Edgar Allan Poe wrote that the most terrifying monsters are those that lurk within our souls.
But what about the souls lurking in the Capitol?
The U.S. Capitol building is over 200 years old. And the building, which has existed for two centuries, is full of legends and ghosts. At this time of year, people flock to the haunted houses that appear “on the hill.” But when it comes to Washington DC, there's only one haunted house (and the Senate) on “The Hill.” So, as we descend into the Capitol Catacombs, let us amaze you with some scary stories from the Capitol.
There are four grand staircases in each quadrant of the Capitol. But the steps on the House side of the southwest part of the building tell perhaps one of the most grotesque stories in Congress.
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Capitol Hill, like other staples of modern Americana, has a rich history of spooky happenings and bordering folklore. (Getty Images)
And we're not talking about omnibus big bucks.
Representative William Tolby, Democrat of Kentucky, served in Congress in the late 19th century. And just like today, Capitol Hill is teaming up with journalists to go after members of Congress for quotes and information about the bill. But Talby had a problem. Reporter Charles Kincaid wrote for the Louisville Times. Kincaid wrote an article about Tolby's pranks titled, “Kentucky's Silver Tongue Tolby Caught in or Thereabouts.''
After this article, Tolby did not seek reelection and remained in Washington, promoting various causes long before “K Street” became a thing. But Mr. Tolby and Mr. Kincaid often ran into each other at the Capitol. Tolby was much taller than the diminutive Kincaid, and at times physically harassed the scribe.
The pen may be mightier than the sword. But it is certainly not as powerful as a pistol.
In February 1890, the two met near the House chamber. Kincaid pulled out a gun and shot the former congressman in the face. Mr Tolby bled profusely as he descended the marble stairs.
Many members of Congress are coming to Washington to make their mark on the political world. But in the end, it was Tolby's body that left an indelible mark on the Capitol.
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The composition of human blood and the white Georgian marble used in the building's stairwell don't exactly mix. Spots of Mr. Tolby's blood covered the stairs every few feet from the second floor to the first floor. Some of the marks look like Rorschach test shapes. Mr. Tolby died from his wounds the next day. But his plasma will forever be part of the U.S. Capitol, permanently staining the steps.
As fate would have it, Tolby doesn't think much of reporters. Until today. And Mr. Tolby is believed to occasionally trip up members of the Congressional press corps to make his presence known.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Parliament House in the summer of 2019. He had just met with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). But word broke that day that the Tampa Bay Rays, lacking fans, might try to reach an agreement to play some of their home games in Montreal. The Montreal Expos abandoned Canada in 2005 to become the Washington Nationals.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is known to be an Expos fan, and there is a photo of him and his late father Pierre watching an Expos game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium when he was younger. (Bettman/Contributor via Getty Images)
Prime Minister Trudeau was a fan of the Expos. There is also a photo of Trudeau as a young boy standing with his father, the late Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, in the stands of Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
It would be a scoop if the young Trudeau opined on the possibility of Major League Baseball returning to Montreal.
Trudeau descended a spiral staircase not far from where Mr. Kincaid killed Mr. Tolby. I asked Prime Minister Trudeau for comment. However, for no apparent reason, I tripped over the edge of the step and fell in front of the Canadian leader. I didn't drop the mic. I also knew that if I tried to catch myself, I could break my arm or hand.
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Fortunately, I had been studying martial arts for years. One of the things they teach is how to fall. I quickly adjusted my weight and rolled onto my right shoulder. My feet were in the air. This was all recorded on tape by my photographer Robert Fetzer.
“Oh, Chad! Chad! Chad! Chad,” Fetzer yelled as I ran right in front of Prime Minister Trudeau.
I wasn't hurt, but Prime Minister Trudeau held out his arms and helped me up. But I was already on my feet. Unfortunately, Trudeau didn't answer my questions about the Rays and Montreal and just left.
I myself may have encountered the ghost of William Tolby while trying to interview the young Prime Minister Trudeau. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press, via AP)
But there was no logical reason why I stumbled there. I have stood by those stairs hundreds of times. It has never gotten caught on the edge of the bottom stairs.
What are the possible explanations?
Perhaps the ghost of William Tolby saw me thrown over the kettle in front of the Prime Minister of Canada.
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But only one haunting of the Capitol surpasses Tolby's Tripp story.
However, it's just the beard.
That is the legend of the demon cat.
The immortal cat footprints on the floor of the Capitol are rumored to be the footprints of the so-called “evil cat,” which sporadically appears in the Washington area coinciding with wars and assassinations. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Capitol police officers and even 19th-century lifeguards have claimed to have seen phantom felines roaming the halls of the Capitol before the national emergency. Especially wars and assassinations.
Purr and purr.
However, no one had discovered a demon cat before 9/11 or the 2021 Capitol riot.
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Perhaps, just like any other cat, the devil cat only has nine lives.
But I'll take you to the place where the demon cat is said to have walked.
Go to the first floor of the “mini” rotunda on the Senate side of the Capitol, near the old Supreme Court chambers. If you lean on one of the pillars near that room and look down, you may see some footprints permanently etched into the floor. However, the light needs to catch the print properly. You can never stand on the print and peek at it.
Sometimes the best illusions you can imagine in our nation's capital exist in your mind's eye. They are the ghosts of great men who passed away long ago, leaving only an indelible mark on American history. (Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images)
Supposedly, the devil cat signed his initials in an unassuming Senate stairwell in the basement. The initials “DC” are scrawled on the concrete.
However, this evidence is open to interpretation. Does DC stand for “District of Columbia”? What about “direct current”? Maybe it's a “detective manga”.
I warned you that we would be in a cat den of Congress.
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The Capitol is home to a wealth of stories: eerie voices, late-night songs by retired workers, and even stories of senators reading bills while sitting in their chairs. The Capitol Rotunda and Statuary Hall (formerly the House of Representatives Chamber) are dotted with artwork depicting the lives of politicians, inventors, heroes, and scientists. It is said that after midnight, the statues sometimes come to life and argue with each other.
In the House of Commons, it is a “spectrum order” rather than a “special orders” speech.
But sometimes the best ghosts in the Capitol are the ones you conjure up in your mind's eye. Abraham Lincoln sits at a desk in the back of the Old House of Representatives chamber. Lyndon Johnson roams the Senate chamber. A view of the old presidential inauguration ceremony held at the Capitol.
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In fact, the Ghost of the Republic haunts the Capitol.
And in many cases, the apparition is not a ghost.
They are American history.
