The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-08-20
THE LATE SAMUEL HALLETT.

The following sketch of the late Rail
road man, Samuel Hallett, is from letter
from Saratoga Springs. to the New York
Express, and IS evidently wittenby George
Francis Train
"WYANDoTTE. Kansas, July 81.
Samuel Hallett was shot dead this after
noon.''
Nothing more Here my dispatch stop
ped, but my surprise is still active, and yet
1 feared his rash impetuous audicity would
bring him early to the grave.
Is it possible that this Human Steam
Engine, this galvanic battery, this bunch of
nerves, this man seducer, this extraordina-
ry fnancier, has gone to his last home =?
l knew him well, better than other men
knew him. In Paris, in London, in New
York, in Kansas, in Warrington, and it
seems but yesterday, since, at the Lindel
House, ST. Louis, he introduced me to Toll
colt, the discarded Engineer, who was his
assassin
Hallett was his own enemy. 1.-The did
wrong, it was defective organization. He
bore neither envy, jealousy or. malice. lie
was as ready to forgive as TO forget. His
influence on man was fatal TO virtue I
would give him twenty minutes alone to
corrupt The best man in the nation. His
power was electric. When gross fattery
failed, promises of money or fame won.
To- day hundred fortunes are promised
to as many men. lie approached men
with different tones and different voices.
He saw mans weak point instantly. Pre-
sented to Napoleon, presented to Queen
Victoria, he seemed to own the American
Ministers, Mr.. Mason and Mr.. Dallas.
Three capitalists called upon Mr. Chase,
about the first five millions w. H. Aspin
wall, Samuel Hooper, and Samuel Hallett.
The Indiana fraud affair prevented Cheevei
from organizing with Hallett great bank.
Jay Cook, Livermore and Clews got the
business Instead. ..
Everything that everybody did he assum
ed as his own. He used men as he would
eat his dinner, or suck an orange The
writer first met him in Paris, Introducing a
Nautilus=a sub marine affair for engineers.
About thirty six. Born in Western New
York. He went into the lumber business,
and moving to the city he got country
banks TO pass currency through his hands.
! The result to the bankers was a failure.
The Nautilus was failure. Here Morton
and Doohttle, the engineers and coutrac-
tors of the Atlantic and Great Western
/ Railway In 1857, placed the enterprise in
! Hallett's hands in London. James Nc
Henry aud the writer we're intimate. Hal
lett made our acquaintance. There came
contracts and strange incidents. Hallett
goes out. But in New York managed
through Kennard, 20 squeeze half million
out of the road. Remarks salary ofive
thousand pounds year, is in the writer's
handwriting and signed by Hallett That
road is nearly completed, and many express
surprise to see the writer's name left out oil
the programme. Some day letters will be
published, and Hallett will appear in the
play, meanwhile too much notoriety has
made him rich. a plats of ioe-creans is
Ipalatable. A pail full is nauseating.
Halett's power was in starting game
He seldom shot clear, The birds seldom
fell into his hand. As for mone5, it wa:
like pouring water into rat hole.
| His energy was terrific. His application
was marvellous. Like the winch that slow
ly pulls up the piece of iron, he would work
up his scheme to the top, when down j
would come, not on the pile be was driving
upon, but on the heads of the workmen
His friends always suffered. The cabbag,
was on the end of the stick and the sticl
was on the donkey's back, and hence the
J promised reward was always ahead whelhei
the anamal moved fast or slow.
) He was on the top round when the lodi
ana bubble broke. but he swears to day
that the fortunes Of the Jeromes were mad
on bis balances. Poor Slower was ruined
Many remember his speech before the New
Yord Club. Halielt was saved through
. The infuenee of Mazart. Eiiiah Ward "a