The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-11
GARDINER WON'T SIGN
SEEMS HE WILL NOT TURN OVER
GEN. GREESE's REMAINS.
TITLE IS IN THE CINCINNATI.
ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT OF THE
RHODE ISLAND SOCIETY.

where He Talked with the Com
Inittee About the Remains-Excep-
tiOn to His Statements Taken by
Savannahians-He Intimates Pref
ty strongly That He Will Not Sign
a Joint Order Upon the Southern
Bank to Turn Over the Relics to a
Committee for Interment at Sa-
vannah-May Mean Lawsuit.
COnmittee Proceeding With Its
rrangements-Gen. Gordon May
he rendered Craftsmanship of
Committee.
Col. Asa Bird Gardiner seems to
have shown his hand pretty
clearly in the Gen. Greene case.
The following from the Providence,
Rhode Island Journal will be rather
startling to those in Savannah who
are taking the leading interest in the
arrangements for the re-interment Of
the remains of Gen. Nathaniel Greene:
1.-The Joint Special Committee of the
General Assembly which is consider
ing the permanent location of the re-
mains of Gen. Nathaniel Greene re
ceived considerable information this
week from Col. Asa Bird Gardiner,
who accepted an invitation to come
here, and while at the State House
met the committee and instructed
them concerning the identity of the
bones. the title to their possession and
the ways and means of their final dis
pOsal.
col. GARDENERS eminence and au-
thority in such matters made his in
formation especially valuable, and the
committee will be enabled to take
some steps very soon toward the OBJ
jsct for which they were chosen.
Numerous questions were asked and
answered, and the results of Col
Gardeners visit were eminently salts
factory.
"He first declared the identification
as positive, and gave his reasons,
naming the buttons and gloves found
with the bones, the coffin plate, and
perhaps most conclusive of all, spoke
of the dome-s shaped skull, by which
eminent biographers have declared
Gen. Greene's remains could surely be
recognized.
Their title, he thought, lay directly
in the Rhode Island Society of Cincin-
natl, since he himself, the president,
had made the discovery, and the rules
of treasure trove were distinctly ap-
plicable. Possession being nine points
of the law would favor that view
and the bones are now locked in a
bank vault in Savannah to which there
are two keys, one held by Col Gard
liner and the other merely as a pre-
caution in the possession of Judge
William Harden of the Georgia His
torical Society. The heirs, he thought,
would not oppose such disposition of
the bones as the state would author
ize.
''As regards ways and means he
was ready to concur in whatever the
state of Rhode Island might desire,
and he made suggestions as to the
best way to inaugurate proceedings
hooking toward the permanent dispo-
sition of the remains"
Flaws in Gardeners Talk.
Flaws in this statement said to he
from Col. Gardiner will at once be de-
tected by Savannahians. 1t will be re-
called that his letters and declarations
OF some months ago to gentlemen here
who are interested in the disposition
of the remains were to the effect that
he considered that the lneal de-
scendants of Gen. Greene had the
rights in the matter and that their
final disposition rested with these de-
scendants.
The argument of possession being
nine points of the law" strange to
say, has been employed by both sides.
1t was used in the Morning News a
few days ago, being offered by a Sa-
vannah gentleman. Col. Gardiner
seems to think that his possession is
just as strong as that of Mr.. Alfred
d. Harden, who is joint trustee with
him. The remains are deposited in
the Southern Banks vault and the
joint order of the two gentlemen and
be required to secure them for the
committee that may take them in
charge for the burial. 1t may be seen
from this that the assertion about
keys is not the fact, any more than
that that Mr.. William Harden is
Joint custodian with Col. Gardiner.
Save for an intention of inviting
Rhode Islanders to participate in the
funeral ceremonies and arrangements,
SavannahianS are ignoring Col. Gardi-
ner and the Cincinnati as completely
as his talk indicates that he is ignoring
Savannahians. He. does not refer to
Savannah's rights to the remains, nor
does he say that the descendants have
any rights. The Cincinnati. according
to Col. Gardiner, are the peoni~ but
they are ready to do whatever the state
of Rhode Island may desire.
Committee Going Ahead.
preliminary meeting of the commit
tee that is to be in charge of the
funeral, and to make all arrangements
was held last night at the home of Mrs.
Edward Karow, regent of the Savan-
nah Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, who has taken
the initiative, at the request of Mr.. r.
T. Waller, representing the Greene de-
scendants, in furthering the plans for
the funeral. Among those present, be-
sides Mrs. Karow, were Mrs. Waller,
Mrs. A B. Hull, Alderman F. F.
Jones and Alderman d. r. Thomas.
The committee determined to pro-
coed with it's arrangements just as
though there had never been any
. question of it's right to RENTER the
remains of the distinguished dead at
Savannah. This concession, however,
will be made to the Society of the Gin
cinnati in Rhode Island: An invita-
ton will be sent its secretary to
have a committee participate in for
mulating the plans for the funeral
and attend the ceremonies when they
are held.
1t was determined to enlarge the
committee materially. The other
patriotic societies in Savannah, the
Colonial DANES, Lachlan Mcintosh
Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, and the Society
of the Sons of Colonial Wars will he