Although supposed to have happened during the World War period, it was discovered yesterday that an outrageous attempt has been made to remove the bronze figure on the granite foundation of the George Davis monument, Fourth and Market streets. The discovery was made by Frances H. Packer, well known sculptor of New York, who designed the Davis memorial.
Mr. and Mrs. Packer arrived from Raleigh where they have been visiting, on Friday evening, and it was while Mr. Packer was making an inspection that he discovered that an attempt had been made to pry from the stone base the bronze figure of George Davis, attorney general of the Confederacy. The monument was erected by the local chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mr. Packer found that the miscreants had used crowbars in their attempt to pry from the stone the 2,000 pound bronze figure. The statue having been secured to the base with metal dowels, the thieves were thwarted in their purpose, but they succeeded in moving the statue several inches from the base.
As copper bronze was very high during the recent war, it is believed that it was the purpose of the thieves to remove the figure, break it up, and offer it for sale. As copper sold for approximately 50 cents per pound during the year, the figure would have netted something like $1,000. Mr. Packer says that a number of bronze statues were stolen during the late war.
While in the city Mr. and Mrs. Packer were the guests of Dr. James Sprunt, on South Front Street.
From The Wilmington Morning Star, April 2, 1922. The eight-foot-high statue of George Davis was removed by the city of Wilmington in August 2021.
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