Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-12
GRAVE OF JOHN PAUL JONES
Researches in Paris Supposed to Have
Located Resting Place of Amer
lean Commodore.

Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing CO..
LONDON, Nov. 11.-(New York World
Cablegram-Specia Telegram. )-Some time
age the State department at Washington
sent to the Paris embassy request to ascer-
| tain the location of the grave of John Paul
Jones, failing, however, to inform Ambas-
sador Porter Of the purpose in view. The
ambassadors and attaches efforts resulted
only in the discovery that the obituary reg
listers of 1892 were burnt during the COM
mune and that therefore there was seem
ingly no trace left Nevertheless Henry
Vignaud, first attache, asked learned COM
mission which has charge of preserving his
torical Paris against vandalism to assist in
the research. After several months, the COM
mission declared it impossible to discover
where Jones remains had been inferred.
Lieutenant Sims. the naval attache then
suggested calling in Albert De Ricaudy. a
very learned archaeologist who is recognized
as possessing more historical knowledge
about Paris sites than anybody. 1t was
Ricaudy who finally unearthed Turgot's re-
mains when all French authorities failed
Now the old Archaeological has written an
open letter to Ambassador Porter giving the
exact location of Jones' grave and a complete
history of tho researches in which the dis
covery resulted.
The document Is too lengthy and too dry
except to specialists for correspondents to
send; sufficient to say Ricaudy gives full
proof that Commodore Jones, who died July
IS, 1892, was buried July 20 at p. m, in the
presence of a brilliant assemblage. The
original register wherein descriptive entry
of the ceremony was made was destroyed, it
is feared, but Ricaudy found a copy of 1t
made in 1893 by Charles Reade. who had
been interested in reading it.
The interment was made in small
cemetery for Protestants, this being
filled in and closed within six
months after Jones' burial. As the French
always bury their dead according to a GER
tain traditional order of position, Ricaudy
thinks he can almost put his finger on the
precise spot.
Incidentally the letter shows that all
biographers are wrong when they state that
Jones was buried in the famous Pere
La Chaise yard.
The little Protestant cemetery where the
American commodore was inferred was in a
cheap part of the city near the station of
the Northern railroad between st. Louis hos
pital and st. Martins canal. The To-. was
sold at the end of 1892 to a man named
Philipeau and later served as pasture depot
for carriage material. Finally ii was built
over and now several streets cross the former
cemetery. Jones grave is in an angle of the
Rue des Ecluses St, Martin and Rue Grange
aux Bellies The spot is covered with cheap,
ruinous structures. mostly one-story; also
garden. and the whole could be bought toll
erably cheap,
Porter has just sent the Ricaudy report
to Washington. Nobody in the embassy can
say what the State department intends doing.
Ricaudy claims that II Jones was buried in
wooden coffin no Identification is possible.
IL, as is more than probable he was buried
In lead coffin with his uniform, sword,
ETC., he proposes the demolition of
the structure. and the creation of
little square named after the American
hero with a bronze statute over the exact
spot. Our ambassador also favors the plan
In preference to a solemn transfer to the
United States.