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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2018)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JUNE 13, 2018 • 8A Off -Beat Oregon: The notorious White Eagle Saloon By Finn John Special to The Sentinel T he White Eagle Saloon on Russell Street in east Portland has its share of colorful rumors and claims of ghostly presences. Th ere was a bordello upstairs, one claims. An opium den in the basement, whispers anoth- er. Oh, and see that doorway there, the one that looks like the lid of a coal chute? Th at’s a secret shanghaiing tunnel to the waterfront. Shh — did you hear that? A soft ghostly step from the spirit of a murdered hooker on the sec-ond fl oor — and the toilet at the end of the hall just fl ushed itself! All of this, of course, is straight hokum. Fun hokum, but hokum just the same. But the most interesting sto- ry about the White Eagle is ab- solutely true, and serious as a heart attack. It attracted nation- wide at-tention to Portland in general and the White Eagle in particular — and not the good kind of attention, either — and possibly, if not probably, in- volved international espionage. Th e case came to the atten- tion of the Portland public on June 20, 1906, when they opened their newspapers to a story headlined “MARKED FOR DEATH.” It seemed that a Polish gen- tleman named Henry Lopasky had gone to the police in a great state of alarm. He had, he said, just been given 72 hours’ notice of his upcoming assassination. A committee of three anar- chists from the cell based at the White Eagle Saloon (or, more specifi cally, at the meeting-hall on its second fl oor) had in- formed him that “in three days he would be killed like a rat,” as the Oregonian put it, “and that there was no way in which he could avoid his end.” Lopasky apparently intend- ed to spend his last 72 hours making as much trouble for the Polish expatriates of Port- land as he possibly could. So he proceeded to spill some seriously alarming dope on the White Eagle regulars: Not only were they pistol-waving, bomb-throwing anarchists, but they had actually formed a plan to assas-sinate President Th eodore Roosevelt — had actually picked a trig-ger man and raised funds to send him to Washington to do the job. Th e next day in court, Lo- pasky was joined by a fellow Pole named Walter Sealazck- iwicz, who claimed he’d gone to a Polish National Alliance meeting at the White Eagle on June 17 and been assaulted and had his watch stolen. Seala- zckiwicz had then gone to the po-lice, who had raided the White Eagle and arrested sev- eral “anar-chists.” At the hear- stripped of his rank and ex- ing, Sealazckiwicz also testifi ed pelled from membership over that a num-ber of the arrestees disagreements about activism were known anarchist activists tactics. who had trav-eled to Portland Aft er that, the story faded to help make trouble. And he quickly away. Th e federal Se- reaffi rmed Lopasky’s claim that cret Service agent, although he the PNA had planned to send claimed to stand by his story of an assassin — a fellow named danger and anarchy, consistent- John Przywara — to kill the ly refused to release any of the president. evidence he’d seized from the All of this must have seemed raid on the White Eagle, imply- very confusing to the average ing that it was too terrible and Port-lander, reading the in- seditious for the public to be creasingly strident coverage exposed to it. No one seems to about it in the newspapers. It have bought that, but it served had been less than three weeks as a cover story for him, en- since an anarchist had tried and abling him to save face while failed to kill the king and queen everyone got busy forgetting of Spain by chucking a bomb the whole thing had ever hap- at them aft er their wedding, pened. spattering the queen’s wedding Today, of course, the White dress with blood from the 65 Eagle Saloon is one of the Mc- innocent bystanders injured or Menamins properties, and it’s killed in the blast. Anarchism one of the oldest taverns still in was very much on the public’s operation in Portland. One can mind. sit at its gorgeous antique bar Three of the men involved in the rumored anarchy-and-Presidential-assassination scheme and nurse a glass of Hammer- And Portland’s Polish “anar- chists” at the White Eagle had headquartered in the White Eagle Tavern, as drawn by the Portland Journal’s staff artist for head knowing that one is sit- now come to the attention not the June 22, 1906, issue.(Image: UO Libraries) ting in the establish-ment that, just of Portlanders, but of the welcome addition to the Amer- situation spiral out of control ETY NOT ANARCHISTIC,” for two wild and hectic weeks entire country: in the June 23 ican Catholic church, which (with a great deal of help from the headline read, adding, 115 years ago, was known as issue of McClure’s Magazine, had public-relations problems an overzealous agent of the U.S. “ARE MERELY SOCIALISTS.” the hottest hot spot in the na- the “muckraking” magazine of its own at the time — half the Secret Service), talked his edi- Th e article also made Lopas- tion for the forces of terror and famous for its brutal exposés of country regarded Catholics as tor into letting him go down to ki’s status as a suspected Rus- anarchy. the Standard Oil and U.S. Steel inherently seditious, since their the White Eagle to get the story sian spy clear and also pointed With a story like that, who trusts, Portland was called out primary loyalty was (their crit- straight. out, for the fi rst time in print needs a bunch of made-up as “becoming one of the worst ics charged) to the Pope rather Th e resulting article, which (so far as I have found), that bunk about ghostly prostitutes centers of anarchy of Russian than to their country. So there was also run in the Evening Sealazckiwicz was the former and spooky toilet-fl ushings? origin, producing a plot to kill was already great ten-sion in Telegram, was like oil on trou- president of the group he was the president late in May of this the Polish-American commu- bled waters. “POLISH SOCI- denouncing — having been year.” nity between assimilators and To understand what was refugees. happening in Portland during Th ere was also clear evidence that hectic month, a little his- that Czarist Russia was taking tory is needed. Th e nation of a strong interest in the refugee Poland, in 1906, existed only communities, and had agents in the hearts and minds of its provocateur in the fi eld work- patriots. Th e country itself had ing to exploit those diff erences. been carved up like a Christ- And there’s pretty good rea- mas ham in 1795 and annexed son to suspect