Evening star., 1907-11-03
ION ALTAR Of GREED"
Dissertation of Burial Ground
Alleged by Attorney.
PROTEST TO COMMISSION
Capt. Morrow Willing to Bear Con-
demnation.
HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD
Visit to the Cemetery-Contents Of
Opened Grave-Statement by
Mr.. Mallery.
PROTEST TO COMMISSION
HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD

in the old Presbyterian burial ground, be-
tween 33d and 34th streets, Volta place
and @ street are being desecrated by men
| in the employ OF Mr. A. w. Mallery, pre-
| pairing the plot for use as public play
| ground under conditional contract OF
| sale to the District of Columbia. Is said
| to be occupying the attention of the Com
mssioners. Attorney William H. Ma
nogue has declared that in the grading of
| part of the cemetery the workmen have
! paid little attention to the graves. and in
| instances plowed through the mounds Mr..
| Manogue November I received word from
| Capt Morrow, Engineer Commissioner.
| acknowledging receipt of the letter OF Oc-
tober 81. Immediately on receipt of the
letter from Capt. Morrow Mr.. Manogue
wrote to Commissioner West
Il am constrained to again write you
and likewise your colleagues concerning
the breach of contract relative to the pur-
| chase of the Presbyterian burial GROUNDS
for public Fairgrounds he said. In
your letter of the 2sth instant you stated
| that my letter of the 2Sth had been re-
ferred to the Engineer Commissioner. and
this action l am forced to say leaves
scant hope for much Improvement in the
matter Of my former complaint relative
to the ruthless manner in which the re-
mains of the Gead Inferred In TINS ceme-
terry are bel 3 p-oWeu up ana theit Doilea
scattered and their monuments de-
stroyed."
! Continuing, Mr. Manogue says that be-
fore the contract for the purchase OF the
| cemetery was made he notified the En-
gineer Commissioner that the title was de-
| fectiye. and that the District authorities
could not acquire title except in con-
junction with his clients, the Heatty
heirs Later he adds, he requested that
proper precaution be taken in any con-
~, LII ha n
arty for Fairgrounds to first remove the
remains inferred therein.
Means of Identification.
What I now desire" the writer contin-
ues, '.is to again call your attention to
the ruthless manner in which dead buried
in this cemetery are being plowed up and
their monuments removed, thus destroy
ing all traces of identification" He goes on
to say that lit will not suffice in such an
important matter as this to leave the re-
, sponSiblity with the Engineer Commits
sioner. however willing he may be to as
sumo It 1t is duty which the other Com
lnissioncrs owe to poor, helpless. heiress
and friendless dead whose dust is now be-
ing cast to the winds and whose bones are
now being offered upon the altar of
greed
When the second letter of Mr.. Manogue,
complaining of the alleged ruthless treat
ment of tie bodies during the work of
converting the burying ground. was re-
ferred to. Capt. Morrow. he sent the fol-
lowing reply to -.4r. Manogue, which was
received yesterday afternoon: Your let
| ter of October 81 addressed to Commits
| sioner West has been hand ID to me- and
after perusaI | desire TO inform you that
am entirely willing to have brought
down upon my head the full measure of
condemnation which my acton in this
matter so justly deserves. and believe
that | am fully as friendly to the poor
helpless heirless and frendless dead
whose dust is now being cast 70 the winds
and whose bones are now being offered
upon the altar OF greed as you are.
Visit to Cemetery.
Immediately after the Commissions
announced yesterday afternoon that the
| charges would be the subject of a
board Session, Mr.. Manogue and a Star
reporter visited the cemetery. The slope
| facing Q street has been graded In one
spot were two large scoops. Nearby was
a large two-horse plow. S ack d against
side fence are about twenty laIg ge head
stones. The ground resemb!ed a sea of
mud. due to the rain Walking toward
Bath street and Volta place, Mr.. Manogue
came upon a partly open grave, opened,
it is sta.ed. by the plowshare during the
work of grading the ground.
Mr.. Lawrence Mallery, brother OF Mr..
A. w. Mallery. was on tie ground at the
, time. He had an under taker take charge
of the remains. Later, it is sta ed, 1t was
learned that the bones were those of Val
entine Reintzel. formerly a leading
his brother, Daniel RentZel, buried early
during the past century. Valentine RENT
eel was master of Potomac Lodge of
Masons. it is stated, when the corner
stone of the Capitol was laid
/ Undertaken Burch. asked as to the num-
Der of bodies Inferred on the slope In
question which have not been disinterred.
stated that he believed there are at least
: 300 there. He remarked that while a the
/ cemetery several days ago he called DR..
:. Ma,lerys attention to the fact that the
! tombstone of Joseph Carleton, formerly
, an officer in the Amer can army, had been
uncovered by the pIoWShare. and renter
ment should be made in Arlington.
Statement by Mr.. Mallery.
Mr. Lawrence MaiIery, referring to the
charges preferred by Mr.. Manogue, said
= That in July or August. 1891, an adver-
= tisement was inserted in local paper and
run for six months TO notify all relatives
of those buried in the old cemetery that
they could remove the remains If they so
4 desired.
After that there We're five hundred or
more bodies disin. erred by relatives, and
from time to time ctners have been taken
} out" Mr. Mallery exp aimed.
When preparing to grade the part