The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-24

AAsetAcNt SphS ChEc Rho SeCOHu
 schooIhouse,-Letter as to His Love
 Affair.
 Nathan Hale is the most interesting
 historical subject at present to the
 members of both the New York and
 Connecticut Societies of the Sons of
 the Revolution. The climax of this in-
 terest will be reached probably in June,
 when the two societies will meet at
 East Haddam, Conn.,, to dedicate as a
 memorial to American patriotism the
 school-house where, in 1779, Nathan
 Hale, having been graduated at Yale,
 began his life'S career as a teacher.
 His duties evidently nere not onerous,
 for the little school will hardly accom-
 modate more than one hundred persons
 comfortably, but in less than year he
 was called to take charge of a much
 larger school in New London. The Con-
 necticut Sons of the American Revolu-
 tion are planning to purchase this lar
 ger school-houee, which shall then be- come museum and headquarters for
 their meetings. The little East Had
 dam house is nearly one hundred and { fifty years old, and it is to be the gift
 of the New York Sons of the Revolu- tion, who have purchased it for the society. The Episcopal Church of East
 Haddam owned the school house, which stood upon land near the church, and the officers recently decided that 1t must give way to modern improve
 ments. It was accordingly purchased and moved to a plot of ground on bluff overlooking the town and the Con- necticut river. One thousanu dollars is being raised by the New York So- ciety to carry out it's plan, and $lOo has already been secured.
 'The money for this purpose said
 Secretary Morris P. Ferris, docs not come from the society treasury, it IS contributed by the members, and al though the call for funds was not is- sued until the first of the year, the response has been more prompt and generous than was expected" It had been intended to dedicate the s;hoo- house with appropriate exercises on June 6, which will be the one hundred and forty-fifth anniversary of Nathan Hale's birth; but as the Society of Col onial Wars has planned for a celebra- IlUIl dl CIldG liIlG dL LlCOlleiSlc-c, WiiNiA a bronze tablet will be placed on the site of the colonial fortress change of date will be made, as many Sons of the Revolution wish to attend the Iii conderoga exercises. Edward Everett Hale who is related to the young Rev. plutionary spy, has promised to deliver an address when the school-house is turned over to the keeping of the Con- necticut Society.
 Regarding the exact spot where Hale's execution took place there has been considerable uncertainty. For many years it was the popular belief that he was hanged on the old Rutgers farm overlooking the East river, and present locality of Market street and East Broadway being given as the spot. Other statements have placed it near Chambers and Center streets, and claim that his last night was spent in the old Provost jail, now the Hall of Rec ords, where he was cruelty treated by the marshal, James Cunningham. This view of the case gathered from former statements, is accepted by Benson J. Tossing in his Flied Book of the Rev olution,' and also in his little volume, .The Two Spies An entirely different version, however, has been given by the late Librarian of the New York Historical Society, William Keby, whose patient researches into early New York history made him an authority on many questions. He fixed the spot Of Nathan Hale's death as somewhere in the vicinity of Park avenue and Sixty seventh street, and in a letter to John Austin Stevens, in 1893, gave what he believed to be indubitable proofs. MT Kelby had, by some means, obtained for perusing a manuscript order book kept by an officer of the British Foot Guards when New York was occupied by Gen eral Howes forces. In this book, under date of September 22, 1776, appears the following entry:
 "A spy from the enemy (by his own confession) apprehended last night was this day executed at Il o'clock in front of the Artillery Park"
 This Artillery Park was near popu- lar public house known as the Dove Tavern, and the latter is referred to in | fhe order-book. MT. Kelby showed, 1 from survey of 17SS, that this tavern | was a trife west of the old post road, | now Third avenue between Sixty-siXth | and Sixty-seventh streets. In con- cIuding his argument, MT Kelly said: | s'It is evident from the above facts | that Hale was executed upon, and it is most probable that his body is inferred in some part of the common land or l the corporation of this city. This tract is now covered mainly by stately build- ings devoted to educational and phil anthropic uses. Possibly the dust or | the Martyr Spy may lie in the grounds of the Normal College" The tradition which has generally been accepted as correct that Nathan Hale spent his last night in the greenhouse of the old Beekman mansion, would also seem to add weight to Mr.. Kelby's view. This famous old Beekman house stood in the present vicinity of First avenue and Fifty-first street. There General Howe had his headquarters after enter ing New York, and it was before him that Hale was brought. As the eXecu- ton took place the day after the cap- lure. there is sufficient cause to doubt that Hale was taken down to the Provst Prison after his trial. The very day of his capture, September 21, the lower part of New York was swept bv a terrible confiagration. Trinity church being among the buildings de- etroved. This fact may in measure oooo,,+ for the rnea@er notices of