New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-02
THE ANDRE MONUMENT.

The Andre monument at Tappan was again, and
for the third time, attacked on Friday night. An
evident attempt made to disodge and overturn
the shaft from the shattered remains of the base.
which had already become fragmentary and in
secure to be inadequate to its sup
port. Whether it was the work of
men trying to complete what the nitro-glycerne
conspirators left unfinished, or simply the oper-
atiOns of thoughtless relic hunters is not known
The only thing that supports the shaft in an up
right position is large piece Of the base at the
northeast corner and, diagonally across at the
southeast corner, two fragments of the base both
together less than foot square. As it
now stands the shaft looks rs though an able
boiled boy could toppe it over; man with
crowbar could do so without difficulty.
While the attempt on Friday night was as silent
that of the preceding night was noisy it gave re-
newed proof that there persons who will not rest
satisfied till the entire monument is a hopeless ruin.
The indications are that those who engaged in
removing the debris for the purpose of undermining
the shaft were interrupted at their task and is sup
posed that the work Will be resumed and completed
at the first convenient opportunity Even the largest
fragments the broken base, weighing from fifty to
one hundred pounds each, had been removed from
the places where they had been thrown by the eXplo
sion, and were found yesterday close TO the iron
fence. David o. Storms, who lives close to the
monument, said to TRIBUNE reporter yesterday:
Blasted, If don't hate to talk about the thing
any more. It's disgrace to everybody, Rock
land County on top o the heap. No, Pm
not an agent of Mr. Field he continued, land |
hant heard from him ince the blow-up: but hate
TO a mans property deSt royed like this | live
here, and ! have bOarIerS in the summer, and
don't like il. 'Iaint square. Cy Fields didn't
mean no disrespect by it, There amt nothin' onto
thsf gfn hot IA nll
make about. All it shows is whore
Andre was hung mp. Eve kept folks
from carrying off the stones. tell 'cm faint theirs,
and shat want things left just they was
that the reporters can sec how twas, and get ii
right. There amt nobody here as represents Mr.
Fields rs I've sccn--nObodv-and say if he wants
his property prOtec ed he'd better mp and look
after il himself"
"What do your neghbors generally think about
these attacks on the monument asked the re-
d" We don't have to do the thinking You news
paper fcllers think for usal have to do is the
reading"
" Is your house well insuredW
" The house is all right. What want is plenty
Of insurance on my head"
A large crowd of students from Rockland College,
at Nyack, six miles distant, visited the monument
yesterday morning. and carried away pockets
loaded and arms filed with fragments of the base
as relies. suspicious persons the COM
mon topic OF conversation among the resi-
dents Of the village Doubtless, however,
all strangers in country hamlet at this season of
"a Communistic-looldng man." a. he was described
to HE TRIBUNE reporter, arrived on the LILO a.
IN. train from the city, asked his way TO the mOnu-
ment, visited It, and took the next train to the city.
He excited particular comment by walking
straight along the street without looking at any
body or any thing" and by common consent was set
down as a cO-conspiratOr with the Irshman des-
cThed in He TRIBUNE yesterday who took to his
heels when he saw the small knot Of men about the
monument.
Famer Northrup one of the most respected cti-
zens Of the place, III discussing the monument and
the attempts to destroy it, said: There's not a
person around here that's got thing agIn' IT. It's
The outside people-and what business is it of
theirs It's the property of Mr. Field he pays
taxes on It: yes, sir, and school taxes, tool Ii was
harm anybody. never saw Mr. Field but once. He
told he intended to make park of his land
building. lie said he would give it TO the Rock
land Comfy Historical Society, but | guess he
won't do 1t now. Mr.. Field is perfectly fair He
didn't put up the monument to honor Andre, but
only TO mark the spot. lie has said 70 the people
who complain that he'll put up a monument to
Nathan Hale If they'll furnish the right spot"
l.. T. Gregory, proprietor OF the little hotel with
the quaint swinging sign that contains dim but |
historical head of George Washington said that he
drove the stake III 1879, to mark the spot where
Andre was hanged
" How did they determine the exact spot p asked |
the reporter.
years OF age, To identify IT. One of them had "A |
piece OF the headb0ard of Andres grave which he |
had kept since so, when the body eXhuIned. |
Iapp2n has the same streets and the same houses as
when " aShingtOn had hi, headquarters there. a |
selt-respecg resident of the village would 10
live built i'll the nineteenth century. The |
result Is picturesque place and no less picturesque
people. In the man street is the house. now crumb-
ing to decav where Andre spent the two DAYS of |
confinement preceding his death. Midway between |
the railroad station and Mr. GregOrys hotel, the |
south side of the ROAD, is the building where Wash
ington he'd his headquarters, small stone |
solid In every part. aud now doing |
duty part of larger and more modern house, at
present the nome OF the village pedagOgue In such
4 place and amid such surroundings it is not |
strange that nitro-glycerne seems absurdly out of
place One citizen thought that at least they ought
TO leave the final demolition of the monument for
the Fourth of July, while another suggested that II
MIR. Field wanted to keep monument there he
would be obliged to hire standing army.
Mr.. Field received his first information OF the |
latest vandalism in connection with the Andre mon
ument from TRIBUNE reporter. " 50 they've been |
there again. he exclaimed and requested to be told
ali about II. The reporter described in detail the |
work done Oh Friday night and the condition of the |
shaft.
. ii looks as though they mean to finish the job,
doesn't it |" asked Mr. Field. The reporter admitted
What do you think had better u" was the
next question: he reporter mOdeSty suggested
that he did not call to advise Mr.. Field.
" How do the people up there feel about IT q the
latter asked. In reply the reporter gave the sub
stance Of his interviews with Mr. Northrup, Mr.
,ral citizens had expressed the opinion that the |
monument was not put up IN honor OF Andre. but
simply TO marx an historian spot, MI. fleIu sdlu |
mats II, SNactIy. dldn pun up me monument |
o honor Andre any moro than | did 10 honor you. |
gave the largest sum towards the monument TO
mark the place where he was captured, and two
,cars ago wrote letter Offering 10 put up mOnu-
nent to Nathan Hale What inducenent have Inow |
o put up that or any other monument I'd no idea
hat the monument TO Andre could arouse objection
rom any one / he inscription speaks of HIM as
the spy They might well pull down stone
,ut up TO commemorate the spot where Lee surren-
tered to Grant OH the ground that Lee was rebel.
his thing will certainly put stop to the erection
# other historical monuments. put up this stone
simply to Obhge Dean stanley He had great
ondneAs for all places and objects OF historical in
crest. When he came to visit me at lrvingtOn he
rove TO the spot where Andre was captured
nd to the graveyard before We went to the house.
yne day, willie he was up there after dinner, he |
thnt he rvnnd Ike a Ihn nIcA w hnre