The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-04
GOT WRONG BODY
FOR PAUL JONES
Bases His Findings On Measure
ments of Houdon's Two Busts
of the Naval Hero-Inter-
esting Story of Burial of
American Naval Hero.
Fridays New York World says:

reopened the controversy as to wheth-
er IL was the body OF John Paul Jones
that was discovered in Paris on April
IA, 1906, by General Horace Porter,
then Ambassador TO France.
This body, escorted by a squadron
of warships under command of Rear
Admiral Sigsbee, reached the Naval
Academy at Annapolis on July gath, of
that year, and on April "a, 1906. was
given sepulture in Bancroft Hall with
great ceremony.
In a book that will be published this
morning from the DeVinne Press. New
York. Mr.. Hart makes categorical de-
NAL that this could have been the body
of John Paul Jones. The book, en-
titled Memoirs of the Life and Works
OF Jean Antoine Houdon. Sculptor of
Voltaire and Washington" has been
intended by its author for private cir
culation.
Based on HOudOn's Bust.
One chapter of the book is devoted
to Mr.. Harris denial of the authenticity
OF General Porters discovery The
subject finds a place because the iden-
tiffcation Of the body was based, in inn
portant particulars, on extraordinary
condolences in measurements of the
skull and of busts of Jones by Houdon
1t is against this verification that Mr.
Hart directs his protest. The first of
these busts was made in 1871 and the
second in 1884. eight years before
Jones death.
Mr.. Hart, by long distance telephone
from his home at 4717 Chester Avenue,
Philadelphia, last night told a reporter
that he did attack the authenticity
and accuracy of the Identification.
devote a chapter of my book TO
this Mr.. Hart said. II cannot go
into more detail than this by tele-
phone, for any discussion of the sub
1ect requires technicality and mi
nuteness that isn't easy in any CONVEX
sation. My book will be published
in the morning. and it will tell it's own
story.
II think II an important book for
other reasons than this" Mr.. Hart
added. lit offers the first adequate
consideration OF Houdon's work that
Frances greatest sculptor. and 1 con-
feas to lively satisfaction that il
should have fallen to the lot of an
American to do him full honor
France, nor any other country, has
never justly appreciated him"
Body in Leaden Casket.
The account Of the John Paul
Jones commemoration at Annapolis
on April -. 1906, published by the
Government. gives first Importance to
the data obtained from Houdon's
busts. In this account General Por-
ter's report of his five years search
for the body-which ended with posi-
tive identification by group of
French scientists on April Il. 1906
is embodied. This report says:
Two circumstances combined to
render the identification of the re-
mains comparatively easy-the re-
markable state of preservation of the
body (Which WIS found in a leaden
casket filled with a1cohoD and the
abundance Of accurate Information in
existence descriptive of the dead.
ITO furnish the anthropologists
with the required data there was OBJ
tanned permission to make all the de-
sired measurements of the Houdon
bust of Paul Jones, a little more than
Ci nv To-
quiS de Biron, very artistic work
representing the admiral in court
dress with the hair curled in rolls
upon the temples These rolls were
identical with those found on the
body.
There was procured from the
Trocadero Museum a copy of the
other well-known bust of Paul Jones
by Houdon, one of the most accurate
works of the famous sculptor. who
was also an admirer OF his subject
1t was found more useful for the pur-
pose of making the comparative meas
urements on account OF it's being life
size. James Madison. In a letter dated
April 2S, 1885. says: His bust by
Houdon is an exact likeness. portray
ing we'll the characteristic features
'Dr. Papillault, with his delicate
instruments, made all the necessary
measurements of the head. features.
length of body. etc, and found them
so entirely exact as to he convinced
the DuStS were maze from the
subject before him. The greatest diff
ferenceS between any of the compare
tive measurements was only two
millimeters. about seven-hundredths
of an inch"
Said the Features Agreed
The Official certifcation of the
American Embassy and Consulate of
the Identification sets forth that the
agreement of all the important fea-
lures of the body and the Houdon
huSt was SinpularlV
DR.. G.. Paillault, assistant director
of the Laboratory of Anthropology of
the Ecole des Hautes Etudes. in his
official report of his examination of
the body. said:
1.-The dimensions of the bust, life
size, by HOudon, are exactly those of
the body; the comparison is, there
fore. easier than if the bust had been
of a reduced size. Thus all the meas
urementS offer an approximation
truly extraordinary. Two experienced
anthropologists measuring the same
subject would often make as great
differences. Thus could not hope to
find between a bust and it's model a
similar identity.
81 recollect having measured some
years ago a cast of the head of
Blanqui and the statue which Dalou
made from that same cast. Dalou was
very precise and conscientious ar
fist, using and even abusing. as his
colleagues said, the caliper compass
] found differences greater than in
this case.
IT have not been able to take up
any characteristics the divergence of
which was sufficiently marked to
waive the identification of the bust
and the body. without forgetting
that doubt is the first quality of all
Investigators and that the utmost cir
cumspection should be observed in
such matters, / am obliged to con-
clude that all the observations which
have been N
favor of the following conclusion:
The body examined is that of Ad-
miral John Paul jones'"
The second" bust of Jones, which
was tho ore used in the Identification
of the BODY, is known as the "Phila-
delphia" bust because 1T was made at
the order of Philadelphia admirers of
The intrepid Paul" 1t is now in the
National Academy OF Design, New