Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-14
Equitable Savings Bank f; I; , ~:
CLAIMS FAMOUS RELIC
is A MONSTER FAKE
PEW IN INDEPENDENCE HALL
NOT WAsHINeToN's
Historical Society Librarian Says 1t
Was Never Occupied by First
President and Quotes His
tory to Prove 1t

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 13.-That the
American people, instead of paying hon.
| age to the pew that George Washington
used to occupy in Old Christ churcf
have been wasting their tributes upor
the pew of some humble, long-forgotter
religious laborer is the contention that
has lust been raised by relic students.
The assertion made by men who are
authorities on such subjects is that the
pew exhibited in Independence hall as
that used by the first president Of the
United States was in realty, taken from
the gallery, far way from the place
where Washington was won't to worship.
1t was charged, however, that one OF
the letters in independence hall bearing
the signature of Washington was forg-
ery of the clever penman, Strong, who
had acquired wonderful ability in Initial
ing the handwriting of the first presi-
dent.
Both assertions were backed by what
seems to be strong circumstantial proof.
For almost three-quarters of century
the washington pew" has stood on the
second floor at the northeast corner Oh
the main building of Independence nall.
Thousands of persons, coming from all
over the country to see the historic build
ing and it's equally historic equipment
have read the inscription on the pew:
1.-THE Washington bench. In 1885 the
interior of that ancient edifice, Christ
church, was about to be modernized ana
the family pew of Gen. George Wash
ington was presented to Ebenezer Muslin
under a promise that chair or settee
be made therefor and preserved as a
relic"
Not Washineton's Pew, He Says
John w. Jordan. librarian of the Penn
sylyania State Horticultural society, and
a noted student of Washington history
now comes out with the assertion that
the pew was not Washington's pew at
all. that it was probably the pew where
In some stolid, religious workman, who
had little thought of deeds of valor was
accustomed to worship
cat any rate" says Jordan lit was
the pew of some one who worshipped
In the gallery and not in the lower part
of the church, where Washington ana
his wife were to be found
Mr.. Jordan says that he never believed
that the pew in Independence hall was
that of washington.
I'm the first place." he said yesterday,
'sthe style of pew used on the lower
floor was entirely different. 1t was the
old-fashioned, high-backed kind, such as
are still to be found in old st. Peters
church and not the kind on exhibition
in the old state house. Everyone knows
that if the bench in Independence hall
had been placed into the inclosed stalls
such as are still found in st. Peters
church, and as everyone knows were used
in old Christ church at that time, 1t
would have been impossible for the wor-
shipper to have seen the chancel."
Secondly, according to DR.. DORIS his
tory of old Christ church, slip pews, or
the kind that is in the old state house,
were only used in the gallery of the his
toric church 1t was upon the lower
floor that the Washington pew, No. IS,
was to be found. Moreover. DR.. Dorr
says that the old pews in the gallery
were removed in 1884. while Bishop White
was still living. but that owing to his
vigorous opposition, the main body of the
church was not disturbed.