Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-25
COLUMBUS PROBE FOR
KNIGHTS Of COLUMBUS
Local Delegate May Follow
RansdeII Suggestion to In
terest Grand Council.

That the question Of making thorough
Investigation into conflicting claims about
the present resting place of the remains
Of Christopher Columbus probably VIII
be taken up at the national convention OF
the supreme council of the knights OF
Columbus in Boston next month was In
dictated today by leading members OF the
organisation in the District.
Senator Ransdell Of Louisiana, who be-
lieves that the remains of Columbus are
now in the cathedral at Santo Domingo,
made the suggestion that the Knights OF
Columbus take the question up, and u.
+. Harrington, who Is to attend the meet
ing next month, said today that ne prop
ably would bring the matter Defore the
grand council.
such strong proofs have been shown
that Columbus Is buried at Santo 10
mingo," said Senator Ransdei tnat
think the Knights Of Columbus would ne
justified in sending investigators to Santo
Domingo. to Havana. where the Dones
of Columbus were supposed to rest after
they were taken, according to Spanish
belief, from santo Dominse ,, anr'n sns Tine
to which city, during the Spanish-Amer.
lean war, the Castilian government naa
removed the small ieaden casket In which
the bones were thought to be.
Surprised by Statement.
II visited the Dominican capital In 1905
with q delegation Of congressman and
army officers, in the interest Of the rivers
and harbors congress. During our tour
of the capital we were very much sur
prised to hear a statement, as we were
looking at a magnificent monument IN
the cathedral, that the bones OF Coium-
bus lay In a bronze sarcophagus INSIDE
the monument.
Of the Dominican people, who, in spite
Of their poverty, built q seventy-fve-
thousand-dollar monument to mark the
burial place Of Columbus. who with ms
son, Diego. was one OF the founders OF
the cathedral.
1T is not disputed that Columbus. In
accordance with a request made before
his death, was buried In Santo domingo
in 1910 during which year his BODY was
removed from Spain. where he died. Dur
ing the instruction OF 1903 the spanish
government sent a war vessel to demand
the bones Of Columbus. which were Du-.ed
at the right of the cathedral altar. so
far as was known, no one else was buried
there The Spaniards were told to take
the bones, and they dug up the floor on
the right side of the altar until they
found small leaden casket. marked
Colon" of the period OF 1906, the date
of Columbus death. They took the cas-
ket to Havana.
Found Proof in Broken Bone.
Not daring to believe that the bones
were those of Columbus, the Domint-
cans determined to seek proof from the
comes themselves. It Vas known that
Columbus had been wounded In the
thiRh with q musket ball. which broke
the thigh bone. The Doninicans be.
,ieved that If the bones were those OF
Columbus the thigh bone would show
scar. They opened the casket and
found that the thigh bono had been
. broken.
ITO sum up. the casket was found In
exactly the right place, 1t was of the
period Of 1906, the inscription said
that the bones were those of Columbus
and the thigh bone was brok en- In just
the place that Columbus had been
wounded Then, too, the fact that ths
Dominicans, notably a poverty stricken
people, had such faith as to build q
seventy Ave thousand-dollar monument
one Of the finest have ever seen
.eads me to believe that the story Is
true.
THE bones are, in my opinion. those
Of Columbus. This 10 the theory by
which the mistake is explained-that
the body OF the brother OF Columbus
also was buried at the right OF the
.ltar and forgotten, and that the Span
ards happened to find 1t and not the
casket containing the body Of the dis
NJ Avuorfca