The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-06
VANDALS AT WASHINGTON
RELIC HUNTERS DESTROYING MA
TioNAL MONUMENTS.

outrnges Often Inspired by Malicious Mis-.
chicf-rhe Pcncillng Ficnd Gets In IA.
wori-Damage Amounting to over a
Million Dollars.
Vandalism by relic hunters and mali
cious persons who visit Washington has
been carried TO such a destructive point
that measures Of exceptional severity are
to he adopted by the department Of pub
lie buildings and grounds 20 restrain the
evil The damage that has been wan
tonly done in this way within the last ten
years would, If reduced 70 dollars and
cents, mount up 10 "a frightful aggregate
Many who are in n good position TO
judge say that 10 would cost $1,000. 900
to repair only such injuries as are act
ually visible TO the casual observer.
To begin with, as you enter the rotunda
Of the Capitol from the east front. YOU
observe that the beautiful bronze doors.
fac-similes Of the Ghiberti doors at the
baptistry in Florence, have been badly
chcwcd up 10y iconoclastic visitors
These doors cost the United States gov
eminent S2s, 500 At present they would
not be worth anything like that amount
Tho figures on the panels, representing
historical scenes, stand out in high re-
lief, and somebody has found no diff
Guilty IN wrenching away the sword that
Henry VII of England formerly held IN
his hand. Columbus has lost the reins
Of the animal he is riding, and his brother
Bartholomew has also been deprived of
his sword. Balboa's sword has been all
bent out Of shape by some one who was.
presumably, interrupted in an attempt
to twist it off
Two luckless monarchs, King John il
Of Portugal and King Charles VIII, have
both been robbed of their sceptcrs. of
which they now retain only the stumps
Just examples these are Of the mischief
done TO these beautiful gates of bronze
To commit them must have required cx.
ceptonal nerve, situated, as the doors
are Immediately outside the rotunda.
where there is always a man on guard
1t is this latter fact that is accountable
Tor the fortunate circumstance that no
damage whatever has boen done within
the rotunda itself.
Save for the watch kept, the great his.
torical pictures there would have been
all cut to pieces long ago. The heads of
the Father Of his Country and other re-
spectacle characters of American an
tiquity would have been sliced out of
the canvases, merely 70 begin with. For
nothing is sacred to the relic hunter; be
will not hesitate to cabbage red hot
stove, if opportunity offers.
On the right hand side Of the Ghibcrl
doors. as you go in, is a superb colossal
statue of Mars, the god Of war. a van
dial visitor unknbwn broke the end of
his marble sword off, probably by reach
ing over the railing and giving it a sharp
bang with a heavy stick. The "bustcd'
portion has been stuck on again with
glue or something. but the effect is un.
slightly. On the other side of the doors
is a corresponding statue Of Ceres, the
/ goddess of the crops. Her left hand was
smashed of while ago, and so q bunch
of marble olives has been placed in her
grasp 10 hide the break Ouuaces like
these, of course, are often inspired los
malicious mischief, pure and simple
/ But the case is rare Of an individual who
sill destroy property in cold blood. just
for the sake Of destroying. The bulk Of
/ the vandalism is committed by relic
huuters-people without souls. savaees
of civilization. who will not hesitate 30
wipe out in five minutes as much value
as the labor of their lifetime viii pro
duce for the sake Of procuring half
dozen worthless memorabilia.
Such are the persons, doubtless, who
have attacked the magnificent bronze
doors of the east senate front-original
cost, $50, 000-on which, are depicted no
relief scenes in American history. The
guns of the. soldiers at Yorktown have
been wrenched oG-those Of them that
were sufficiently in alto relieve to make
It possible-and the reins of Washing
ton horse, on his journey through Tren-
ton, have disappeared; also the gun IN
he hands of the woman who looks on
upon the combat between the jersey far
mef and the Hessian has lost its barrel
The presidents room has suffered many
times, not only from relic hunters, but
also from malicious destroyers. The
relic hunters have confined themselves
here chiefly to cutting che silken tassels
from the chairs, though now and then
they have sliced piece out Of the hand
some red leather coverings Of the sofas
and occasionally a strip has been cut of
one corner of the costly carpet made es-
pccially to fit the room, just TO remem-
Der the place by afterward. Tassels
however, are the favorite spoil
The guard ventured out Of the room
for less than two minutes one day, and
when he came back three tassels were
gone glimmcring On an average, the
equivalent of full set of new tassels has
TO be put on the chairs each year to re-
place those carried away. Beyond a
doubt this room is the handsomest on
tho American continent Curiously
enough, it is occupied for only one hour
in every twelve months. The president
slways spends the last sixty minutes in
: before Congress adjourns the session,
so that he may sign bills up to the very
stroke of 10 o'clock and save them from
becoming void.
Nothing that money could do to make
the apartment gorgeous has been leftun-
done, and its more than palatial SPLEEN
doris appear to tempt the destroyer5 for
mischiefs sake. At all events the sofas
have been repeatedly ripped from end to
end with knives, and other such wanion
acts of malice have been committed.
The chief damage done in the statuary
room at the Capitol is in the shape OF
lead pencil writings. Potomac marble
of which the great pillars are formed, is
Of cravish effect. with light colored spots
an over It, These spots afford tempting
opportunities for scribblers, who delight
ia writing their names on them, with
t,orious remarks on every conceivable