The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-25
WAS LORD BYR0N's SWORD.
Romantic History OF IA Blade Now
owned Ia Chicago.

Romantic History OF BLADE Now
Owned Ia Chicago.
Chicago Tribune.
What is considered by many to be the
most priceless relic of Lord Byron the
sword which he carried through Greece
when that countIy WAS struggling against
the Turks for independence in the early
part OF the century. hangs from a polished
board In the library of Mrs. Henry w
King, l5l Rush street. 1t Is the same
sword which the poet liberator carried
while in command of a band OF Suliotes
in the vicinity Of Missolonghi 1t was
brought to America by Col. ]. P. Miller,
resident of Vermont, the father of Mrs.
Sarah Miller Keith who died last week
from injuries resulting from an accident
While she was visiting at the residence
CT former Senator G.. B. FarwelI.
Col. Miller went to Greece ia 1924 as a
volunteer in the Greek army. and after
the siege and battle of Missifonghi, in
April, 1926, he returned to Vermont and
lectued through New York and the New
England states for the cause OF the
Greeks. At the solicitation of the Boston
and New York Greek committees he
went 20 Greece a second time as their
general agent. and distributed several
cargoes Of provisions and clothing for
the suffering Greeks returning to Mont
the sword is as follows: Lord By: on
gave the sword to a young Greek Off GER
named IOukas, captain in his legion,
who was afterward shot dead in Il sortie
against the Turks from the Acropolis at
Athens, and being found with this sword
knotted around his waist was carried into
the fortress When the sword and his
clothing were sold for the benefit Of his
sisters by the British consul at Pores,
Greece, I was present at the sale, pur-
chased the sword and brought 1t home
on my second return from Greece
loaned it to Mr.. Castanis, a native Greek
lecturer. by whom it was carried back to
Greece"
Abijah Keith. who was the husband of
Sarah Miller Keith, in 1885 wrote the fol-
lowing account OF Its recovery by him
self upon one Of his trips to Europe
Mrs. Keith and myself visited Greece in
1853. and learning the whereabouts of Mr.
CaStanis at the Island of Syra, Greece
through our United States consul, Mr.
Evangelides, recovered the sword. After
ward, while at Athens, Mr.. George Fin
lay, the eminent Scotch Philhelfene. who
knew Lord Byron well, and also Col. Mil
ler and DR.. S. G. Howe, called upon u.s.
and during the conversation asked what
had become of the Byron sword. We
told him that we had 1t with us, having
recently found the same at the Island of
Syra; and, on examination. he identified
the sword and gave us the following GER
tifcate. which was printed in 1860 in Cot
Miler's biography in Thompson's His
tory of Montpelier, VT the original GER
ttficate being lost in the great Chicago
fire. October, 1871: Mr.. and and Mrs.
Keith have just shown me the sword
which Col. Miller purchased at Poros,
at the sale of the effects of Capt. Loulas
The sword / have seen in Lord Byron 8
possession before he gave it to Loukas.
and was present at Poros when 1t was
sold. George Finlay, Athens. Jan. II,
1853
Mr.. Keith then adds that Mr. Fin!ay
was a member Of the Archaeological So
ciety Of France, and also Of the Amcri-
can Antiquarian Society Of New York,
and wrote several histories of the differ
ent periods of Greece, and resided at
Athens until his death in 1875. DR.. Russ.
of New York, and DR.. S. G. Howe, of
Boston. were present at the sale. The
sword has an Arabic inscription on the
blade. which is we'll worn. and Byron s
initial on the hilt