New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-21
THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED.
LENOX HEIRS DISAPPROVE THE STATE
MENT MADE BY THE MIS-
SION BOARDS
MISS RACHEL. KENNEDY EXPLAINS WHY no
LEGAL. STEPS WERE TAKEN TO INSURE
"LENOX HALL" BEING KEPT BY THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

'IENOX HALL" BEING KEPT by THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The statement Of the boards OF Home and FOREIGN
Missions of the Presbyterian Church, which was
tublishcd in The Tribune. regard to the proposed
sale Of the I.enox property at Ffth-ave. andTweth-
ST, and which caused so much discussion among
Presbytcrians. has proved anything Dun sa'"acto'H
10 the relatives and large number OF the itleHcs
Of the i.enox and Kennedy families. Letters nave
poured in on Miss Rachel l.. Kennedy. the nearest
relative Of the late James Lenox. from PresDy-
terians all over the country, adding theT uisap-
prevail to hers Of the course adopted py tHe wv
boards Miss Kennedy inherited Il large portion or
the Lenox and Kennedy estates. and was party
To the sale of the property to the two boards
Miss Kennedy made the following statement 10
n Tribune reporter at her home, No. 81 Fifth-aVe.'
Yesterday concerning the statement MADE by the
boards:
"rrhe statement Of the boards evades the core OF
the whole matter There is no charge maue as ~
,ho,r violation of any expressed conditions In req
erence 10 the holding of the property or any ois-
reoor, on their part Of letter of any legal con-
,coct But there are certain CONSIDERATIONS sohle-
times regarded as even more rigidly bindihg 'han '
pol technicallties. which they utterly ignore "i
The transfer OF the present property occurre" uie
ossumpton that the boards had obtained permit
mont headquarters, TO be cndurlnGy asSoc'"''"
ui.b q conspcuously generous benefactor or mis-
sions was so confident and universal that the ''e"
of any explicit conditions was not lot Hoii'i''
entertained It's entire absence is. In fse'l' 'nc
most significant Indication OF the strehs'h Oh 'e'
,nc which prevailed at the time OF the o'iTi''''
.,o,sfcr and which, apparently, made the bare Sus-
reston OF legal limitations an uncalled ior super
fluffy. -. .,o
time when the residence Of Mr.. LenoX was !iei''u
by his heirs 1t had been remo'eiE hi'''u 'I'"s ''
nr,hnsers designed TO occupy It merely as
Temporary lodging house until more conne d.,
quarters could be obtained the Dos o b ,u at
10 c"rnor of Fifth-ave. and Twelith-st. l. my :
sscrcej TO- he affair had l not distinctly unai i1r
stool that the property was TO remain h i,'
~ .o''c sentiments OF Robert LenoX Kennedy M,h
reference to such scheme can De fn".,iey ,ettor
sr bN widow written when she heard Of the
scheme in which the boards have become en-"
rhc proposed sale Of NGg 50 and s. ta Tnq and
is great wrong both to tnf lenoH cb%rch TIE
Let az of Mr. Kennedy TO secure that pToI1
crty Tor the vs. OF the Pres5y era hundsrsaiinc
~ /, should be kept for the boards OF the chuICd
T. ,sas sold at a low price with that end IN NtW.
-, "a ,,reotiv pleased with the fact that IL Was
eli arranged and settled ana spoke OFTEN vi -
on his last Journey to Europe. -, o,,x.o
Oh .Th M tn feeling OF objection TO the course
Of t6e boards in this matter con Td1 eens, OF
Kennedy is not confined to natural S' us VIZ
injury in the breasts of those nearest aKn 10 t
I.cnox. bit pervades Wile clrcie Oi lrIv eb0,n
in letters from the Rev DIR. Gosnan ana &c, o''Tr o
elected by The Tribunes references 70 ~. ,irnv,
posed sale OF the LenoX property ieltrr , afoI
me protesting against the sale was MAJ ,,,h
al least one Of the boards previous to thel quo %
Ushed statement. But II ought IN all Harness. "
he said that there were parties keeniy lntefestes
within easy access from the meeting rooms VI
The boards. who could have scarcely beeh o'ci-
looked without a mental effort, who were n0t a.
forded any opportunity for expressing the.r
In view OF the laid upon the oVerpo"eii =,
business advantages which dictate this move, ~ ~
a curious fact that the Finance Committee OF ihe
Ioraign Mission Board presumably selected be
cause OF business ability reported as uiiil n h
yersev 10 the proposition. and were overrulcu ny
The voice of the boards Several of the signatures
TO the statement of the boards are OF those VINO h
hogan service subsequently to the occupancy OF tne
present building and therefore only convershii.
with the facts by hearsay, and have presuiitsp III!
NO PERSONAL interest in feelings which cluster about
the personality OF those who had passed away
prior TO their entrance upon ONCE.