New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-31
A BRIGHT CAREER ENDED.
RICHARD REALFs SUICIDE.
rscAPING MANY PERILs ONLY TO END his LIFE
MIsFRABIY.

RICHARD REALFs SUICIDE.
fscAPING MANY PERILs ONLY TO END HIS LIFE
MIsERABLY.
To ne Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: A dispatch from San Francisco dated octo-
her 90 brings the sad announcement that Coionei
Richard Realf committed suicide at the WINDSOR
Hotel, Oakland, the previous night. May say
few words in your columns about TINS reniarkaoNe
mani He was my personal friend knew HIM
we'll. and loved him as brother. HIS career has
been one of strange adventure of perilous exposure
and of genuine heroism for n man OF such gentle
almost child-like simplicity of heart.
Richard Reaf was born in Sussex, England, and
could not have been over fOrty-four. When sixteen
years OF aye he published volume OF poems ~
Brighton, England, and had the patronage ana Kind
advces Of the celebrated Robertson, whose sermons
are the admiration of the Christian world "heh
quite young he came to America, and being an en-
thusast on the slavery question, he soon made the
acquaintance of John Brown of Osawatomie' ana
became the private and confidential secretary Oh
that weird old refOrmer. During the Dorder
warfare in Kansas, young keah. distih-
guished himself for courage, and became great
favorite of John Brown and his coadJutors. SuDse-
ouently Realf was engaged in developing the Har-
pers Ferry campaign and escaped from its disasters
more by accident than By any fear of consequences.
When the war began Realf was foremost to incur
it's risks and was brave soldier, sometimes IN one
capacity and sometimes in another, from hrst 10
last. He was trusted in secret service, and never
Glnched from duty, however dangerous. Afer
the war he gave himself to newspaper work
more fully, although his pen was never ldle
through the long years of conflict, and his letters
under various signatures, were among the nosU
eagerly read of the many that found place III the
leading journals. For several years he was on the
i a e H. eiUI
genius had full play. For terseuess, intensity and
power. few writers have excelled him. Through
his most ordinary writings there ran a vein of
originality sparkling oftentimes with gems OF
rarest beauty. He put fire into his language when
he was aroused; and no one could read
bis best passages without feeling the warmth and
glow of manly life He wrote easily, huently and
unanimously. His modesty kept him poor. lie
would furnish original articles and items for other
papers than his own, fresh and crisp, worthy OF
room in the best magazines, and yet set afioat
almost idly and for the merest pittances OF pay tie
was appreciated by the management of The COM
m0cidt however, and his name is honOred by those
in that establishment who knew him BEST
Colonel Realf has contributed occasl0na poemSt 10
Rdrper's Magazine and TO The AHdRRc nOhhty; Inc
November number of the latter contains chaIac-
terstic composition from his pen, although the Dos
ton printers have misspelled his name " heof." Inc
eusion is entitled IndirectoD," and bears pecul-
iaTly impressive meaning in its deep undercurrens
now that its gifted author is no more For example,
this stanZa:
Space is as nothing to spirit deed is oudOne by
The heart of the wooer is warm the heart
And up from the pits where these shver, and up from
the heights where those shine,
Twin voices and shadows swim starward, and the es-
sence of life is divine.
Richard Reaf was an orator as well as poet His
lectures on Battle Flashes" " John Brown" and
on Temperance, were among the masterpieces OF
platform work. His addresses were usually extern
poraneons. His voice was not always clear, but bis
imagination was and bis speeches were flashes OF
beauty, sometimes rising INTO sustained IlghtS
of genuine eOquence. His words We're well cho-
sen and distinctly pronounced, ana ms m0duiati0n
was music itself. He threw his whole soul MTG his
themes and made his hearers feel the truths which
pulsed as very iife-power in himself. have known
him to fall exhausted at the close of an address
which, for beauty of dctiOn and for splendid dis
play of oratorical power seemed grace and ease
alone to the audience.
When Frames Murphy went to Pittsburg two
years ago, Colonel Reaf unsettled on the ques-
tion of total abstinence He was never drunkard;
but he would drink his ale, after the English Gus
tom. But he espoused the cause of temperance with
all his might, and from that time until his death, so
far as know, he was consistent apostle OF the
gospel of total abstinence. If there occasional
lapses, even before the Murphy pledge, they we're
rare and Richard was soon himself again. and !
pushed the battle to the gates
A little over two years AGO, at the urgent socita-
tiOn of Richard Realf, the writer OF tins haSty |
tribute went eighty miles out OF hiJ way m England
TO visit the white-haired father and mother OF his
cherished friend. found them alone IN little cot
tage surrounded by blooming hedge and i'll para |
disc of flowers, for the old man IL gardenel When |
/ handed my letter of introduction from their long
absent son, the fathers eyes flooded with tears and
he went out among his roses and wept like child: |
The mother joined him, rs if to share the JOY Of |
good news; aud Was there ever more beautiful |
scene in garden than that The two bowed |
old people CRYING for gadnesS, and the air all fra
grant with blossoms When the tears were wiped |
away the mother FASTENED TO remove the sombTe |
dress she wore when the stranger entered the owly
door and appeared iii light-coOred apparel as If 10
harmony
rnmmaged in an old drawer and brought out Rich |
ards first volume of poems, treasure to her more
precious than gold. But of the questiOnings
and responses of that day l must not in |
duge. And it be possible that this brilliant life
has ended How strange the news from the sunset
this day. As write, my beloved friend lies yOnder
among strangers. a white-faced sleeper ready for
his burial. Far from his friends and farther from
his afectiOnae parents, let us trust that he is not
utterly f0rsaken by the friend of the frendless.
Poor Realf! We shall see his radiant cOuntenance
no more nor hear II tender voice again, until ali
the clouds are lifted from the gates of gold
.N(,c- York Oct. 80, 1873. ALEXANDER CLARK.