USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > History of the Cuyahoga County soldiers' and sailors' monument > Part 15
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"In the meantime the crowd talked about renewing the work of destroying the fence. Two stalwart men were placed on guard at the gate to keep intruders out, and to open it for the workmen who passed out and in with their wheelbarrows. There was considerable angry talk and several excited men besought every pa- triotic citizen to turn out at 10 o'clock at night and tear down the fence. Several persons wrote on the fence in big black letters, 'Wanted, 10,000 men to assemble in the Square at 10 o'clock to-night, to tear down the stockade.'
" The workmen were not molested after the first rush, and the crowd soon dispersed.
"After the crowd was excluded, Capt. Scofield re-
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mained inside the stockade and directed the workinen. The crowd peered through the cracks in the fence, and occasionally hooted at the workinen, and uttered de- risive cries.
"When Patrolman Dangler and McGrevey entered the station, they were followed by a number of the lat- ter's sympathizers and a good deal of loud talking was indulged in on all sides. McGrevey became eloquent in defending himself and made use of strong language in maintaining his position. He said : 'This placing mie under arrest does not injure the cause in the least. The whole city is behind my back, and there are enough others to carry on the work. Let them build up the fence, it will be all torn down before long.'
" There was some indecision among the officials as to what course to pursue in regard to the arrest. Lieut. Burns refused to have the arrest entered on the blotter until the charge upon which McGrevey should be tried was decided upon. Gen. Elwell then went up stairs to the Prosecutor's office and a warrant was issued by Prosecutor Fiedler charging McGrevey with malic- iously injuring property. Gen. Elwell put up $10 for costs. The warrant was served upon McGrevey and his name was then entered upon the books. He was regis- tered as John R. McGrevey, a riveter, thirty years of age, living at No. 24 Lyons Street. After his first dis- play of anger, the prisoner relapsed into moody silence, and refused to speak at all. Attorney F. E. Dellen- baugh entered the station with a number of other men at about the time the registry was made. He at once caused a bail bond to be made out for $100, and as he affixed his name to it he remarked that nothing he had done in a year made him feel any better. The bond was also signed by L. B. Whitney, F. V. Faul- haber, S. M. Wolcott, Jr., and A. J. Scribner.
" Mr. Dellenbaugh remarked to a party of gentlemen
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who stood with him discussing the assault that he would like to bail out a man every minute who was ar- rested upon such a charge. Gen. Elwell said to him :
"' What ! do you mean that you would countenance such conduct as that ?'
"'Yes, I would like to bail a man out every minute. The people are speaking, and I have always recognized the voice of the people as the voice of God.' Mr. Del- lenbaugh said later that he hoped there would be a large attendance at the taxpayers' meeting in the Square Saturday night to discuss the question as to where the Soldiers' Monument should be placed.
"'Will they tear down the fence?' asked a bystander. "'You can't control a lot of angry men,' he replied. ' You can't tell what will happen.'
" A meeting of the Monument Commissioners and the Board of Trade Committee, appointed to confer with them, will be held at the rooms of the Board of Control at II o'clock this morning. There were all sorts of rumors last night that a compromise site for the Monument would be agreed upon, but there was nothing authentic to give rise to the hope that the war- fare is closed.
"A meeting will be held in the Public Square, north- east section, to-night. Conservative citizens who have spoken at all on the subject deplore the attempt to hold a meeting, believing that no good can come if a mis- cellaneous crowd assembles in the Square, as most likely will be the case, for the purpose of witnessing excitement.
"One week from to-day will be the seventy-ninth an- niversary of Commodore Perry's victory, near Put-in- Bay, over the British naval fleet, under Commodore Barclay. It was after this battle that the following fa- mous letter was sent to Gen. William Henry Harrison :
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" U. S. Brig Niagara, off Western Sisters, September 10th, IS13, 4 P. M.
" We have met the enemy, and they are ours.
"GEN. WILLIAM H. HARRISON."
" OLIVER H. PERRY.
"It has been suggested, and was a current topic of conversation on the streets yesterday, that all demon- strations in honor of the anniversary should be post- poned until next Saturday. At that time, it was stated, the proper thing to do would be to have a celebration that would be fitting to the occasion. The fact that this is the Columbian year; that an interest is being taken in American history such as has never been taken before, and that Commodore Perry's name is a household word at present, were all used in arguments in favor of appropriate exercises in honor of his mnem- ory. From the tenor of the suggestions made by a number of citizens who talked about the matter, it is safe to say that a call will be issued soon, from some place, that such a meeting be held.
