The Washington times., 1913-12-12
MAY TAKE STATUE
FROM CHAR|NG CROSS
Martyr King Interferes With
Traffic and London Consid-
ers His Removal.

LONDON, Dec. 12.-Charles I blocks
the way. In other words. it is suggested
that the statue of King Charles the
Martyr at Charing Cross obstructs the
roadway and interferes with traffic. But
it is to be hoped that the London Coun-
ty Council before it allows the statue to
be removed to some other site will re-
member four things Of Importance in
relation to the statue.
First, it is undoubtedly the finest out
door statue in London. Secondly. 1t is
exactly as it was created. Third, 1t
marks the site of the original Charing
Cross, and, fourth, 1t marks the spot
where the regicides were executed. In
support of this claim Wilfred Whitten
GA Londoner's London) may be quot
ed as follows:
Cross from which Charing Cross takes
its nsme) stood on the ground now oc.
cup;ed by the equestrian statue OF
Charles 1. This was the first equestrian
statue ever seen in England. Cast in
1888 from the design of Hubert LIE Sueur,
it was buried during the Revolution, to
be re-erected mere in 1874. The Kings
original sword and straps have had to
be replaced. On the night Of April 13,
1910. these accoutrements fell from the
statue. They are said to have been
picked up .. and were then re-
placed. Finally they were stolen from
the statue.
..It has been stated that Le Sueur
blew out his brains on discovering that,
with all his striving after masterpiece,
he had forgotten. to give the king
horse a saddle girth. Believing the
story. Lendoners do not perceive that
the saddle girth is there"
Site Chosen In 1860.
Augustus ]. C. Hare c'walks in Lon
don'0 may also be quoted. He says:
1.-The site of the cross was the spot
chosen in 1860 for the execution OF the
regicides. Hither October Id MAJ. Gen.
Thomas Harrison was brought to the
gallows in a sledge. with a sweet,
smiling countenance,' saying that he
was going to suffer for the most glor-
(and SO on). Three days after,
Hugh Peters with Cook, the
Republican counsel, suffered ION the
same spot, and afterward eight others
Of the regicides. Here, where his mur-
derers had perished, the statue OF
Charles /, the noblest statue in London,
was set up in 1914.
"The figure of the King is what
it processes to be-royal. and gains by
being attired not in the conventional
Roman costume, but in dress such az
he wore, and by being seated on
saddle such as he used. 1t is the work
a633) of Hubert lie Sueur, a pupil of
John of Bologna, and was originally Or
dered by the Lord Treasurer Weston
for his gardens at Roehampton. By the
terms of the commission IL was to be of
brass, a foot larger than life. and the
sculptor was to take advise of his Maj
esty's Charles u rider of great horses,
as well as for the shape Of the horse
and action as for the graceful shape
and action OF his Majesty's figure on
the same
Ordered To Destroy 1t.
''Walpole relates that it was sold by
the parliament to one John Rivet,
brazier, living in the Dial near Holborn
conduit, with strict orders to break 1t
to pieces Instead of doing this he
concealed it in the vaults under the
Church of st. Paul. Covent Garden.
was mounted upon its present beautiful
pedestal Wnspoilt by restorationl.
which, since Temple Bar has been de-
stroyed, is perhaps the only remaining
specimen in London of the workman
ship of Joshua Marshall. master ma
son to the crown. 9 The metal
around the left forefoot of the horse
bears the inscription: HuberD LIE
Sveyr F'e)cft. 1s33.''
IL it is moved, then there is nothing
to mark the site where Edward i placed
the cross in memory of his devoted
Queen, and the essential historical
connection between the place where the
Judges of Charles were executed and his
memorial was at the Restoration put up
Will be lost forever.