The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-03
Tom Paine's Body
Mystery as to Whereabouts
of Remains.

1t mas become necessary TO LA4ONS eAN
monument erected to Thomas Paine, poll
tician, philosopher and maker Of repuo-
lies. from the roadside in front OF lhe
farm that was his near New RocneIle'
N Y The monument was placed there
by public contributions from the ADMIRERS
Of his philosophy in 1899. 1t was simple
granite shaft until it was surnouhleo
by a fine bronze bust of Paine last year.
Not many feet distant IS Palnes grave
from which MS bones were removed and
taken to England by William CoDoett IN
1919 and forever lost. although II IS SAID
that the little finger Of one OF Paines
hands remained buried in American soil.
The Paine monument is one Of the
sights Of New Rochelle, and the Paine
farm one Of its historical places. The
monument stands on North street at the
corner of the lane that runs up 10 the
house once occupied by Paine on the
farm. His grave was once marked by a
plair stone slab, on which was the in
seription, Thomas Paine, Author Of
Common Sense This, however. has
long since been broken up and carried
away by memento seekers. Nothing is
left to mark his grave save two posts.
The mound has long since fallen to the
level Of the earth, and the stones Of the
wall that encompassed it have gone 20
make drain by the roadside.
The village Of New Rochelle, having
determined TO widen North street into
boulevard. for which the last legislature
appropriated 100000, a discussion arose
as to the disposition of the monument
which would be left in the middle Of the
road, an obstruction TO traffic. The appro-
priation for the boulevard did not con-
template an expenditure for the monu-
ment so the cost Of moving it will de-
Volve upon those faithful 10 Paine's men,
Org. For this purpose subscriptions are
being taken up. Captain George w.
Lloyd, the Westchester populist who at
tended the middle-Of-the-rOad convention.
in Cincinnati, brought back with him
promises of financial aid for this pur-
pose from Ignauus DonneIly, former
Governor David H White of Colorado,
Wharton Barker, the middle-of- the-road
populistic presidential nominee. and 9th
ers John II. Starin, the owner of Glen
Island offered TO take the monument TO
Lis resort but this the people Of New
Rochelle would not consent to, and it
viii be moved only a short distance from
where it now stands.
Two sites for the monument are being
discussed. When the street Is widened
the lane IN which the monument now
Glands VIII be opened into thoroughfare
up to Paine's house and the entrance
widened by sweeping curves. In the cen
ter Of this entrance. leaving plenty OF
room 70 rcarriages on either side, it is
proposed 10 put the monument and TO
surround it with a handsome iron fence.
In its present position ii is very imposing
IN its frame of oliage of several large
walnut trees that have grown up since
the monument was placed there. These
trees will have to come down to make
room for the boulevard. Another size,
and this will probably be chosen, is
across She street from the present loca-
ton Of the monument, on a high piece
of ground, triangular in shape, the apex
Of which VIII form the junction Of the
boulevard and a road coming from the
reservoir. This plot IS about an acre in
extent. and on the same level as the
height. called Mount Paine, on which
stands the Paine house across a pretty
valley On this height is an enormous
block Of granite which has been there
for ages.
The Paine farm is as pretty bit Of
countryside as there is in the state Of
New York. 1t originally consisted IF 275
acres, and was given TO Thomas Paine
by the stdte' of New York in 1855, ~ the
time Pennsylvania presented him with
$500 in recognition Of his services TO the
country during the war of the revolution
and afterward. The farm had been the
estate of Frederic Devoe, a tory who fed
TO Canada Not returning to take the
oath Of allegiance to the United States.
the government confiscated the farm.
In his will Paine left one-quarter Of
the farm to his friend, Clio Hickman, Ct
Paris. the husband of his friend, Marga-
ret Bonneville, and tie other half 20 The
sons Of NJ and 3Ime. Bonneville. The
fac.s has since passed through uahy
hart5 ard il nov owned by c. n. LIS
ter and J. See. Mr.. See occupies tie
house in which the great free thinke.
sat and wrote. Ia his last testament
Paine wiiled himself twenty square feet
Of land for his own grave. but he failed
10 locate ii. Otherwise the monument
would not now stand in the lane, and
his grave would not have been obAtec-
ated
Paine's house is a quaint. old-fashoned
building Of two stories, with an added
modern wing In the rear is a 5uttery
with a barred window. The porch is
small and has not hospitable look The
visitor Will be shown window through
which a fanatical country lad fired
load of shot at Paine, narrowly missing
J., 1,sl volt ha Il a
sassin dropped his gun, which made a
perfect mould in the mud. The follow
ing morning Paine went 10 the house Of
neishbor and asked FOR his gun. The
muzzle was plugged with mud Paine
took the gun To his house. and II attcd
perfecly she indentation made in the
ground. Then he discovered that The gun
had been borrowed by the lad wha had
Intended 10 lSAi him with II the previous
night.
The farm is now in high state Of Gull
tivation 1t is divided into field by stone
walls. in one portion Of it is Il large
reservoir fed by brook and springs, and
a walled in brook carries the water OF
brawling through n neld and across the
lane. under bridge. and OF down the
roadside There are also fine orchards
and groves. ara altogether it Is one Of
the show places Of New Rochelle.
The monument cost about S2.ooo, ana it
was paid for in small subscriptions IN
New Rochelle and Tuckahoe with few
from New York. on the front is good
por;rai, OF Paine in low relief surround
ed by a wreath. The inscriptions are as
follows.