"'It is our duty to prevent disturbance, and we must of course insist on an observance of the law," said Mayor Rose when informed of the arrest of the fence breaker yesterday. 'While nearly all citizens object to the fence in the Square, we can not allow them to tear it down in violation of law. If a mob of four or five thousand undertook the task they would probably liave the fence down before the police could be mus- tered, but it will not be done if we can prevent it.' [Rather suggestive that, coming from the Mayor of the city. But the cowardly mnob did not act on the hint .- W. J. G.]
"Mr. J. H. McBride, Hon. M. A. Hanna, Hon. R. C. Parsons, Hon. Geo. H. Ely and Mr. S. M. Strong, the Committee appointed at the Citizens' meeting in the Board of Trade rooms on Thursday to confer with the Soldiers' Monument Commission, met yesterday at the
"THE END OF THE WAR; OR, THE PEACE - MAKERS AT CITY POINT."
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office of Mr. M. A. Hanna, in the Perry-Payne building. A communication was sent to Major Gleason, President of the Monument Commission, asking when and where they could meet the Commission. The Major replied that a conference might be held in the Board of Control room in the City Hall at II o'clock this morning.
"In speaking of the conference to a reporter, Major Gleason said : 'It will be interesting to see with what sort of a proposition the Committee will come to the conference. As business men, they should not ask us to abandon the Square without offering us another site just as good. There are plenty of good sites in the city, but I know of no desirable one except the one in the Square that is available for the Monument. I sup- pose that they will take up the subject where the Board of Trade meeting left off, and that there will be a lot of discussion. I understand that they are going to fire at us the Council resolution giving General Meyer au- thority to bring proceedings to keep us off the Square. That resolution was about twelve years behind the times and should be stowed away with the other an- cient rubbish.'"
A conference of the Board of Trade Committee and the Monument Commissioners was held on Sept. 3d, a report of which we clip from the Leader of the follow- ing date :
"A score of gentlemen gathered in the Board of Con- trol rooms, Saturday morning, to discuss the Soldiers' Monument question. They were members of the Monu- ment Commission and of the Conference Committee appointed at the Board of Trade meeting. Before the meeting was called to order the gentlemen considered the matter in an informal way.
"'Were there a number of competitive designs ?' asked Mr. M. A. Hanna.
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"'No; we took Captain Scofield's design, and added to it from time to time,' responded Major Gleason.
" Mr. Hanna called attention to the fact that every law providing for an increase in the tax levy included the provision that it should be used for the construction of the Monument and the purchase of a site. He took that as an indication that the Commission had some other site than the Square in view as a contingency. It hardly bore out the claim of the Commission that the Monument was designed for the Public Square and could not be placed anywhere else.
"'When was work on the Monument begun ?' asked Mr. Hanna.
"'In 1885,' responded Major Gleason.
"'When did you get authority to use the Square ?'
"'In 1888, but from the first we figured on placing it there.'
"'There has been some talk about this being an eleventh-hour 'kick,' said Mr. Hanna. I believe that 110 objection has been made heretofore because people had no conception of the character of the Monument. I, for one, supposed that its base would be two or three times as large as that of the Perry statue, but now I find that it is to be a house. It will fill the entire section of the Square, and will be a serious obstruction there. There is not a person in Cleveland who is opposed to the Monument, but a majority of the people do believe that a better site than the Square can be selected.'
"General James Barnett was made Chairman and Mr. M. A. Hanna Secretary. General Barnett suggested that the discussion should be conducted without acri- mony and ill-feeling. 'The Committee are not here to oppose the Monument,' said Mr. J. H. McBride, 'but to represent a large class of people who do not think it should be placed in the Square.'
"General Barnett-'This Commission have had only
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one site available and the work has gone on with refer- ence to that. If a mistake has been made it should be pointed out and a remedy suggested. Have the Committee a definite proposition to make as to any other site?'
