was an attempt at some relationship building to identify any potential allies to help her in her cause … albeit, a fruitless effort.

Queen Liliuokalani, Princess Kaiulani, Prince David Kawananakoa shuttered up in Washington Place mourning on the day of the flag of Hawaii was lowered down for the last time after the Annexation of Hawaii to the United States - August 12, 1898 (Wikipedia)

The poor deposed ex-Queen of the Hawaiian Islands came all the way to Washington, spent several months here meeting countless members of the Cleveland and McKinley administrations, Senators, Congressmen as well as the influential elite of Washington. Alas, she was unsuccessful in her mission to reestablish Hawaii sovereignty as she was unable to overcome the powerful business and strategic interests of the expansionist United States. She would live out the rest of her years in the Territory of Hawaii.

She filed a lawsuit against the United States, entering a claim of $450,000 loss of property and valuables as a result of losing her throne. She failed in this claim in 1905 and 1907, and tried yet again in 1910. The last time she claimed breach of her Fifth Amendment rights. She failed at this attempt as well. She did receive a nominal pension from the Territorial Government of Hawaii of $4,000 annually as well as income from her family sugar plantation.

Queen Liliʻuokalani would spend her final years living in the aptly named Washington House (named for George Washington). She died as the result of a stroke in 1917. She was 79 years old and the last Queen of Hawaii.

Related articles

• President William McKinley’s Second Inauguration (1901) (ghostsofdc.org)
• William McKinley and the American Century (lifereference.wordpress.com)
• Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen (learning.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Hawaii’s lost kingdom (features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com)
• Review: Lost Kingdom (tammydotts.wordpress.com)
• Gaellen Quinn, The Last Aloha (mostlyhistoricalfiction.wordpress.com)
• Proclamation by the Cabinet of Ministers of Queen Liliuokalani, 1893. (nupepa-hawaii.com)
• Hawaiian Flag from Iolani Palace, 1918. (nupepa-hawaii.com)

The President and Mrs. Taft were guests at dinner last night of the Secretary of State and Mrs. Knox at their home on K street. The dinner was the first in the series given every winter by cabinet officers in honor of the President and Mrs. Taft. The home of the Secretary and Mrs. Knox, which is one of the handsomest official residences in Washington, was decorated last night with orchids.

The other guests were the British Ambassador and Mrs. Bryce, the German Ambassador and Countess von Bernstorff, the Italian Ambassador and Marchioness Cusani, the Russian Ambassador and Mme. Bakhmeteff, Mr. Justice McKenna and Mrs. McKenna, Senator and Mrs. Warren, Senator and Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Garrison McClintock, Mr. Horace Taft, and Mr. and Mrs. Hugh S. Knox.

That is an impressive guest list. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at that dinner. I added photos of some of the guests below.

On a more local and little less presidential level, this one caught my eye.

Mr. and Mrs. William Jones have sent out cards for Friday evening, January 12, from 9 until 11 o’clock, at 1709 Q street, where they will introduce their daughter, Miss Anne Seymour Jones. Mrs. Jones and Miss Jones will be at home the third, fourth, and fifth Tuesdays in January.

Turns out that this is William Atkinson Jones, a Member of Congress from the Virginia’s 1st District (covering Fredericksburg and some of Newport News). The Jones family was introducing their daughter to D.C. society, likely in the hopes of finding her a husband.

By the way, here is another interesting (and quite macabre) story that happened at 1709 Q street. Seriously, this one is kind of hard to believe.

A couple of years later, Anne was successful in finding herself military man by the name of Lieutenant S. Roland Hopkins, who was stationed at Fort Myer. Fredericksburg’s Free Lance-Star had the engagement announcement in their paper on February 27th, 1915.

Representative and Mrs. William A Jones of Virginia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Anne Seymour Jones, to Lieut. S. Roland Hopkins, Third Field Artillery U.S. Army, now station [sic] at Fort Myer.

The announcement was made at a luncheon in Washington Thursday to a number of close friends, through the happy medium of ices made in the form of engagement rings, with Cupid perched on the rim. This, of course, gave the secret away and the prospective bride was overwhelmed with congratulations and good wishes.

Also, in other world news, January 5th was the beginning of the Prague Party Conference. The significance of this is that this is when Vladimir Lenin and his supporters broke away from the Russian Socialist Democratic Labour Party to form their own, purely Bolshevik party. The Russian Revolution in 1917 led to Ambassador Bakhmeteff being forced to resign his post.

Ambassador George Bakhmeteff standing alongside carriage on which his wife is seated, with dog

Secretery of State Philander C. Knox

President William Howard Taft

First Lady Helen Herron Taft

Related articles

• 100 Years Ago: Who Visited the White House? (ghostsofdc.org)

Writhing in agony, pretty Minnie Wiseman, 18 years old, of Williamsville, Va., a domestic employed at the home of John J. Sligh, 1709 Q street northwest, was found lying across the bed in her room yesterday suffering from carbolic acid poisoning. Miss Wiseman, was taken to Emergency hospital, where she died an hour after arriving at the institution.

Lieut. Plemmons, night chief of detectives was notified of the girl’s death, and sent word to her relatives at Williamsville. Coroner Nevitt ordered the body removed to the District morgue.

Miss Wiseman refused to say why she had swallowed the poison. It was reported last night, however, that the girl had been disappointed in a love affair. The authorities are endeavoring to establish the identity of a man from whom Miss Wiseman is alleged to have received attentions. Mr. Sligh, could advance no reason to the authorities as to why the girl should want to take her life.

Now that is a sad, creepy and ghostly story. To read a happier story about this same address, check out this one that mentions the daughter of Congressman William A. Jones.

Related articles

• Padre Pio ‘used carbolic acid to make stigmata’ (thesun.co.uk)
• If Walls Could Talk: The Seaton at 150 Rhode Island Ave. NW (ghostsofdc.org)

Submitted by Anonymous 

Location: Q St and New Hampshire Ave NW

Time of harassment: Morning Rush Hour (5A-9:30A)

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Photo by Maureen Lunn via Flickr

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I have a pair of vintage cowboy boots that have become my summertime footwear essential, and it’s not uncommon for me to wear them with my usual business casual attire when I go to work. Today I wore them with a nice dress.

While walking up 14th Street (something I don’t like to do because it’s notoriously bad for catcalling) only a block from my office, there were a group of 3 young men who passed me going the opposite direction. Right as he was passing me, one of them turns and says “Yeehaw… Yeehaw”. I heard him say it from behind me too, like he was checking me out from all angles. Ick.

Then only a few steps later an older man turned and said “like them boots, like them boots”.

I get a lot of comments like this when I wear these boots, and it’s almost enough to make me want to stop wearing them. I just don’t understand how a particularly un-sexy piece of an outfit can illicit responses like this, that in turn, make me feel like such a tramp.

I read this site often, and I’m upset that I didn’t speak up and say something to them when these men made me feel uncomfortable. Like, “Hey, that’s rude.” The problem I’ve always had is that I’m unsure what kind of catcalling warrants a response. But what I’m quickly discovering is that ANYTIME someone makes you feel uncomfortable with a comment, THAT is when you should say something.

Submitted by Anonymous on 6/16/2010

Location: 14th Street, NW b/t Q and R

Time of Harassment: Day Time (9:30A-3:30P)

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault you would like to submit? Just click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.