Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-31
LAWTON STATUE UNVEILED
President Roosevelt, Woe President Fair
banks and Cover or Hanly Speak.
GREAT CROWD sRttrs THE EXECUTIVE
Daughter of Dead General Pulls Cord
Releasing the FlRgs-Jnmes
whitcomb Riley Reads
n Poem.


I Roosevelt today delivered the principal ad-
dress at the unveilng of a monument to
4 General Henry W. Jawton. The speech
/ was devoted to a discussion of railway
/ problems and, incidentally, paid a warm
4 tribute to oliver z. Morton, the war gov
! ernor of Indiana.
! Following the ceremonies, Vice President
| Fairbanks addressed the crowd briefly. He
| said:
! Fellow Citizens: 1 can say but q word.
! l wish to express to the president Of the
| United States that which l know is in the
hearts of all of YOU and that is thanks
! for the admirable address he has just de-
! livered here. He came into the state this
morning greeted by thousands at the, state
! line. From Union City until he reached In
! dianapolis, he was met with the loud ao-
claim Of our citizens. AS he leaves us to-
night after this crowning event of an
eventful day he will carry with him the
assurance that the great citizenship of In
! diana is loyal to the memory of those who
made illustrious the years from 1861 to
/ 1855 and that the people OF Indiana are
for cleanliness in civil life and honesty
! in public service. My friends, thank you
and bid you good night"
At the conclusion of the exercises the
president and vice president were driven
J to Crown Hill cemetery, where the presi-
/ dent placed on the grave of former Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison wreath of smilax
leaves and lilies OF the valley. which he
brought with him from Washington.
The train bearing the president left here
! for Fort Wayne, Ind, where he was to
pass the night on his car Stops were
made at Anderson and Muncie. Tomorrow
the president will make address at Lam
sing. Mich.
President Receives ClerRymen.
At the Fairbanks home the members OF
the reception committee were introduced to
the president, after which he received the
cergymen of the city and members Of the
( Thrtieth Indiana. Lawtons old regiment.
President McGregor of the Indiana asso-
citation of county commissioners presented
the president with a gold card bearing an
honorary membership.
! Seated with the president and vice presi-
dent at luncheon were forty guests, includ-
ing Governor Hanly Senators Beveridge
and Hemenway. Representative Overstreet,
members of the presidents party. Mayor
Bookwalter Harry New, chairman of the
republican national committees; Thomas
I Taggart, chairman of the democratic ma
tonal committee; James Whitcomb Riley
Meredith Nicholson and officers of the
Grand Army of the Republic and other or
ganizations
Following the luncheon began the forma-
tion of the march to the court house
grounds for the unveiling ceremonies. The
parade was south on Meridian street
through Monument place to Washington
street and east to the court house square
at Alabama street, two miles in length and
through solid banks of people who gave
the president an enthusiastic greeting. Act
ing as escort to the president were three
battalions of infantry and one battery OF
artillery of the regular army, thirteen in
fantry companies and one artillery battery
OF the Indiana National Guard, veterans Of
the Grand Army Of the Republic and other
organizations, military and semi-military.
Mrs. LawtOn and Daughters Attend.
At the court house grounds elaborate
arrangements had been made to seat sew
eral thousand people, including the veter-
ans of the Grand Army OF the Republic
The streets surrounding the monument
were packed with people for many squares
On the platform were Mrs. Lawton and
her three daughters.
Governor Hanley presided at the cere-
monies and following the invocation by
Rev. DR.. Lucas, formerly chaplain of the
National Grand Army of the Republic,
said:
Amid the rain and the mists of the
morning OF December 10, 1899. between the
mountains and the jungle at San Mateo,
in the island of Luzon. beyond the sea,
Henry w. Lawton fell in battle under his
country's flag, with his face toward its
foes
Death came to him as he desired It should
come, on the field of battle. at the head of
his command, amid the JOY of conflict and
the flash of guns-a soldiers death, quick
and painless"
Following tribute to the dead soldier,
Governor Hanley said:
! And now we are come, a mighty con-
; course, too great to reach with the human
, voice or to number. to receive from the
, hands OF the commission whose proud priv
) ilege It has been to procure it and to un-
veil in this distinguished and gracious
presence a monument fashioned by hands
OF consummate skill and unusual artistic
power.
t Let It be unveiled that you, sir, the frs,
, citizen Of the land he served. and you,
madam, and yours-you and yours whom
he loved so we'll and for whose welfare his
, only concern was, although a thought OF
? death-may behold its beauty and it's
strength and that we. his country
f men ana our CnlluTen may look upon II.
Let 1t stand here through the glad spring
. time, through the glow of the summer
the mellow beauty of autumn. and the
thick Of winter storms as evidence that
Indiana does not forget her sons. Let Il
stand here through all the multiplying
( years that are TO come, silent but eloquent
: and Impressive teacher to the countless
thousands that shall pass this way OF the
e truth his life and deeds exemplihed"
James WhitcOmb Riley read his poem
l THE Home Voyage" written in honor OF
2 General Lawton's memory when the body
D was being brought home from the Philip
pines. The curtain yelling the monument
was then withdrawn by Miss Frances Law
ton, eldest daughter Of the dead general
Work of Monument Committee.
The Lawton monument is the result OF
the work OF the Lawton monument com
mittee formed in 1900 soon after the death
Of General Lawton in the Philippines. The
Commercial club and the Board OF Trade
: co-operated in the formation OF a commit
tee which raised by popular subscription
: IS 600. Daniel Chester French OF New YoTb
had charge OF the creation Of the statue
I nh xrork varos dapa ra rFl.y bx-