Show Li I Beheading a President t By DR FRANK CRANE Not ot In reality but beheading his wooden Image At one time a wooden image some seven feet teet high adorned the structure of or The Constitution while it was in Charleston bay Old Hickory had a n number of seVere evere evere critics as well as admirers in Boston Oston and when the statue was set up in 1834 about a month afterwards a certain certain tam tain Captain Dewey reported to be the daredevil of ot Boston succeeded on the night of or July 1 in eludIng eluding eluding elud elud- ing the guard on board the ship and severing the head from the body of the Jackson Jackon figure The head of oC the figure wandered about the country countr country coun coun- tr try in Deweys Dewey's possession and at Rt one time was shown to Old Hickory himself It at the White House This audacious gesture rather appealed led to Jackson Jaclson who had a sense of humor and a flair of his own The image was finally restored to its proper place and all that is left leCt to mark marl the Incident is a adeep adeep adeep deep crack that runs around the throat Few people people peo peo- plo know the history of that crack The Image was once sold old to to the proprietor of ofa ofa ofa a resort on Lake Lale not far tar from Boston Henry Henn Ford bid for tor it but did not get it From this can be seen what value It has as an antique Following the publication of er Oliver Wendell Holmes' Holmes well known poem Old Ironsides there was a countr countrywide movement to preserve The Constitution Constitution Con Con- and only a few weeks ago there was another drive for that same purpose which culminated culminated culminated in the ceremony of or the vessel A book recently published called Old Hickory's Prisoner presents present him as a very human figure not only an Intrepid commander and a humorous and interesting and understanding friend Too much be done to mal make e the great figures of ot American history human to us its Copyright 1926 1026 by McClure Newspaper Syndicate |