Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-07
WORK OF VANDALS AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
lie and His Twin Brother, the Souvenir
Hunter, Regard Everything in Wash
ingt0n as Their Peculiar and
Legitimate Prey.

the national capital have been waging
ceaseless war for more than fifty
years with the relic hunting tourist
vandal who destroys for the mere'pleas-
ure of wrecking that which is beauli-
full. historic or costly, says Washing
ton letter to the New York Tribune
The contest will probably continue as
long rs the government owns anything
that is worth carrying away or any
thing worthy of interest in art, lftera-
ture or science Nothing is safe from
the souvenir fiend. and the more holy
the associations that cling about his
toric treasures the more certain they
are 10 suffer mutilation at his ruth
less hand. Lcgions OF guards do not
Suifice TO protect the valuableS in
Washington, and although every pre-.
caution is taken to chcckmate the col
i lector OF cnrios he or she manages to
make away, almost daily, with frag-
ments Of stat,ary, pieces of cloth or
leather and bits of material that posses
sentimental value OH account OF their
connection with the earlier days OF the
Republic. The vandal who carries off
these relics bodily or i'm part is moro
to be dreaded than the wretch who de-
stroys n statue or painting outright.
The relic hunter comes again; nothing
Is sacred in his eyes, and he is never
satisfied. The vandnl who places a
stick OF dynamite at the base of n
statue of some foreign hero does SO to
vent his spite in n particular instance,
and If he accomplishes his purpose
he is satisfied anu stops there.
lOc ,,.in 20
wreck the statue of Frederick the
Great at the War college was n typical
example of the vapdal's work. The
man who placed the dynamite at tho
base OF the bronze figure did so be-
cause he bore n grudgc against the
German monarchy. and IL he had sue
ceeded would probaly never have tried
TO injure anything elese, unless he had
happened to come across another OBJ
Ject that excited his peculiar animos-
tiles. Not SO. however. with the mis-
creant who broke off the toe of George
Washington's statue in front of tho
Capitol. The fiend probably went on
year after year. hacking with Ratchet
or pounding with hammer, every his
toric statue that he could reach unob-
served. sWhat possible use he could
make OF chunk of marble of that size
IT would he hard to determine. He
probably took 1t home and placed it
In cabinet with other fragments Of
mntilated statuary that he had gath
cred from time to time during his
travels, and perhaps now his grandchil-
dren are pointing with pride to the
beautiful souvenir that grandpa
brought from Washington"
The loss Of the great toe was not the
only Injury sustained by tile Green
ough Washington. In the course Of
the ceremonies that were held at tho
east front OF the Capitol on the occa.
sion of President McKinleys first in
auguration another relic hunter stole
one OF the little Indian figures that
stood behind the chair of the first
President. How he managed to dis
appear with the statuette is q prob
lem. for 1t was too large 10 be con-
cealed in pocket or coat, but the fact
. remains that the thief did get away
with 1t, and no one was the wiser until
after the crowds had gone. The com.
panion Indian was left standing at the
other side of Washingtons chair for n
few days while the authorities were de.
batting the advisability of duplicating
the stolen figure, but was eventually
removed when the conclusion was
reached that it would scarcely pay to
eXpend several hundred dollars for the
possible benefit Of future relic hunters.
The widely printed report of van
daiism practiced on the historic table
which. slice Lincoln first took the oath
OF Office, has served to hold the Bible
on Inauguration days, was, however.
lacking in foundation, and the allega.
ton that the table was mutilated by
some member Of the diplomatic CORPS
was absolutely false. The table. which
is the property of the family of the
late Edward Clark, once architect of
the Capitol, Is daintily constructed
piece OF furniture, made of solid ma.
hogany, with delicate beading
around the top, or table proper. On
Inauguration day, this year, a two-inch
silver was chipped from this beading.
but those who had the ceremonies in
charge are by no means certain that
this slight humiliation was the work
of vandals, and are positive that no
member of the diplomatic corps was
responsible for, it. Just before the
President appeared on the Inaugural.
ton stand the table was overturned
by the strength of the wind, and Il Is
regarded MS possible that the accident
occurred then. In any event, the only
persons who had access to 1t we're the
President, the chief. Justice of the Su.
preme Court, the members OF the Con.
grcssional coipmitteee, the Presidents