The Ouachita telegraph., 1880-07-09
WILLIAM K. ENGLlSH:
His Glad Bcdroon,-How He
Watched for Bank RObbers.-Per-
sOnal Description aud Charac.
teristics of the DemOcrntic
Nominee for the Vice.
Presidency.
Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer.l


Correspondents Cincinnati lsnquiror.]
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, June 29.-The
Democratic nominee for Vice-Presi-
dent has been so long out Of public life
that, personally, he is almost unknown
outside Of the circle of business men
with whom his extensive interests
have brought him in contact. When
he retired from Congress in 1861 he
had placed himself in bad odor with
the Southern wing of his party, because
he had declared that the slaveholding
States must expect oil the rights they
demanded within the Union, and any
attempt Mt secession should be stamped
out by the strong arm of the Govern
ment. During the war there was no
Democratic party only shadow, aud
with that shadow he did not act and,
although his voice was for war, he
Ideclined the colonelcy of a regiment
which was rendered him by Gov.
Morton, and devoted his attention to
tional bank act. At the time Of the
organization of the First National
Bank tho money owners generally
were afraid to touch them, but English
saw that it was the tide which led on
to fortune, and he went with it. He
gave to Morton $4,000 in stock, and
the same to Mr.. Hendricks, who was
then United States Senator, and al
lowed the dividends to pay out the
stock. This gift of 20, 900 was a stroke
of policy which illustrates the fact that
Mr.. English knows when and how to
place his money so that it will do the
most good. The bank prospered and
grew until it had a circulation of $780,
600 and stock for 81 100000.
Mr.. English grew rich faster than
the bank, and during the last few years
of his connection with it he gave no
attention to the details of its manage
ment. But when the panic came in
1873 he opened his own money bags,
filled the bank windows with bills and
specie, and notified deposilors that
they We're ready for a ssrunn at any
time their customers, might want their
cash. His idea of banking was simple.
'Lend no man a dollar without ample
security, and return TO every man his
deposits when he wants Them"
Bank robberies became quite fire.
quent after the panic, and one of their
favoritc methods was to visit the resi-
dences of the officers and compel them
to open the vaults. Mr.. English,
though man of superior physical
courage, we'll knew that when a bur-
glar went that far he had very little
compunction about going to greater
extremes, and he prepared for the
boys. 49,. e.. ,..,'-i'' =.
- An ironclad bedroom struck him as
about the safest means of defense against
the intrusion of burglars, and he had
his sleeping apartment worked over
until it afforded him just the protection
he needed He had no valuables in
his house beyond such articles of plate
and jewelry as he might have, and no
part of that was ever kept in his iron
clad room. His residence fronts to the
east, on the Circle, and his bedroom is
upstairs front, and would not attact
especial notice were it not for the lattice
work of steel bars, which are plainly
visible from the street. Since his retire
ment from the bank the bedroom has
never been locked. happened to be
at his residence some months ago, and
he attempted to show me how he lock-
ed himself in; but the key was lost
and the bolts had rusted so that they
could not be worked. ...a,
WATCHING FOR BuRGLARs
was one Of his favorite amusencnts on
extremely stormy nights, especially
in winter. The writer reached Indian
apolis one cold morning in the winter
of 1872, at o'clock and in going from
the depot home had to pass the First
National Bank. The snow was driven
with rnerciless fury by as cold wind
as ever blew, whirling into halls and
around corners, making 1t almost
impossible to live long if exposed to it,
and yet in the bleakest, most exposed
place in tho building stood Mr., Euglish,
with navy six in his hand. In
answer to an inquiry as to what he
was doing there, he said: stThis is
the kind of night that burglars get in
their work, and as we are the custodians
of the property of other people, 1 want
to sec that it is all right.' T looked
inside the bank and saw the old watch
man nodding beside a comfortable fire,
and wondered if he would not feel
better if he knew that Mr.. English was
standing guard for him.
His personal Appearance is rather
marked. He is fine physical speci-
men, six feet tall in his boots, and
weighs about 1s5, possibly 200. His