The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02

Three Women to Sue Out Injunction
to Prevent Further Junkets.

Philadelphia Inquirer.
Injunction proceedings of a remarkable
character will be begun if any further at
tempt is made by City Councils to send
the old Liberty Bell to other cities on junk
citing excursions. Not only will the laws
restraining hand be sought by the lineal
heirs of John Wiltbank, but the plaintiffs
will set forth the fact that the bell is not
the property of the city, State or Nation,
but the personal property of the descend
ants of man who took the cracked en-
blem as part payment of a debt due to
him by the city of Philadelphia
The strange story behind the claim that
is about to be asserted is one that lawyers
say can be amply verified from historical
records, the journals Of Councils and the
private papers of the Wiltbank family.
The three heirs who are prepared to prove
that the old bell is their joint property
are Mrs. James McClosky, of Broad and
Rockland streets; Mrs. Sidney Wright, of
Germantown, and a maiden lady residing
in Brooklyn, n. Y. The last is a niece of
the original John Wiltbank, while the
Philadelphia women are his grand-nieces.
The task of asserting and proving the
claim, should occasion arrive has been in
| Il.
II. Gilbert Cassidy, as attorneys for Mrs.
McCloskey.
Magistrate German, in explaining the
attitude of his clients, said: THE three
bell is their own personal property are thor
oughly patriotic and have no desire TO re-
move the bell from the custody of the city
of Philadelphia. They fearful. how
ever, that in some of the junketing excur-
sions around the country the bell may be
injured and for this reason they are pre-
pared to take the requisite steps to stop this
reckless carting of the bell around II it be-
comes necessary.
81 know it will occasion much surprise
when say that the bell does not belong to
the city and is as much the property of
our clients as pair of old diamonds or
any other family heirloom. Their right
To- the old emblem dates back to the cast
ing of the new bell after the Liberty Bell
became cracked, and is'very easy of proof.
I'm the first place, ii is an erroneous
supposition that the bell became cracked
in tolling on the death of Chief Justice
Marshall, in 1885. AS matter of fact
the damage was done several years prior
to that date, when the bell was sounding
forth joyous peals i'm celebration of the
visit of General Lafayette. The general
clared that the bell should be recast, but
offered to defray the cost himself. The
city and Nation refused, but later Councils
casting of a new bell. The contract was
given to John Wiltbank, with the under
standing that he should take the old and
cracked bell in part payment and should
throw off $500 from his bill. The new bell
was cast and now hangs in the town hall
at Germantown.
"Wiltbank. in rendering his bill, said:
Il will not destroy that bell Surely some
day Philadelphia will remember it for what
| il really is Wiltbank could have destroyed
| it as a piece of junk had he so desired.
| The metal was valuable, and Councils in
that day apparently regarded it little
more than old metal. Wiltbank allowed
the bell to remain i'm the possession of
the city from patriotic motives, but he
never relinquished his claim to it. The
claim, of course, passed to his heirs, who
are now prepared TO again save the price
less treasure from damage in innumerable
junketing excursions"