" Mr. Hanna-'I do not understand that we have. We spent a good deal of time yesterday discussing various sites, and we have several men getting information. We hope to impress the Commission with the fact that a large majority of the people are opposed to the Square as a site. If the Square will ever be good for anything it will be to relieve the congested state of affairs that will arise with the increase of population. This Com- mittee were appointed for conference and have not come with any proposition. If a mistake has been made as to the site, another should be selected.'
"General Barnett-' It is to be regretted that nothing was said during the past thirteen years. The Commis- sioners have always been willing to meet any citizen who had a suggestion to make, and it is late now to bring up this subject. But it may not be too late.'
"Hon. R. C. Parsons asked the Commissioners whether they would be willing to place the Monument at the foot of Ontario Street, at the foot of Erie Street opposite Lakeside Hospital, in Wade Park, at the corner of Euclid and Huron Street, in Lake View Cemetery, or the northeast section of the Public Square. He praised the Monument from an artistic standpoint, and said that it could not be shown to proper advantage in the Public Square. He said that he had seen all the National Monuments of note in the civilized world, and they all had better sites than was proposed for the Soldiers' Monument. He asked whether the Commis- sioners would submit the question to a vote of the peo- ple. He believed that nine out of ten people were opposed to the obstruction of the Square. He referred
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to Attorney Frank E. Dellenbaugh. James Hayr inter- rupted with the exclamation :
"'Mr. Dellenbaugh's remarks are not appreciated here; his uncle is President of the East Cleveland Railroad Company.'
"'I would rather have the Monument stand forever on the Square,' said Colonel Parsons, 'than have the street railroad run through the Square. I represent 110 corporation but the people, and I do represent the people.'
"Mr. Hayr explained that he did not wish to inti- inate that Colonel Parsons represented a corporation.
"Another reference was inade to Lake View Ceme- tery, and General Barnett said :
"'I think that site may as well be eliminated from the discussion. I do not believe the people would want the Monument placed in a graveyard.'
"Colonel Parsons-' You remember, General, that it was proposed to place the Garfield Monument in the Public Square. It would have been a monstrosity on that site. If the Commissioners are satisfied that the people favor the Square, why not submit it to a vote ?'
"He also asked the Commission to name some other site than the Square that would meet with their ap- proval, and if its cost was within the bounds of reason it would be purchased for them.
"Major Gleason declared that the Committee had not obtained accurate information concerning the Mon11- ment. He gave figures to prove that it would be less of an obstruction than was claimed by the Committee. Next to the Public Square he favored Wade Park.
"'We will purchase the reserved section in the cen- ter of Wade Park,' said Colonel Parsons.
"'Well, we should like to see in writing any proposi- tion that may be made,' resumed Major Gleason. 'Dur- ing the past thirteen years we have been going ahead
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and the people have been with us. Your Committee represents a very enterprising Board-where were you all these years? The Park Commissioners offered us any quarter of the Square except this southeast section. Mr. Wade said that it might be wanted some day for an extension of Euclid Avenue. The site at the corner of Erie and Summit Streets would cost $200,000.'
"'Why not place it in Lake View Park opposite On- tario Street?' asked Hon. Geo. H. Ely.
"'It would be practically impossible to get a founda- tion there,' answered a Commissioner. 'Besides, Onta- rio Street is laid out through the Park, and cannot be legally diverted from public purposes.'
"Colonel'C. C. Dewstoe said the only objection that could be urged against the southeast section of the Square as a site was the fact that it might be needed for an extension of Euclid Avenue. He considered it strange that the Commissioners were offered any other section of the Square. He said that if the Monument were placed in the Square it should be in the southeast section. The Commissioners have no idea of doing any- thing to inconvenience the people.
"'What is the basis of all this opposition if the peo- ple favor the Square as a site ?' asked Mr. Hanna.
"'There is a false sentiment that is being worked up about Perry,' said Colonel Dewstoe. 'The moving of his statue would not involve any disrespect to his mem- ory. No one objected when the statue was moved to its present position. A number of Euclid Avenue prop- erty owners are very anxious now to have the street extended. The attorney of the East Cleveland Railroad Company offered to bail out a hundred disturbers in the Public Square. He offered encouragement to persons who were attempting to coerce us by mob law. The City Administration has acted in a very peculiar man- ner, and the newspapers like to favor the public offi-
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cials. They receive printing and other favors. If you gentlemen know of any better site, I would be very glad to hear it.'
