The Wichita city eagle., 1877-03-08
A Short Letter from Our Stray Editor---Ths
Presidential Contest Ended--The Shad-
ow Of Death over Wichita.

The following lines from a private
letter written by Mr.. Murdoch at st.
Louis las. Saturday night, will prove
of interest to the many readers of the
EAGLE: DEAR Roll :-"The great
agony is over aud the
dark cloud OF anarchy and revolution
that threatened our beloved country
and its free institutions, has lifted and
the glorious sunlight of peace aud
prosperity again lights up the hopes Of
fifty millions of people whose hearts
were sinking in despair beneath the
threatening waters of political and
sectional hate and intense partisan
ship. Last Friday morning proved
literally the darkest hour before
dawn" when at O'Clock and nine
minutes the President of the Senate
declared to the House and Senate that
II. b. HAYES was elected President of
the United States for four years com
mencing the 4th of March, 1877. Of
the hundreds of exciting incidents of
that last twenty-four hours suspense
cannot now write. The patriotism
shown by conspicuous southern states
men, together with a few leading
northern Democrats who, in the face
of party fury and the lash of Democ-
racy, boldly stood for the country and
people first, party and spoil afterward
| shall never forget. In those long
trying hours men became demons in
their fury. During that twenty hours
the Senate chamber was deserted and
the Republicans of the House could
not-dare do or say nothing. The con-
flict was between two elements Of the
great Democratic party, majority of
which was for victory or revolution.
for government in their own hands
or war and anarchy. For hours Wash
ington and the great commercial CEN
ters of the country held their breath.
kilograms by thousands poured in and
letters and petitions to the Democratic
| leaders, such as Randall, Ben Hill, La
mar, Fernando Wood, Dudley Field,
and others, from New York City, Phil
adelphia, Boston, Chicago, st. Louis,
and all the cities, pleading, coaxing,
begging and threatening that the count
might and must go on, let it elect who
it would. Evidently commerce and
trade know no politics. But more of
this in the future Within two hours
after the declaration of the result l
was whirling through the Allegheny
Mountains of Maryland and Virginia
in the direction of the setting sun.
Gov. Hayes arrived in Washington the
same morning left. You will proba-
bly, think it little queer that did not
stay till after the Inauguration. felt
that had seen enough, besides letters
received from home told of
DEATH SPREADING ITS WINGS OVER
WICHITA.
Our bright, happy, and heretofore
healthful little city, city that con-
tains my little home in which are
housed all that is near and dear to me.
Ny heart was sorely touched this even
ing with the sad. sad intelligence of the
death of John NJ. and Mary Steele's
sweet children-noble little Henry and
sweet, sweet Bessie. How often have
| watched the play of their almost an
gelic features-such pure complexion
and bright, blue eyes. No sweet chill
dren, save my own, ever SO interested
me. And how Johns great heart will
bleed, and the anguish of her his gen.
tie, true, loving, devoted wife who
bore such pledges of affection for him,
none but those who have passed
through the same dark waters can
know. And have MT | and my dear
wife drank of the same bitter cup to
its dregs. God Of Heaven! but our
sore hearts and clouded minds cannot
unraYel nor understand. In the pres
ence of such calamity how into sig
nilicance sinks all things pertaining to
this life. The lasi letter from Vic.
too, told of the sickness of Car
rie Redfield, expressing the worst fears
can see her graceful motions and pure
innocent face now. Heaven grant that |
they, her fond mother and proud faith
or may be spared.
''By the time this reaches you shall
probably be at home. 1t is raining |
and showing alternately tonight in St.
Louis, and as gloomily wait for the
train drop these lines, hav-
ing first telegraphed Vic. to meet
me in Emporia. If she does | shall re-
main there two or three days.
In haste, NJ. NJ. NJ.