that Lopaski — into the empires of Russia, he of the “you’re dead in three Austria-Hungary, and Prussia. days” claim — was just such In the Russian portion, things an agent. According to the got especially ugly, as the czar Chicago Polish community’s pursued policies that basically magnifi cently-named newspa- amounted to a war on Polish per Robotnik (Polish for “Th e Our Lady of Perpetual Help DRAIN: Delight Valley culture and identity — confi s- Worker”), Lopaski had been and St. Philip Benizi HOPE U.M.C. Church of Christ cations of property, closure of the skipper of a Russian torpe- Catholic Churches 131 W “A” St. Drain, OR 33087 Saginaw Rd. East 1025 N. 19th St. 541-315-1617 541-942-7711 universities, forced Russifi ca- do boat captured by the Japa- 541-942-3420 Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen Pastor: Bob Friend tion in primary schools, forced nese during the Russo-Japanese Father: Joseph Hung Nguyen Fellowship & Song: 11:30am Two Services: military service, and so forth. War, and was a well known Holy Mass: Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm 9am - Classic in the Chapel Th e result was that many of agent of the Russian secret po- Tue-Thu: 8:30am; Sat:5:30pm Worship: 12:30pm 10:30am - Contemporary in the Sun: 10:30am Auditorium the Poles in America were not lice. Confession: After daily mass, COTTAGE GROVE: immi-grants, but refugees. Th ey All of which seems to have Sat. 4-5pm or by appointment 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ First Baptist Church had no interest in assimilating been of considerable interest to St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242 552 Holbrock Lane Pastor: Aaron Earlywine Interim Pastor: Reed Webster and becoming Americans; they a certain reporter at the Morn- 541-895-8686, Sunday: 8:30am Summer Service: 9:30 am Sunday School 9:30am needed a place to hang their ing Oregonian. Th e paper nev- Christian Education: Worship Service 11:00am hats and earn an honest living er mentions his name, but iden- St. Andrews Episcopal Church Pre-K through 5th Youth Wednesday 6:30pm 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 www.6thandgibbs.com cgfi rstbaptist.com while making plans to take tifi es him as having been born Rev. Lawrence Crumb their country back. and raised in Russian Poland. “Church with the fl ags.” Calvary Baptist Church First Presbyterian Church Th is made them a very un- Th is reporter, watching the Worship: Sunday 10:30am 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 3rd and Adams St Worship Directory Ultimate Hawaii Save up to $ Tour with Pearl Harbor Experience per couple 900 Departs weekly year-round 13 days from $ 1,799 * Promo code N7017 TM 1-866-881-0353 *Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus $ 299 taxes & fees. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 7/31/18. Other terms and conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details. The Oregon Insurance Lady Presents the 2018 Classes for "Medicare Made Clear" Join Merrie M (Kim) Kelly, CLTC at one of her FREE Educational Sessions. Learn about Medicare A & B, Part D prescription drugs, the coverage gap, as well as the diff erence between Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Supplements. All sessions are Wednesday starting at 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. • June: 6th and 20th • August: 1st and 15th • September: 5th and 19th Th e Syman-Degler Building, 1163 Olive St., Eugene, Or 97401 (Across from the new Hilton, dark green 2 story building, set back from the street. Next to Olive Plaza. Free parking right in front. Look for the 80' Cedar tree and pull in there. If spaces are full, there is overfl ow parking underneath the building.) Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm 541-942-4479 Pastor: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am www.cgpresbynews.com Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove 1447 Hwy 99 (Village Plaza) 541-942-6842 Pastor: Jeff Smith Two Services on Sun: 9am & 10:45am Youth Group Bible Study Child Care 10:45am Service Only www.cgcalvary.org Hope In The Grove 700 E. Gibbs • 401-855-5668 Pastor: Wayne Husk Sunday services: Worship: 9am Coffee Fellowship: 10:15am Bible Study: 10:30am Center for Spiritual Living 700 Gibbs Ave. (Community Center) Rev. Bobby Lee Meets Sunday 3:00 p.m. cslcottagegrove@gmail.com Church of Christ 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Service: 10:30am Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771 Pastor:Bob Singer Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Service: 10:00am Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church 100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061 Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” All Welcome Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 Trinity Lutheran Church 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Pastor: James L. Markus Sunday School & Adult Education 9:15am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur 5:00pm TLC Groups tlccg.com United Methodist Church 334 Washington • 541-942-3033 Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen Worship: 10:30am Comm. Dinner (Adults $5, Living Faith Assembly Kids Free) 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a 1st & 3rd Monday 5-6:00pm Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all ages umcgrove.org welcome) “VICTORY” Country Church Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Pastor: Barbara Dockery Non-Denominational Worship Service: 10:00am Church of Christ Message: “WE BELIEVE IN 1041 Pennoyer Ave MIRACLES” 541-942-8928 Preacher: Tony Martin CRESWELL: Sunday Bible Study:10:00am Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm Creswell Presbyterian Church 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 www.pennoyeravecoc.com Rev. Seth Wheeler Adult Sunday School 9:15am Old Time Gospel Fellowship Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 website www.creswellpres.org Pastor: Jim Edwards Sunday Service: 10:00am Join in Traditional Christian Worship Worship With Us! Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature o in the newspaper. If your congregation PLEASE RSVP-SEATING IS LIMITED! would like to be a part of this directory, CALL: 541-222-9020 or EMAIL: kim@oregoninsurancelady.com For accommodation of persons with special needs, please call Kim at 541-222-9020. Please note these sessions are educational only and do not include information of specifi c carriers or plans. 1163 Olive St., Suite 300 Eugene, OR 97401 541-222-9020 • www.oregoninsurancelady.com please contact the Cottage Grove Sentinel @ 541-942-3325
