Which conclusion exonerated Mr, Ohman from the accusation 

 made against him of having cut the inscription; and further proof of 

 his- innocence was furnished by the sentinel poplar itself, its roots being 

 wrapped securely about the stone till they were flattened by contact 

 with it. Investigation showed that they had been in this condition 

 without interference, during the tree's entire lifetime — from thirty to 

 fifty years — or before his ownership of the farm. 



The Liberty Tree of Annapolis 



On the campus of St. John's College, in the quaint town of 

 Annapolis, Md., stands a huge poplar long known as the Liberty 

 Tree, and entitled to fame both on accoimt of its great age and size, 

 and because of the historic ground on which it grows. 



Two feet above ground level, it measures twenty-nine feet, four 

 inches in circumference, and its height is one hundred and fifty feet. 



Tradition tells us that in 1652, a treaty was made under the 

 Liberty Tree, between the whites and the Susquehannock Indians. 

 A century later, when problems caused by conditions leading up to the 

 war of the Revolution were under discussion, patriotic meetings were 

 held in its shade, probably earning for the old tree its honorable title. 

 Later still. General Lafayette was entertained beneath its shade, when 

 he visited Annapolis, in 1824. 



The College in front of which the Liberty Tree stands, was 

 formerly King William's School, founded in 1694, "for the propaga- 

 tion of the Gospel, and the education of youth in letters and good 

 manners." In 1784, the school was merged into St. John's College, 

 whose central and oldest building, McDowell Hall, was begun in 1745. 



In the rear, Rochambeau's army camped, en route to Yorktown 

 to reinforce Washington's troops. 



Not only does the Liberty Tree commemorate the time honored 

 events of its vicinity, but its personal history is worth recording. As 

 years passed, it began to show signs of decay, and was supposed to be 

 dying. In 1840, some mischievous boys, playing with gunpowder, 

 placed two pounds in the hollow trvmk, and set fire to them. The 

 tree caught easily, and was soon in flames which were extinguished by 

 the citizens who, no doubt, supposed it fatally injured! 



The prank, however, proved a blessing in disguise, for the blaze 

 destroyed the worms which were feeding upon its tissues, and the 

 following year it burst into leaf, hale and hearty, none the worse for 

 its adventure. 



But in 1907, the aged poplar again required attention, having 

 become so hollowed by decay that eight or ten persons could stand in 

 the interior. The cavity was filled with over fifty tons of concrete and 

 the branches were strengthened with iron rods, and thus a much 

 loved and venerated landmark has been preserved for a long and 

 prosperous future. So successful has the treatment proved that the 



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