" Major Gleason explained that no member of the Commission, including the designer, received a cent of money. 'Statuary was modeled in this city for $250,' he said, 'that would have cost $1,000 if the work had been done by contract. We handle no money. When com- pleted, it will be the grandest Monument in the country.'
"'General Leggett says that it will be the finest in the world,' said General Elwell.
"'It has been reported that it will cost the City $3,000 per year to care for the Monument,' said Mr. S. M. Strong.
"'It will not cost the city a cent, if the city will let the old Soldiers have charge of the Monument,' said Major Gleason.
"Mr. Bauder suggested that the site at Bond, Lake and Summit Streets was a good one if it could be se- cured. If the Commission was to turn back, however, it must be an honorable retreat.
" Mr. Ely proposed the appointment of a joint com- mittee to consider another site. General Barnett ex- plained that a contract for the work had been awarded, and that operations were being prosecuted with vigor.
"Mr. Hanna expressed the opinion that Colonel Mc- Allister, the contractor, would not put in a claim for damages if the work were to be stopped. 'Yes, but he has been called to New Orleans on a great public occa- sion,' explained Colonel Dewstoe, 'and it will be some days before he returns to the city.'
"General Elwell was gratified by the spirit mani- fested by the Committee, but he said he was discour- aged by the bitter and almost vindictive spirit displayed at the Board of Trade meeting.
"Colonel Parsons moved that a joint committee of
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three Commissioners and three members of the Board of Trade Committee be appointed to consider the ques- tion of selecting another site.
"Mr. Hayr said he was willing to do anything that was reasonable. He wondered at the sudden change of sentiment in men who were until recently in favor of the Square.
"General Elwell expressed confidence that the true sentiment of the people was with the Commission.
"Colonel E. W. Force believed that the Monument should be kept on the Square and that $200,000 inore should not be spent. He did not believe that the tax- payers would be willing to pay $200,000 more for a site.
"Mr. Henry W. S. Wood insisted that the Monument should go in the Square. 'Throughout Europe,' said he, 'the momments are placed in the squares and not in the suburbs. The West Side people want the Monu- ment kept in the central part of the city.'
"The following resolution, offered by Mr Ely, was adopted :
" Resolved, That a committee of five members of the Cominis- sion, of whom the Chairman shall be one, be appointed for confer- ence and co-operation with the Committee appointed by the Board of Trade in an endeavor to procure a site other than that selected by the Commission, which shall harmonize the present existing views on the subject.
"The meeting adjourned, subject to the call of Gen- eral Barnett, the Chairman."
T HE cranks had at last succeeded in carrying out their fond desire. They, too, held a "mass meet- ing," the principal ingredients of which were noise, personal abuse, and fury. It took place on the evening of September 3d, and was reported in the Leader of next day as follows:
"The northeast section of the Public Square was black with people for two hours last night, and the fate of the fence around the opposite section, where Perry still stands in silent majesty, was a matter of conjecture at several stages of the meeting. If some of the speak- ers could have swayed the crowd, an attempt would have been made to demolish the fence. Whether such attempt could have been successful or not is very doubt- ful, for forty guardians of the peace in the form of the most stalwart members of the police force kept watch and ward outside the enclosure, and it would not have gone down without an accompaniment of broken heads and bruised bodies. Fortunately, three-fourths of the assembly were law-abiding citizens, and the other fourth had nearly all the fight talked out of them by the time General Meyer and other speakers had said what they wanted to say. The meeting did one thing ; they resolved to hold a celebration of Perry's victory next Saturday, the proposed program involving the decoration of the Commodore's statue. The first ratifi- cation of last night's meeting was given by means of a piece of black chalk in the hand of one of the moving spirits in the Franklin Club. Invitations to gather in the Square were scrawled in black and white on the
BRIGADIER - GENERAL JAMES BARNETT.
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obnoxious fence in sundry places. Many of those who read the invitation were straightway moved to write something presumably appropriate themselves, and the consequence was that by yesterday afternoon there was a choice aggregation of notices on the outer wall.
