Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21

A Sensational Incident i'm the History
OF the MOnument-The Rape Of the
Stone Attributed to KnOw.NOthings-
Mystery Which Has Never Been
Entirely Cleared Tn.

The Pope of Rome sent a contribution to the
monument in the shape of a slab of rich marble
variegated with veins of pink This slab which
was about three feet long, eighteen inches wide
and SIX inches deep, was placed, with other like
gifts, in a shed lapidarium south Of the
structure, in which most of these stones re-
ce1ved from foreign lands We're stored. The
winter of So3 was quite severe one and work
had not been resumed in March following
Inc day Waterman in the grounds MIR.
George Hilton, and he lived in the house since
occupied as the house. He had a good watch
dog, and besides a regular night Waterman,
Mr. John Stewart, was employed. At this time
the know-nothing party here was "booming"
ana there were large lodges in each OF the wards
OF the city. One of them it was believed, on
account OF the large number OF people seen
going into the stable ut the corner of l3la and
r streets, met in that place. When on the
InofnlnS OF March fifth il was found that the
Pope stone had disappeared il was thought
that the work was planned in that council or
lodge, and persons reputed to belong TO that
councll were looked upon the perpetrators
The report that the stone had been carried
away caused much excitement. and every effort
was made To get clue as To the perpetrators.
W men mo uiry was made it was found that the
watch dog had been poisoned and the night
Waterman
MADE PRISONER
In his box by a long line of rope being passed
around it and securely fastened He was found i'm
this dilemma in the early morning by the day
Waterman. The all-important quest ion was
where had the stone been carried, and what
had become of it. 1t natural that the
know-nothngs should be suspected, and also
to suppose that the council or lodge meeting at
131, and f streets should have done the Job
Indeed, when in a few weeks the following
words were sung on the street. TO the tune of
Jordan am Hard Road to travel the suS-
plclons against the know-nothings We're
strengthened:
ooh, the Pope Of Rome,
He sent stone
To be placed In the monument accordin',
But know-nothngs thought it best
Not to let it rest,
But pitch it on the other side of Jordan"
Rewards We're offered and the police worked
up every clue without success though at one
time they were confident to one or two per-
sons having had q hand in the act, but could
get no tangible evidence against them. Not
outstanding the efforts made from time to
time there never has been any reliable infor1na-
ton obtained. The secret both as to the par
Elephants in the affair and the disposition of
the stone has been well kept. 1t has been stated
variously that the act was committed by Balti-
moreanS, that it was the work of Navy Yard
people and that the men were selected from
several parts of the city, but the statement most
generally received was the following:
HOW THE STONE WAS STOLEN.
Less than a dozen persons. some OF them re-
puted members of the know-nothings COM
posed the party, and they were bound by
pledges not to betray one another. They
started out simply for the purpose of doing
something big, and after midnight they went
to the monument grounds, poisoned the dog,
tied the Waterman in his box, broke open the
shed, placed the stone on hand truck ran it
down a raNlne, southwest of the structure, to
the river shore, where it was placed on a sand
boat. Large spallS of it having been knocked
Off the boat was poled out TO the channel when
the stone was heaved overheard. When the
marauders returned to the shore some Of the
party rolled the truck back and they then sep
arated. Although many attributed the act to
the know-nothing party many persons reputed
to be members of the party disapproved of it
and have always claimed that ii was simply an
attempt of irresponsible parties to do some
thing that would make a noise in the world. If
those who had the credit of this deed were
really the guilty parties there is good reason to
believe that this theory is correct. Some of
those thought to have been in the job soon af
forwards turned out badly. Five Of them were
arrested for crime which sent all but one, who
jumped his bail, to the penitentiary. The re-
puted leader was said to have gone to Texas
and to have assumed another name, under
which he served as field officer in one of Sher-
mans regiments during the war; Another
died in prison, and it is now thought that but
one survivor of the depredating party who sur
wives lives in the District.