Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-27
| TABLET IN HER HONOR,
One to Be Placed in ST. PauTs
Church 10 Miss Winnie,
VES1RY GIVES ITS CONSENT.
The Memorial to Be Near the Window
to Her BelOYed Father.
THOUSANDS VISIT HER GRAVE.
Many Garry Pretty Flowers-Tender
AIiusion to the Deceased by DR..
Carmichae1-Why Her Engagement
Was Broken.
Many Carry Pretty FIowers-Tender
Was Broken.

At the regular monthly meeting Of the
vestry OF st. Paul's church. held last
night, permission was granted for the
erection OF bronze tablet as a memorial
to Miss Winnie Davis. "the Daughter of
the Confederacy."
The request came from Mrs. George
Ross, who was so successful In raising
funds for the window lately placed in the
church to the memory Of President Davis
Mrs. Ross asked first of all for two
wlndows-one TO be dedicated shortly to
the memory Of Miss Winnie Davis and
,he other to Mrs. Davis when the time
shall come. If this were not feasible
Mrs. Ross asked that permission should
be granted for the erection of bronze
tablet to Miss Winnie.
DECIDE UPON THE TABLET.
The matter was discussed at length
and it was decided to lay the request upon
the table as far as the reservation of a
window to be hereafter dedicated to the
memory of Mrs. Davis Is concerned, and
to grant permission for the erection Of a
bronze tablet to Miss Winnie Davis. 1t
was further determined that the tablet
should be placed on the left of the Davis
window.
The plans for raising the necessary
funds for the memorial have not been
fully matured as yet, but the movement
will be set on foot at once, and the same
system will probably be followed as was
attended with such happy results in the
case OF the Davis window-that is, the
matter will be turned over to an execu-
ladies In the city.
As far as possible IL IS desired TO make
the memorial a tribute from the solid
South. and not the slightest difficulty is
anticipated in securing the necessary
subscription.
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.
Rev. DR.. Hartley Carmichael, rector of
st. Paul's, who officiated at the funeral
of Miss Davis last Friday, preached Sun
day morning on the raising of Jairus's
daughter. He made a brief but touching
allusion TO the sad event Of the extin-
gushing of a bright light in the fulness
OF her womanhood. He spoke OF the
mother, who had lost the prop and stay
Of her old age.
what can we say?' he asked, and,
continuing, said: 1--WE can consign the
mother to the Father of all. We can hope
ourselves amidst all the changes and
OH Of al Ia
We may attain to things eternal"
1t is estimated that forty or fifty thou
sand people Visited the grave Of Miss
Winnie Davis on Sunday, and many more
went out yesterday. The ropes are still
stretched around the section, and a
guard is kept about II during the day 10
keep the people outside. Many of the
visitors have carried flowers, which have
been placed near the grave, which Is be-
ginning to assume the appearance OF
huge hillock Of roses, carnations, and
lilies of the valley
Why the Engagement Was Broken.
One of the most entertaining features
of Sundays New York Herald was an
illustrated page article on Miss Winnie
Davis. Among other things, the Herald
undertakes to give the real reason why
the engagement between Miss Winnie
and Mr.. Alfred Wilkinson of Syracuse,
n. Y, was broken i'm 1880. \ writer in
the Chicago Post is quoted as saying:
"There was something of the romantic
I'm the meeting between Miss Davis and
Mr.. Wilkinson. He was the grandson
of an abolitlonist of the most severe type.
n man who did much TO make that cause
nonular in the North. Grandson and
orandfather visited the battle-fields OF the
late war in the seventies and stumbled
on 10 the retired house, 'Beauvoir.' where
Miss Davis spent her early years. The
old man was demented from GRIEF over
tho loss of his favorite daughter, who
died while he was in the army. and he
nersisted in searching for the girl
throughout the South, refusing TO be-
Iieve her dead. He declared that Miss
Davis was his lost Elsie, and when the
Young man explained the hallucinaton,
N,es Davis took the old mans hands and
said: Father, / am dead ana lying De-
eide the church in Virginia. Good-py.
want YOU to go back and care for my
grave ,, A.. .. a.,
,s,a- and ne went home in peace. From
mat meeting the friendship between the
- man and woman ripened into
Inner feeling. and in 1850 1t was an
nounced that they would pe married
soon."
NIP WILKINsoN'S EXPLANATION.
The Herald continues:
why did Miss Davis break her engage
,,srt9 Here is what young Wilkinson.
,he syracuse lawyer. said in a card writ
ten October H. lsS:
"What is said by Miss Davis is. OF
,o,rea correct in every particular, but
,here are some suggestions (at the end Of
- nrtnted report from New York; to be
arswered. She broke her engagement for
.,a-sonal reasons only, and II Is ridicu-
,",s "a suppose Mat political or financial
roasons had anything TO do with 1t. Miss
- RS known for a year or two. II not
,o,asr that I was poor. and within the
,on, ,ons year NV circumstances have much
,.sn,oved. The burning OF our house,
.nn,,eh ,,,p a serious loss. had nothing 10 do
',.,,h her decision. for she had decided to
,nnn,,nate WIZ. our engagement before that
vannaned. ss,,,d when a lady decides 10 break
har har' engagement. the gentleman has no.
hing 10 do but submit. and l feel that
smv my inquiry into Miss Davis's motives Is
impairment" aoyry