Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-09
Dutch GUIDES TALE.
/. OF BONES REFUTED
Mrs. Duva|I Shows Pastor
Robinson Was Buried at
Leyden, Holland.
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
In an issue of your paper of recent
date I noticed the following article:
Guide Gives Away Secret of Pilgrim
Fathers Pastor. Leyden, Holland.
October 30.-American tourists who
come here are frequently shown by
the guides in st. Peters Church;
where the Pilgrim fathers worshlped
before going to America, a stone, I'M
der which. the guides say, lies the
body of Pastor John Robinson, the
Pilgrims leader.
THE correspondent the other. day
took one of the guides aside and eX-
pressed doubts about it, whereupon
the guide opened his heart and Sald
LAS a matter of fact, sir, we dc
not really know ourselves. we hau
all the stones up some years ago and
we found a number of skeletons. but
it was impossible to identify them.
We could not even see whether they
had been men or women. But, ne
added, naively. you have to say some
thing to the visitors. Now have you
not, Sir?'"
AS one of the descendants of the
pastor, John Robinson, l wish to send
YOU a copy of an article cut from one
of YOUR issues some years ago, Whlch
would refute the above. and l think
| it will prove that the Rev. John ROD
inSOn was DurleQ at Leyuei' III ~
Peters Church. where a tablet was
unveiled to his memory.
"Three Nations United. Honoring
the Memory of the Pastor of the Pill
grim Fathers. Amsterdam, July "a
At Leyden today a most Impressive
; ceremony of great interest to the
United States was witnessed. 1t was
the unveiling' in st. Peters Church
of the memorial erected there in
honor of the Rev. John Robinson. pas
tor in Holland of the Pilgrim Fathers,
and one of the passengers on the
Mayf1ower, who settleo IN flshloulh III
1920.
The unwilling was most impress
siye ceremony, and was witnessed by
a number of Americans as well as
a large number of English and Dutch
and people of other nationalities Miss
Edith Palmer removed the sheet
which enveloped the memorial,
handsome tablet suitably engraved,
and as it was unveiled three hags
were hoisted and saluted. The first
flag was the Dutch ensign. then up
went the Stars and Stripes. and final
ly the British union jack was run
nm to the truck. AS these flags were
hoisted the military band present
played The Star Spangled Banner,
God Save the Queen and the Dutch
anthem The procession on its way
TO the church was headed by Or.
Palmer and DR. Fairbairn.
The civil and military authorities,
representatives Of Leyden. were pres
emit Dr. Palmer delivered an impress
siye address and formerly delivered
the tablet to the care of Leyden,s
ecclesiastical commissioners.
prof Kuener in an address re-
called the fact that the Rev. John
Robinson was a member of the Uni
versity of Leyden in 1915. The mon
ument, he said. would be required as
a fresh plegde of friendship between
the reformed churches of the old and
new worlds"
I trust you will reprint this article
in refutation Of the one recently pub
ljshed, as such ceremonies would
scarcely have been conducted unless
the Pilgrim Fathers Pastor mad been
inferred in St. Peters Church.
(Mrs) MARY ROBINSON-DUVALL