Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-01
STUART MONUMENT.
The Question Of the Broad Street and
Brook Avenue Site.
Mn. EMANUEL RAnBs STATEMENT.
He Considers the City'x Action
Amounts TO n Contract with Him
Position of the Veteran Cavalry
what Mr.. Meredith Says.

IL
tested in what may be termed the
complication growing out Of the action
Of the City Council in ordering the
purchase for site for the Stuart
monument OF the triangular plot OF
around at the intersection Of Broad street
and Brook avenue.
1t will be remembered that short
while ago the members of the camps ana
other veterans began TO agitate the reso-
luton passed by the Council I'm 1854,
committing the city 20 the erection OF
a monument TO General J. II. y. stuart.
Soon afterwards the Council transferred
10 the Stuart monument fund the bal
ance OF the City-Hall building fund,
amounting to $1,000 and directed the
Committee on Grounds and buildings TO
purchase with II the plot above men
toned as site for the monument In
the mean time. however, committee
Of the veteran Cavalry Association went
before the Grounds and Building Com
rnit,ee and requested that body TO delay
action until they could urge the Coun-
Gil 10 rescind their order and transfer
the sO.7lo to the associations fund or
erecting a monument. This I've '"c""js
and Building Committee cons. tei - A.
and there. for the present, he -aStts7
rests.
MR.. RABB INTERVIEWED.
Mr.. Emanuel Rabb. who -
property in question. was seen b.. -
patch reporter yesterday and a'3ed e
give a history Of the transaction as far
the status Of tha matter. In reply. Mr..
Rabb said that some four or five months
EGO he offered the property TO the city
az cost. through Mr.. T.. ID. Starke. who
is member Of the Council Mr.. Starke
submitted the proposition to the Finance
Committee. and that committee reported
f.vorably upon II. The proposition
,sen came before the Common Council.
ord Of the twenty-six members present
fwcnty-two voted for II. and when n
was laid before the Board OF Aldermen
fourteen members out Of the fun BODY oil
eighteen present endorsed it. The action
OF the Council was then. after fun con-
sidcration. approved by The Mayor ana
le (Air. Rabbi was notified, TO take MS
deed and abstract 10 City-Attorney Mere
G.th I'm order that that official might eX-
anime the title.
CONTINUING. Mr.. RaoN said that two
or three days later he was Informed thnt
"A committee OF gentlemen had waited
on the Grounds and Building Committee
and asked the latter body to stop the
examination of the title.
CONSIDERS IT A CONTRACT.
When asked If he considered that the
action Of the Council amounted to
contract with him Alr R0bb replied
cmphJticaily i'm the affirmative. and
stated that he had employed counsel TO
enforce the contract in case the CITY
was disposed 10 give him trouble about
1hc matter He knew the city was
morally. and he believed 1t was legally
hound 10 take the property from him
The fact that he had offered the plot
to the city had been known TO the pub
lie for months. yet no objection was
urged TO the purchase until the last
moment.
Nj. rabbi said further that he did not
believe the Council would vote TO rcscind
their action. lie would not, he
added. have sold the property 10 an
individual Hc had heard ever since he
came 20 Richmond that the city wanted
the lot. and mis- object was to sell II to
Il purchaser that would so improve II
as 20 benefit neighboring property. lie
had understood that years ago the city
desired 10 purchase the lot, but the
owners wanted $1,000 for IT.
CAPTAIN SYDNOR'S STATEMENT.
I.
OF the Executive Committee Of the We
tcrau Cavalry Association, and who
has taken a very active part in the
movement for Stuart monument,
said. when asked 10 give the assOcla-
tons side OF the question, that the
members Of the association here were
unanimously opposed TO the Brook-aye-
nue. and Broad-street site. An eques-
iriau statue at that point could not be
Fecn half block of. He supposed the
Council. In the action they had taken,
were under the impression that the yete-
ran cavalry were in favor of the
site. and that If the association were
assisted TO the extent Of the purchase
Of the lot they would quickly raise the
funds necessary for the erection Of the
statue.
When asked If he thought the Council
would rescnd their action Captain sgd
nor said he thought they would lie
believed that so soon as IL was shown
the city fathers that the veteran cavalry
dil not endorse their course they would
comply with the wishes of the associa-
iion and appropriate the money To the
general monument fund. The request
that the money be thus appropriated
would be formally made Of the Council
at the first meeting Of that body this
month.
In reply TO the question where the as
Socldton proposed 10 erect tne monument,
Captain Sydnor said:
I'VE have selected no spot. and do
not think 1t wise 10 do so at present:
but let me say this much: 1t will be
where our beloved chief viii have space
10 draw his sabre. and room enough for
his horse TO charge. and where the boys
who rode with him can see the statue
Of their beloved commander without hav-
Ing 10 get in fifty yards of it,"
b4r off1bE IA no
Executive Committee Of the association,
said that the association objected 10 the
purchase Of the site in question because
they saw no reason for wasting money
for "A site when one could be secured for
nothing. and the amount appropriated
by the Council could be made available
for erecting the statue.
Mr.. G. V. Meredith, City Attorney,
when approached regarding the city's
obligation in the premises. said he had
told others who had preached the sub
Ject to him that he did not consider that
a contract had been made.
RATHER 4 SAD CASE.