The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-09

lie
His hair is darker. But there is the. same
Old energetic swing of one knee over the
other as he sits talking; the same mus. |
tache with its pale streaks of gray among
the dark brown; the same twinkle of the
dark eye, which sometimes seemed black |
aud sometimes grey behind the glasses:
the same old habit of taking off the
glasses to wipe them, as if he wanted to
rest them from their twinkling the while. |
de appears less anxious than he did for
months and years previous to his dramatic
departure, and he seems to have rested.
A great burden apparently has fallen from
him. He is fresh 10 body and strong in
mind, and bis words have the snap and
incisivoness OF the old times. He went
away as Eanderer, not knowing where he
was going. yet having strange effort of
the Imagination and not of the win. to get
away from scenes which constantly remind
ed him how events had come. as they came
to Hamlet TO make him what he did not
wish to be. But be has been amid new
scenes, where be has not been trying cases
under the very cornices that Garvey made
aud that caused him so much trouble,
where he has not daily been passing City
Han made odious by treacherous cireum
stances.
"Oakey Hall is a new man. He won
ders now how any one could have believed
that, after standing the trials which he al,
most forced to test, ne should have run
away from an acqulttal He ran away
from nothing; he knew nothing about
where he was going. His brain was over
| powered by it's burden; he suddenly lost
all power over his will. He had not the
slightest idea that any one would know of
his absence on the day after he was gone.
No fancy of romance touched his tumultu-
Gus brain. He was drowning man swim
ming through overpowering waves toward
any invisible shore, no matter what. One
of the ideas which seems to have pressed
upon him was that so many people consid-
cred him to have been careless in the dis
charge of his official duties Not that be
+ thinks he did not do his best; but he re
GREETED that he should have happened to
be Mayor when affairs happened which led
to disaster. .
The circumstance which brought him
home was no other than the testimony Of
} Tweed. This alone touched him so as tc
break the intention he had while in Eng
land to prolong his stay for few months
longer, so as to have some Of the simple
pleasures which he had not been able Il
: enjoy during the time when he was fecUv
! ering bis wandering mind The sneW
scenes, even though they did not reach 8
wide horizon, induced him to seek ole
youthful studies, 20 bring up old fancies
stimulated by Dickens, and in a quiet way
he began to enjoy them. Some unforeseen
circumstance threw hint OF Tweed's ties
timoDV into his way, aud the next vesse
brought him home. Even if he had been
! wealthy enough to stay very much longer
, OF had been willing to remain away frOu
his family any longer than circumstances
absolutely required. his pride, which be
came vigorous with health, would not per
nit him to be kept away from New York
5 The testimony of Tweed that Mr.. Hall wal
> kDave enough TO sell himself to felon'
caucus for the sake of making ricayunt
percentage of five per cent where less i'm
portant men received large amounts, anC
e after he was kDave was fool enough tt
have his small percentage kept away unit
. he was compelled to force payment of it
this testimony is what caused Oakley Hal
70 enter New York yesterday morning anG
I seek bis old home il Forty-second street
A, MIR. Hall has no fears of the testimony
of Mr.. Tweed. 10 openly, but unOsteDtat
lously. returning to his home after season
J OF uumethodical wandering, he puts him
s self within the province of those who have
f any authority over him. If he went away
Il 10 a seemingly dramatic way his serene
= thoughtfuness and revived memory havi
u returned with him. He is in the same cit,
with Mr.. Tweed If he does not readil,
remember the immediate incidents attend
ing his departure he is fully aware of al
2 that occurred during the days when he wa
:. Mayor AS he says he will resist ever
attempt to make it appear that Mayo
y Hall was schemer for spoils, that he len
k himself tie any plan for obtaining none
,e through frauds upon the city government
He will contest any purpose to show ths
y any effort was made by him as Mayor
0. execute plans for the making of money b
it any ring of coDspirators. This means
IN direct contradiction to the testimony of NJ
Tweed.
70 He gives Tweed the lie direct in or
1s simple, positive sentence. That he was
I'd party to any conspiracy for robbing tt
40 city he will dispute HE made no none
The best evidence he can give of til
y statement is the fact that he has so lit
d. that no man need envy him. And so |
IT. returns, clear minded, courageous, with 7
d purpose but that, if necessary, of defendir
Mayor Hall from imputations made upC
~ his official character Personally he com
OF simply as private citizen, glad to get BAT
st. into the midst of his family" His frier
IS added, And there be sat ye sterday cha
an ting cheerfuy about strange scenes, seen
=" ing to have taken mental leap over t.
an years, his glasses cleaning, his eyes twin
ut ling, aud as be came forward to greet Il
be family friends who called upon him it W
NJ apparent that his buoyant step had u
" been broken by his sea legs" He
not hide away. To no caller Gid he rep
that he was mot il" He merely wish,
ne to rest for at least one day."
at
Ter Printing and binding executed ne
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