Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-12
How the Blaine slandsr Originated
'atch to the Gibbs Dsnocrat

i
Special Dispatch to the Clsbs- Dsnocnt.
FORT WoRTH, Tex, September s.
John Randall, one Of the staupchesf
Democrats in Bosque county, living
at Meridian, KY, when james G..
Blaine taught there. He was casually
overheard day or two ago TO say he
knew the charges against Blaine to be
untrue, and this fact coming to the
knowledge of the representative of
the Globe-Democrat, he took the train
this morning and at Meridian found
Randall in conversation with Colonel
William Tourney, of Waco, on the
subject. Randall says Professor John
ston was principal of the school, and
that Blaine and Miss Stanwood were
teachers. Blaine in the male school
and Miss Stanwood in the female
school. Johnston became embarrassed
financially, and the directors found
fault with the management, several
acrimonious discussions arising be-
tween Johnston and one of the direc-
tors, who is now dead. On one occa-
sion this director came to the school,
and after words with Johnston-who
was q much older and physically
weaker man than the director-at-
tackled him, when Blaine, who heard
the quarrel, came into the school room
and upbraiding the director for his
cowardice, administered sound
thrashing, driving him from the
building.
THE SHOTGUN EPISODE.
A director went of, but returned di-
rectly with a double barreled shotgun,
ayowing that he would kill Blaine.
Several pupils saw him coming, and
notified Blaine, who had to run around
the bulldog and in and out of the
rooms to avoid being shot, when
three of the boys got behind the d.
rector and disarmed him and with
tbs aid of several others gave the d.
rector a sound thrashing.
Randall says Blane's attentions TO
Miss Stanwood were open and honor
able, and that the pupils of both knew
the affection existed, the boys teasing
Blaine about il, and that Ii was
known for weeks beforehand that they
were to be married. No breath of
scandal had been heard. The scholars
all understood that when the session
was over the couple would be married
aud as it had been determined to end
the session on the day of the shotgun
episode, on the afternoon of the same
dav James 6. Blaine and Miss Stan
wood were quietly married, babe
goodbye to their scholars and went
north.
HOW THE STORY STARTED.
A worthless fellow named Hawkins
saw the shotgun business and heard
of the marriage, SO put the two to-
gether, telling cock and bull story of
how Miss Stanwood's father had made
Blaine marry his daughter.
Randall states farther that he knows
that Mr.. Stsnwood had been dead for
over three years before the time of
this woman's marriage.
Son of the above facts came to the
knowledge of MIN Norton, of Dallas,
son of A. b. Norton, and knowing
that j. Ii. Johnston, clerk for the con-
tractor erecting the Federal building |
at Dallas, was son of Prof. Johnston,
not wishing to be a witness in the In !
dianapolis libel suit, did not have any,
thing to say, and did not want the
public TO know that he knew of the |
circumstances. Young Norton is now
in Houston attending the state Re
publican convention, aud informed
Deputy United States Marshal A. N.
Woody that on his return he would
visit Randall and get his statement IN
full.
Randall, who is a Democrat and OPP
posed to Blaine, says that the charge
made by the Sentinel is UNANIMOUSLY
false. When the marriage took place |
the young girls brought flowers for
Miss Stanwood's hair and dress, and
the boys gave the bridal party fare
well cheer when they bid goodbye to
Kentucky. The shotgun had nothing
to do with the wedding, and Hawkins
own conclusions of what he knew
nothing about formed the basis for
the whole stery.