The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-27
NEW MONUMENT TO
POE OF HEROIC SIZE
Second Model Has Been Completed.
Detroit Woman's Great Interest.

Baltimore, Md, Dec. 26.-Informa-
ton has been received In Baltimore
that Sir Moses Ezekiel. the sculptor.
native of Richmond. Va, and resid-
ing in Rome, italy. has completed his
second statue of Edgar Allan Poe, the
poet. The statue is a bronze figure
of Poe in heroic size, seated, and in
the attitude of listening to tie voices
of inspiration.
The movement for the erection of
this memorial was begun in 1907 by
Mrs. John c. Wrenshall, Of this city,
president of the Poe Memorial Asso-
citation. The cost was placed at $10,-
900. Half of this sum was con-
tributed by Orrin c. Painter. who.
with his father, was a Poe enthusiast.
The work was assigned to Sir Moses
Ezekiel. The figure. which the sculp-
tor had completed in 1913, was
shipped 70 Berlin. where bronze
casting was to have been made. 1t
was held at the frontier customs
house for valuation and other red
tape. according to a dispatch from
Rome. and while there, with the con-
tents OF the customs house, was de-
stroyed by fire.
Sir Moses has now completed the
second model
Mrs. W. II. Jackson. of Detroit,
Mich, an ardent admirer of Poe. has
taken great interest in the memorial
She thus relates her connection with
the movement which has resulted in
the completion of the statue:
More than half century ago 1t
was my privilege to know Marie
GLENN, who. at that time was spend
ing her declining years at the Church
Home In Baltimore. 1t was here that
Poe stopped en- route from Norfolk,
Va, to his home in Fordham. n. Y,
remaining only few days when the
hapless end came. Mrs. GLENN spoke
with intense feeling of her anxious
waiting and watching for the coming
of the widowed son OF her adored Viz
ginia, and of the sad fate OF one who
had always regarded her as more
than unto me.
Poe's prose writings and his weird
poems Of fantastic imagery always
had a fascination for me from early
girlhood. At one time. while visiting
Mrs. GLENN she drew two pictures
from an old leather trunk containing
many of the poets manuscripts--yel-
low with age. Confiding a photo
graph to my sacred keeping. she said
this Is the best likeness that was ever
made Of Eddie. She gave an old
daguerreotype to my brother. William
Painter, who accompanied me ana
who loved and admired the poet De-
fore the critical world gave him a
fitting place among the immortals
When Sir Moses needed a correct
picture of Poe I lent him my treas
ured one.
September 1918, Baltimore news
paper contained this notice:
"Orrin c. Painter. one Of the lead
ing Poe enthusiasts and a man of
marked literary ability is dead
Since then I lost track of Poe's
photograph. until happily / came
across the Southern Woman's mag
azine, containing picture Of Sir
Moses and a short sketch of his life
and work and this desired informa-
ton: The atelier of Sir Moses
Ezekiel, located in portion of Do
cletian's baths in Rome is one of the
largest in that artistic center.
With this suggestion it was not
long until a white winged messenger
flew over the seas to its, destination
the envelope Of which was printed
Verifcato Censura, via Campania. IL
ran thus:
Il have your very kind letter and
hasten to say 1 have the photograph
you mention at my studio and | Will
carefully pack and send 1t 10 You.
have my monument of F.. n. Poe
completed and ready to be sent to
Baltimore as soon as We think II safe
enough on the ocean. to do so"
After expressions of regret at the
untimely passing Of Orrin c. Painter
he said; Il am putting his name also
on the monument in which re was
SO deeply interested"