The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-26
ANN IOHuAN's CRAZE
80 Many Visitors that the Grass IL Worn
Away about the Mound.


In neglected lot on the north side Of the
Second avenue OF Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at
Tarrytown. about hundred yards cast of tho
main entrance. on the road leading 10 Sing Sing
r. the grave OF the notorious Ann Lehman. bet
ter known as Madam Rcstell. The lot. which
does not contain n tree or shrub Of any sort. Is
irregular in shape. lis twenty feet Of depth at
its western bounlar diminishing to twelve or
fourteen Mt its cnsterly end II has n frontage
OF perhaps the larger figure on the avenue.
Squire posts Of rough hcwn stone. connected by
rusty iron chains. serve as "a fence for the LOT.
The chains between the middle posts In front
ara broken down. and lie troddcn lit TO the
ground. They were so broken to allow the en-
trance Of Madam Rcstel's coffin, and have
not been restored. In the ccntrc OF the lot Is
an oblong pedestal Of white marble. surmounted
by a glass case. enclosed with marble top and
corners. In the casc is the undrapod figure Of
n sleeping infant cut in marble. Tho right hnnd
and arm arc used for II pillow. on winch the
head reposcs. with the face turned toward the
avenue. Tho left arm IL thrown across the
breast. One leg carclpssy crosses the other.
The figure il about two feet long, AMI the. ro-
ceptacle ia large enough and Wide enough TO
feet from the ground. and you can Inspect the
ngure without much STOPPING. but the glass Is
$40 da nm VIII dgss ana IST otnna 'o
Immediately under the figure ON the side FAC
INK the avenue are the lines:
Hush tread light child Is sleeping,
Her life on car,h is orr;
She sleeps to weep more
On the reverse side il the inscription:
Erected to the memory Of Frances Annie daughter o.
Fcb /, 1859
At the end toward the west is tho additional
% 1853 '''''''
Except that the glass porto. is so clonded as
not to be transparent. tho monument has the
appearance OF bong constantly cared Tor. the
marble being romHrkably white and well pre-
served. Notwithstanding its exposure to the
weather for more than twenty years.
In striking contrast to the condition OF the
monument is the appearance u the lot itself;
has evidently never known the scNthe. Only ~
patches does 1t attain 10 any length. for in all
directions IT is trampled down aud worn away
10y the tread Of many feet. Unlike the bright
green turf Of the surrounding enclosures. il II
dingy IN color. and verywhrrc tho yellow sand
shines through It's scattered roots. To COM
pete the look Of neglect the leaves of a dugwUod
trec on lot near 10y wniten the ground
The grass il the most worn away between two
graves which lie lcngthwse with the heads to-
ward the avenue Immediately IA front ~ the
monument Of the Purdy children. There. only
that II Ann lohman. Tn" other il her hus-
bands. ~ stone or inscription serves To- dis
or to tell which Is the head and which II the
foot OF either. Although raised the lHter. the
mound over Mrs Lohman's grave Is more
sunken than It's companion, and the turf has an
older look.
The neglected lot with its two stonel'ss graves
and single monument Is moro visited than any
other enclosure in Sleepy Hollow Cem"tery.
The ilrSt inquiry that visitors make l.. Where
is Madam R,sicli's grave 2; and more persons
come to soc It than visit the former place Of
pilgrimage where Washington Irving IL buried.
II Is estimated that nearly a hundred persons n
week have visited the Lehman lot since Madam
Eesteli- burial there the first week in April.
The visitors. small majority 81 whom only are
women, are well dressed. They are mainly
from the surrounding towns OF Ncwhurgh. Sing
Sing. and other lkldson river hamlets.
Before Mrs Lohmans grave was covered
with turf. some of the visitors took away
a handful or more Of the sandy soil Of which
the mound is made. This was done to "A SUM-
cient oNtrnt To account almost for is diminish
ed s1e as compared with its companion. 1t
WAS also the act ~ relic hunters. dressed richly
and protesting % be- persons OF social consc-
quence. Few Of the visitors 20 away without
calling attention To the malapprOpriateness Of
the figure Of an infant forming the only monu-
ment in the burial yard OF Madam Restell
which the grascdigger explains is that Of her
lob