Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-20
GOES NEAR T0DEATH FAM0USCANVASCUT
Rev. Clarence v T. Rcheson vanda SIashes Battle of
Wounds Self in Boston Jail. Lake Erie" at Capitol.
SAVED BY THE PHYSICIANS NO TRACE OF MISCREANT
With Murder of Reward Of 500 Offered for Detection
Lnneu. of Culprt.
IS SUSPECTED OF INSANITY MANY THEORIES ADVANCED
Indignation
Necessary-Patient
structive Acts Recalled
Reward of 500 Offered for Detection
Of Culprit.
[ANY THEORIES ADVANCED
Great Indignation Expressed by
Members of Congress-other De-
structive Acts Recalled.

United States Capitol early last night.
\ sharp knife was used in the destfuc-
tive work. and the strip was found where
it fell on a stair landing below the paint
ing
There is no trace OF the perpetrator,
but a reward of 500 has been offered
for information that will lead to his de-
lection. Reports of suspicious. looking
persons who have been seen about the
building i'm the last few days have been
gathered by the police, but there is moth
ing to connect the work with any of
them. The police are working on va
rious theories.
One theory is that Russian is re-
sponsible. 1t is suggested that one heard
the denunciation of the czar's govern
ment during the debate of the Senate
yesterday afternoon preceding the adop-
tion Of the resolution abrogating the
treaty of 1882 with Russia, and his out
ragged feelings found an outlet in the
damaging Of the painting. The police
have no substantiation of such a theory,
and no reports point specifically to even
the presence Of q subject Of the czar
about the Capitol yesterday or last night.
Taking their clew from the subject OF
tn cory that some sympathizer with Great
Britain defaced the picture. Some off,
Gals Of the Capitol are inclined to be-
lieve that q discharged employee. familiar
with the placing Of the guards in the
Capitol. cut the picture as an act of
spite. And other theories have been ad-
vanced that have to do with social un-
rest, political beliefs and the like.
Other Acts Of Destruction.
1t is pronounced the worst act Of van
dalism in the history of the Capitol, and
there have been numerous charges
against souvenir hunters that have visit
ed the seat Of Congress. The cutting Of
the picture last night has served to re-
call many acts Of destruction and deface-
|1QC9t s3nria8 paet years.
The knocking or OF toe of the famous
Greenough statue of George Washington
that remained in front of the Capitol
for many years Is one of the stories
that have been revived. At that time 1t
was found an easy matter to replace the
toe, and few who saw the statue after
repairs were completed detected the
grating.
The damage to the bronze doors at the
east front of the Capitol at the time Of
the Spanish war was also recalled. A
military scene was depicted in bas-helief
on the door, and bayonets, pointing
ing parts Of the bas-relief were knocked
or and. it was thought at the time, car
red away as souvenirs.
1t is also related that a strip was cut
out Of the table upon which has been put
| the Bible used In the swearing in of a
new President Of the United States.
There is charged UP against souvenir
hunters an attempt to steal the hands of
| Senate chamber. The hands were found
bent out of shape, as IL an effort had been
| made to remove them.
| No act of vandalism in years has so
stirred those about the Capitol, from the
Vice President down, as the destruction
| of last night. Little else was talked of
among employees. and members of both
| Senate and House, In large numbers, took
| look at the damaged picture and round
| ly denounced the maliciousness that was
1 evident in the act.
Discovered by Capitol Employe.
The cutting of the picture was discov.
cred about 10 o'clock last night Thomas
Morgan, one of the Capitol employees who
| had been relieved from duty before the
Senate adjourned, returned at that hour
thinking that the session had not ended
While he was talking with Frank Jones
the policeman in charge of the front door
of the Senate wing, draft was noticed
coming down the elevator shaft nearby
Mr.. Morgan offered to go to the uppeI
| floors to close any windows that were
open, and he preferred the stairs to the
| elevator.
| AS he was going up the grand staircase
| leading from the Senate floor to the gal
| lery, on the east side he noticed a darl
object lying on the white marble landing
halfway up. AS soon as he picked 1t uT
stood wondering where 1t came from
| when he discovered the hole in the canva.
! of the huge picture of THE Battle oi
Lake Erie" hanging over the staircase
in charge of the Capitol police force a
night and turned the strip over to them.
| The cut was clean one. yet was not
| accomplished without some difficulty
An examination of the picture showed
that the vandal had made two unsuccess
full efforts to push his knife or similal
i sharp instrument through the canvas be
fore he made an opening. The hole Is II
the lower left-hand corner. upon that par
of the canvas showing the water
1 The picture is SO high that without a lad
der, a miscreant could not reach tn,
main part.
Damage May Be Repaired.
r. p Tolman. an expert OF the Corcoral
Art Gallery. was summoned to the Capt.
tol this morning to consider the question
of repairing the painting. He declares
that repairs could be made SO that tn
damage would be little seen.
Some holes were punched in the pictur
| a few years ago, when some scaffoldin
was being built near IL. and they wer
repaired so skiifully that most people ar
unable to detect where the repairs wer
made
:"The Battle of Lake Erie" was painte,
by William H. Powell. upon an orie
by Congress. BY a joint resolution. ap
| ,nro,ad March 2 1855. the jOint comm Il
tee on the Library Of Congress is direct
| ed to enter into q contract with MI
Powell ITO paint q picture for the Unit
ed states. to be placed at the head o
ono of the grand staircases In the Can
itoi. illustrative OF some naval victory
the particular subject to be agreed upol
nv the committee and the artist
For the picture Mr. Powell was to b