Middletown transcript., 1880-02-28

teDsity. "Write it on the back" he
exclaimed, and this was done, when
the card was handed back to him. He
was very much agitated, and said
'Remorse! You have no idea what il
is j.; you can form no idea of it, what.
ever; it has contributed to bring me
to my present situation. Now. let
John take your pencil and draw line
under the word" This was done, and
the Doctor inquired; "What am l to
do with the cardy' "Put it in your
pocket-take care of it. When l am
dead, look at it, was the reply.
The lead-pencil marks on the card
are nearly as plain as when first writ
ten, and the unders coring by John
upon its back shows that he did it
with a very tremulous hand, as the
line is uneven. The lady who has this
card in her possession also has a num-
Der of papers bearing upon the death
CT Mr.. Randolph in the form of cores
pondence with gentlemen in Virginia,
in which the orthodox "thee" and
"thou" are invariably used. In one
of these, to William Leigh, of Halifax
county. Virginia, DR.. Parrish says, in
a description of Mr.. Randolph's ac-
tions when he ordered his will to be
read:
He appeared to me to rally all the
remaining energies of mind and body
to accomplish this great and last act
of his life. His whole soul appeared
to be engaged in it, viz: The conform
alton of will wherein he had liberia
ted and made provisions for his slaves. ="
1t seems from some of his cores
pondence that the will manumitting
the slaves was made but a short time
before his dea h, as a letter among
these papers. from Judge Leigh, Of
Virginia, one of the executors Of the
will, says that, in will made by Mr..
Randolph, January l, 1882, there was
no provision made for the emancipa-
ton of the slaves but, on the contra
ry, it was directed that a number of
them be sold. Juage Leigh then says
that in a will which had been in his
possession since 1922, but which Mr..
Randolph cancelled when he executed
the other, in 1882. provision was made
for the emancipation Of the slaves, and
he had amply provided for their re-
moval. The original deposition that
DR. Parrish made before the Courts at
Richmond is now in the possession of
his youngest son.
The reporter of The Record had
very interesting conversation with
Captain James West, memoer of the
present Board of Health, who knew
Mr.. Randolph well. Mr.. Randolph
went to Europe on the sailing packet
Alexandria, of the old Cope line, soon
after his duel with Mr.. Clay. Captain
West was at that time the first mate
Of the vessel, and gentleman named
Baldwin was the Captain. 1t was the
custom in those days when the packets
had received the cargo to drop down
to New Castle and make an inspectiou
of the crew. This was done to make
sure that there was no drunken men
among the number. The passengers
were then taken aboard and the vessel
set sail. CAPTAIN West states that the
recolleets distinctly the arrival of Mr..
Randolph. The latter had lost his hat
on the way down and a red haDdker-
chief was bound about his head His
body was encased in an old flannel
wrapper, and he was an object that
very readily commanded attention, for
he looked like walking skeleton As
sooD as he stepped on board the Alex
andria, Randolph proclaimed himself
master there, and stated to the captain
that he was prepared to dispute the
matter with him. 1t was the rule of
the company that only cabin passen-
gers should carry dogs over, and just
as the Virginian statesman got on
board Captain West was in the act of
sending ashore a dog that had been
on board by a steerage pass
enger. Randolph inquired of him
what he was doing, and Captain West
explained the rule of the company.
in loud, piping voice, de-
Jared that the dog should not go
ashore, and, when the Captain said
hat it should, he became very
much excited, and declared that if his
by John (Mho had been left behind
or some unknown reason) was there
le would make him shoot every one
Who interfered with him. Finding
hat the Captain was determined TO ;;
larry out his order Randolph gave the
'wner $3.50 gold piece for the pos ;;
essiOn Of the dog during the trip, and ;;
hen, as the owner of the animal, he
lefied the Captain to put him ashore !
This was only the beginning of the
roHble with Mr.. Randolph. 1t took
twenty-five days to make the trip, =
nd the officers had a serious time /.
With him. He wanted to kick every /
'ody that got in mis- way, and if any :
ne offered to ass st him in hunting =
apers, which he kept the cabin well :
ttered up with, he drove them off =
nth the remark that when he wanted :
hem he would call them. He wor- :,
led the Captain out of patience, and
'aptain West says that one evening,
'hile he had the second watch below, :,
ne second mate came 10 him with an y y
rder from the Captain to make Z
5raight jacket, as he could not stand =
Tr. Randolph any longer, and would r +
y the influences of restraint upon :,
i'm.
Captain West reasoned with Captain = =.
and told him that he could a. a.
ever keep the old mans tongue still, 4,
n, as he had often said himself, "his ~ ~
'mper was spiced With the devil" 4 =
aptain West states that he gained ~ =.
lie confidence of Mr.. Randolph by es- s. E
ousing his cause in the many wrangles n n
which he became involved, and this >.
,nfidence led him to invite the Cap g
in to Roanoke, when he added that "
lis was an invitation that he extended "