New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-16
THE BEECHER STATUE.
WILL 1T BE REMOVED FROM ITS PRESENT
POSITION?

ups HEECHER's REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED DE-
SIRE THAT IT SHOULD At LEAST BE ruhNE"
ARoUND-NOTHING DECISIVE YET DONE
The statue of Henry Ward Beecher stu stahus III
front of the Brooklyn City Hall. with lis lace low
ard that venerable structure. and III sp''e VI NV
popular feeling that the position Is not d soou '
,bere seems 70 be no immediate prospect OF d
change. The question OF its removal OF a''e'"''
has been under discussion ever since the STATUE
co, nm and even before-as as the site was se-
lected Many Mr.. Beechers admirers leit 'i"'
his statue should he placed In Prospect farh' anu q
site there was at one time actually decideu o'I ~
terward the Statue Committee determined tna' ~
might more httingy stand in the city nan i"'"'
II WAS then supposed that it would be piace' hea
tho anex of the triangle the northern end OF 'he
mark sosthat people coming into Brooklyn ana APP
proachlng the City Hall would come race W law
with IT, There was much surprise ana dlssa'is'a'
tion when the present site was seec'e"' an" Wv
statue placed. some one described IT, VII" Wv
face toward the city Hall and the back to the
world $3.50,
rhc statue was unveiled Mr.. Heechers pif'n-
dav June a. 1891 Even before that time 'he as'-
tation for its transfer Prospect Iark was o's"'
or in lieu Of that IL felt that II shoui" Al 'iS'
be turned the opposite direction Ns""' '
latter view was brought forward the opinion oil ''
sculptor John g. A. Ward tina, the statue ous"'
20 stand facing the south in order that me hsht
might fall ON IL properly No action was taken "''
after the Columbian celebration IN octope'' i''- ~.
that time the Bcecher statue was decorated anu !"
Illuminated by Colonel William T. Sinn oil the Ia"
rho,,,. who knew Mr. Bcccher well. and thought
that special honor should he paid MN on '"h'
casion v hen all the public and many priVa'e '"'''-
,rcs in the city were decorated. Colonel SIM WI"
f. an amateur with the camera, look Il P"o'os,"'"
Of the statue II appeared aftef u ha' -
DRAINED with flags and flowers placed afoun1 IT, wv
NJ the photographs was sent To Mrs Heeche'' ""o
on November ,. 1892. wrote hcr 'hd'AS -
Sim and his son. and said
..The statue with his back turned on an "'s
friends is a great grief to me. 10" U'"''A'"'
would be If you could use your influence ~ nav "
turned round. facing all who pass by 'h'"" -"
= change. aside from gratifying hundreds "ou''
give a much more satisfactory expression - NV
face and more credit to the arilst.
colonel Sim thereupon set about stirring ny the
,,,,o ,o have a change made in the position 81 the
statue. and a petition signed 10y many w'i-kh'""
ci,izcns WAS presented TO the Mayor ana Aldermen
ON May s. 1894. colonel Sim took the matter up
again and wrote a letter TO Mayor 'cn''''"
Ing IT, NJ.
This letter was followed by another on May D.
u.b., coloncI Sim forwarded to the Mayor lctt,r
lust received 10y him from Mr. lr,ch',, ~ ts,,.,
49, "nh no " she wrote. Il want II turned roun !
facing his friends. At the PARK nGor wo' lno an,
neither shall l. Let mo beg ~ you To use yu' h ~
nucncc to have turned ronnl SO as s. 20 i,fcr
hat The original petition asked 10 hav me statue
- rord that tho Aldermen appointed "A com
49,. -, ,srcrfaIn tho wishes ~ the petitioners
t ,ho, tho Hoard finally passed a resolution u
,i,re the statue In Prospect Park . -, ,.r
pr,' a., ~ - in. matter stands to-day AFTER
CO.,, ,.,rs or more Of agitation. colonel Sinh M
wv" a., his interest and expresses his willingness
mr. a. start a subscription TO dciray IN" COST ~
,hc nrsuosed change. or 10 give b'hcnt q. W.,
tnrt Theatre AFTER the holidays for the purpos. 81
.,tst,c IN. money. Whether any prhctlohl SL'I9
,,,i Is tskon - alter the pose 81 the S'a'l' ~ J."
transfer it to a ncw site seems 10 Dc S'"''""''
doubi ful.