The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-16
REPORTERS REC0LLECTT0NS.

the local editors ante-room, and the conversation
turned upon interviews and the interviewed.
"Do you remember Pat Bolan, the oue,aEmed
man who shot and killed Dan Mahoney, several
years agof inquired one of the reporters. "Well,
I shah never forget him if I live a thousand
years. He was arrested Immediately after firing
the fatal shot, and flew minutes later l saw
him at the station-house. AS he placed his face
against the bars l thought / never before saw so
wild and terrible a human eye. Even now, if l
close my eyes, it rises before me, enormous, glow
ing and full of terror"
1.-THE worst pair of eyes I ever saw said
another of the force, "were those of Dick Holly
wood, the feather weight prize-ighter, who used
to keep a saloon on South Illinois street. 1t was
in 1917 or 1873. Dick went to Lafayette, at
tended a county fair there, and brought the eyes
back with him. He told me how it happened.
Somebody understood that he was an ex-prize-
fighter and about a dozen of them,
that Lafayette might have the honor
of vanquishing so redcubtable a person,
jumped upon him at once. There was
not a square inch upon Dicks body, face and
head included, that was not beaten black and
blue. As to his eyes, there was absolutely no
"hiSS IL olCt1i II0 UlOOd'N cSS6lo III JuOSS OEUS
having been broken and all the white being
turned to the most sanguinary red"
THE handsomest pair of criminal eyes [ ever
encountered" said the first reporter, "were
those of Guetig, the murderer of Mary McGlew.
l stood within two feet of him as ne was brought
into the Jail Office five minutes before his execu-
ton. His eyes were black as sloes and looked as
untroubled as a saints. | suppose that's a
proper comparison. L think I've seen saints
eyes somewhere in a picture. He had been
shaved, except his mustaehe, while his hair was
dalntlly eombeG. His features, when undisr
turbed by passion, were handsome. l remem-
Der as L looked upon him., then, within five min
utes of eternity, that l thought him the hand
soonest man had ever seem"
speaking of eyes" said the political re-
porter, whose occupation is now like Othellos,
Il f~eryently prayed-no, not prayed, hoped
Henry Ward BeecherIs hight blue orbs might be
blackened, metaphorically, in the political mill
just closed, but it was not to be. Ihadt the
pleasure, no great while ago. of dining with Mr..
Beecher at the Denison Hotel. He is a delight
full table-talker, and strewed good things all
through the repast, from soup to walnuts. The
old gentlemans eyes are thick-lidded, like
Blalne's and Buffers, full and pursy beneath,
with the foxiest lot Of wrinkles ever BURNED
into a human face. lie was, here then on a
lecturing tour. I'm not much in the way of
prophecy, but FL wager a Blaine and Logan
campaign hat that MI. Beecher's next tour, and
it will be made this winter, Will be through the
South, where they use to
"'Oh, for a.shot at a Yankee schoolteacher,
And, oh, for a crack at old Greeley and Beeeher.'
'Geoi &c Harding's eye was notlarge, butit was
expressive, and at times fairly danced with
humor. One day he met Enos B. Reed, of the
People. L saw a good thing in your paper this
week, said Harding, with a mischlevous twinkle
in his eye What was itf inquired Reed, evil
IDENTIFY much pleased with the anticipated com
pliment. "A can of oysters, said Harding, and
passed on.n
'Youknow how s~ecretive Harding was about
news" said another of the circle; that he never
communicated anything, but saved everything
for his own paper. When he came back from
his Mexican trip l went to see him. He was III
rare good humor and talked delightfully."- about
the things he had seen, particularly the none
tary system of the country. After the CONVEX
Sation L went at once and wrote an interview
with him and published it. He was greatly
chagrined, as he was boarding all the material
he had gathered for his own use; but he grace
fully acknowledged the SCOOP"
The only complete failure 1 ever made in an
interview" said one Of the listeners, 'e@asin
1871 1t was while the appointment of a bishop
for the Catholic diocese of Vincennes was being
considered, and all the papers were eager to get
the first information concerning the person who
would be appointed Archbishop Purcell, of
Clncinnad, came here to the bishops house, and
| was dispatched to interview him, The veneer
able preiate gave me a hospitable welcome and
requested me TO draw q CHAIR near to the fire
where he was toasting his slippers. The reporter
stated the object, of his visit; he desired to know
who would be the successor of the late Bishop
De st. Palais. And So said his grace, you
are a reporter. Oh, | know nearly all the gem
tlemen OF your guild in my own city. What
great changes have taken place in Indiana l
remember my visit to Vincennes in 1886 to
assist IN the eonsecratt ion of Bishop Brute and
so the Archbishop talked on. Any attempt to
bring him to the subject only served to launch
him upon another stream of "Reminiscences. He
talked delightfully."-, with frequent anecdotes and
a neat vein of humor, but, like the Prince of
S~erendib, in sorrow and shame, the reporter de-
parted as sad as he came.
by the way, Bishop Chatard is not an easy
man to interview, unless he chooses to be. But
he has the pleasantest way of Withholding the
specific information you may be after of any one
l know. Like Archbishop Purcell he talks, but
you cannot lead him, and if you do not get what
you went after you are almost certain to get
something that will readily work up into an in
teresting interview"
Said the political reporter: Il interviewed
Governor Hendricks four years ago, Immediately
after the nomination of General Hancock at
Cincinnati. | have interviewed him on many
occasions, but that was the first time I ever saw
him Hurried or ungenial. He is usually very
ready la expressing himself, but it took him
fully twenty minutes to give me half as many
lines expressing his complete satisfaction with
the nomination. He finally said it, said it grace
fully, but really he didn't look it. The other
day, Immediately after the election, interviewed
hum again. He was exceedingly prompt and
happy on the latter occasion"