The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-03-09
Che 5euusha 4ele9rapa,
KENosHA, WIS, MARCH 8, 1871.
"SING THE OLD SONGS"
From the Lexington Journal

On Sunday last, as the venerable Chlef
Justice Robertson stricken by the
baud of death, lay almost lnsenslble to
ths world which he seemed fast leaving
forever, while the gigantic brain, which,
for SO many years has throbbed grandly
to the inspirations Of his genius, barely
f1uttered with the CONSEQUENCES OF life,
he expressed desire To hear Miss Cary
sing the ballad of "Oid Folks at Home,
ss Il the strains of his tavorite melody
woult have power to call his. soul from
the portals OF the grave which he was s.
fast nearing. TIE wish was at once com
m1nicated TO MISS Cary, who willingly
consented to do anything in her power To
rouse the ebblng current or lie III one
who, as a statesman or Jurlst, mas
known but few rivals during the course
of long and eyeutful life. On reaching
the residence OF Judge Robertson, Miss
Cary was ushered into the chamber
where SO much intellect and learning Was
fast fickering out into the darkness OF
unknown hereafter. and without accom-
pam nent, OF any kind, raised her rich
cnntralto voice in the touching words,
"Way down upon the Suwanec River,
brt before she had sung three lines, broke
down in the intensity of her emotion
Calming herself, she again essayed the
ballad. and while the venerable and
stricken man lay drinking her glorious
melody, poured our her whole soul In the
simple utterance which gave so much
pleasure to one whose giant intellect, IN
days ag0ne, fascinated the most talented
oi the land. When she had ceased. Judge
Robertson could scarcely express his graf
iticatlOn by signs, get slgnltied a desire
that Miss Cary should sing tor him,
Home, Sweet Home. Tw.ce did the
gifted artste attempt t.
comply with the request, but her emotion
was too great, and choked with feeling,
she was compelled to leave the room
The whole Incident was one ot the list
touching and affecting episodes that ever
ness.
From the Wisconsin State Journal:
A very tonchiDg incident has been go.
ing the rounds, narrating an affecting
scene at the death bed Of Chief Justice
Robertson, Of Kentucky, Miss Anna
L ,uisc Cary, it seems, was requested by
the dying Judge to sing at his death bed,
the old song Way down upon the Su
vance river and did so. And now with
reference to tins same Judge, Col. Utley,
editor of the Racine Journal, and COM
mander OF the 22nd Wisconsin regiment
during the war, has something TO say.
The Colonel, while at Lexington, gave
shelter to q negro dwarf belonging TO
Robertson, whom the latter had beaten
and maltreated in a irightful manner
The Judge sought out his slave, but the
Colonel refused to give him up. Robert
son thereupun sued cut u writ III the Ken
lucky court against the Colonel for negro
stealing, and, shortly after the close of the
war, obtained verdict. He has ever
since been bounding Utley Tor the coltec-
ton of the bill. The Journal thus de-
scribes the scene at the camp when Rob
ertson came in:
Perhaps the scene to which we have
alluded was still vivid IN his memory
where he stood in the midst ofa thousand
Wisconsin citizens, confronted by little
dwarf negro, who, after having told his
master the wrongs he had heaped upon
him (which the Judge made no attempt
to deny, bnt simply tried to excuse), he
pointed his little, worked, crippled finger
at his master, and sand, Colonel, that man
has hired me out ever since WAS five
years old, and | have been beat, bruised,
worked and starved, until drawing his
little form up here is all there Is lett of
me, and now they beat me because can't
do no more The yell of rage that went
up from that whole regiment at the close
of the little fellows remarks and the
scene that followed, was no doubt as ex
citing as the one described in the above
article. 1t was with the most positive eff
forts that We preserved the Judge from
insult aud injury before he got out of
camp, for the boys from Wisconsin were
unused to such conduct as the Judge adj
mitted he had performed coward that lit
tie crushed negro boy"
A singular presentiment is related of
one of the conductors who was Killed at
New Hamburg. On leaving home in
the morning he told his wife he never
felt 80 unwilling to leave home since he
had Iun on the road. After he had gone
out he came back to kiss both his wifi.
and child. He told his wife that he felt