" The outside of the big pine fence was literally cov- ered with a large assortment of inscriptions and notices. They were written and printed with lead pencils, chalk of varied colors, and carbon pencils, although the vari- ety in penmanship and lettering was more marked than the assortment of ideas. The most conspicuous of the inscriptions were notices written in a large hand in many places, reading as follows: 'Mass meeting in the Square to-night to protest against the removal of Perry's Monument. Come, everybody.' Near the big gate which was torn down the other day was written: 'Wanted-10,000 men to assemble in the Square, at 10 o'clock to-night, to tear down this fence.' In big blue letters on the fence was written: 'Come prepared for action to the mass meeting. Bring axes, crow-bars, picks and sledges.'
"There were not less than 2,000 people on the Square when Dr. L. B. Tuckerman called them to order last evening. The Doctor briefly announced the object of the meeting, and asked that a chairman be appointed. Thomas G. Fitzsimmons was selected without delay, and he made a capable presiding officer. Edmund G. Vail was the first man introduced to the assemblage. He said the old Soldiers were being 'played for chumps by the dozen men who were trying to run the Soldiers' Monument.' 'Why don't some of these champions, with marks on their faces that they got in slaughter- houses and not on the battle-field, devote some of their energies to getting pensions for deserving living old Soldiers, instead of putting up a Monument to dead ones where the people don't want it?' demanded Mr.
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Vail. 'We don't want to have any ill feeling with the South to-day,' he continued. 'The war has been over for twenty-seven years.'
"'Well, we don't want any condemnation of the old Soldiers. Don't give us any more of that sort of talk,' shouted one of his auditors, and the words were greeted with a ringing cheer.
".I'm not condemning the old Soldiers,' replied Mr. Vail. My father and brother were good Soldiers-bet- ter Soldiers than these men who have so much to say about the war now. The men who are doing most of the talking in favor of the old Soldiers are the men who fought with their mouths thirty years ago. I don't want you to pull down the fence. [Cries of 'pull it down.'] The Commissioners put it up; let them pay for taking it down. Anyone who advocates pulling down the fence is an Anarchist.'
"'Who's he calling an Anarchist ?' demanded a man, who, if appearance counts for anything, was certainly entitled to the appellation. As he asked the question, the man elbowed his way toward the rostrum and shook his fist at Vail. The question was repeated in louder tones. The man's friends hustled him back to the edge of the crowd. Mr. Vail continued his speech, but ever and anon could be heard the inquiry, 'Who's an An- archist ?'
"The next speaker was William Heisley, Esq., who began by saying that he was opposed to moving Perry's Monument. He did not see much use for building a Soldiers' Monument anywhere. 'If the men who were building it must have their names recorded, let them place it where the people want it,' he continued. There were several shouts of 'Where do the people want it?' 'I don't care where they want it. They cer- tainly don't want it on the Square,' was the answer. 'I don't question the legal right of the Commission to
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place the Monument in the Square,' continued the ora- tor, 'but it's mighty bad taste in them to go against the wishes of the citizens. One thing is certain, they had no right to place that fence there, and it can be demol- ished by any man, and they can't punish him for it, either.' This statement was enthusiastically received. 'The City authorities ought to remove the fence,' the speaker went on, and he continued in the same strain, berating the Mayor and General Meyer for what he termed dereliction of duty. 'If General Meyer had told the Mayor the fence had no right there, as he ought to have told him, it would have been taken down in short order,' was his concluding utterance.
"It happened that General Meyer was listening to Mr. Heisley's speech, and when that ancient Democrat retired the Director of Law stepped upon the rostrum and forced his way through the crowd toward the front of the stand. 'I am surprised to hear such utterances from my old friend Heisley,' said General Meyer. 'He knows, and you know, that for sixteen months I have been using every means that could lawfully be used to prevent the removal of Perry's monument, and yet I heard him say that if I told the Mayor that fence should come down, it would be taken down at once. Judge Sherwood has issued an injunction restraining any offi- cer or employe of the City, or any citizen, from inter- fering with the fence. That being the case, what is the duty of the Mayor and other officers of the City ? Is it not our duty to set an example of respect to the Court and wait until time shall bring about a remedy for the wrong we complain of? He who counsels violence or urges that a single chip of that fence be removed while the injunction of the Court is in force is a public enemy. [Applause.] I believe the fence has no right there, and I would rather lose my right arm than see Perry's statue taken down, but I, with all other citizens, must abide
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