Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-20

from which he escaped, but returned few
days ago, broken down and dying. General
Buford was passionotelv devoted to Tom,
and bankruptcd himself in defending him.
His financial troubles, the loss of his son,
promising young man, and his brothers
misfortu1cs were the causes Of his act.
Hon. Hester Clymer died suddenly at
Reading, Pa, Thursday of paralysis, at the
age of tifty.seven. He was a native of Berks
county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on
Dec. 3, 1897. lie was graduate OF Prince
ton, and was admitted to the bar In Reading
in 1S+7. Originally Wing, he early asso-
clated himself with the Democratic party
and was delegate 10 the Democratic nation
al convention of 1860 In the fall of 1860 he
was chosen 10 the Senate to fill the unex-
PRED term of Mr.. Muhenburg, who had
been elected to Congress, and he continued
in the Senate until March, 1866, when he re-
signed 10 accept the Democratic nomination
Tor governor. Mr. Clymcr, entered the SEN
ate when there were but six Democrats in
the body, including himself, and he at once
took the leadership of his party. lie was al
ways dignified and able in debate, courteous
to his fellow Senators, and highly respected
by all parties. He made most vigorous
campaign for the governorship in 1866
against Governor Geary, stumping every
section of the State, but he was defeated. In
1872 he was elected to Congress, and was
reelected in 1874 '76 and '7S, being admit
tedly the Democratic leader of the Pcnnsyl-
vania delegation and one of the accepted
Democratic leaders of the House. Since his
retirement from Congress he had devoted his
time to the management of his private busi-
ness.
John Reese, an old friend of the late
Charles Fenno Hoffman, who regularly visited
him twice year at the Harrisburg asylum,
writes to the New York Tribune that the un.
fortunate poet was known there as 1.-THE
colonel" and was extremely popular. ellis
malady," says Mr.. Reese, Twas not OF a
violent type except during o thunder storm,
when he would imagine he was being at
tackled by Indians, and would place himself
in position of defence His hair had entire
y gone, so he constantly wore a cap. He
had The entire run of the grounds and loved
to roam about outside the building. He read
ntellgcntly and although his mind wander
ed he would at times converse 80, too" The
medical superintendent showed Mr.. Reese a
small collection of Hoffman's poems publish
ed many years ago. On the margin Of many
pages Hoffman had marked in pencil alter
atoms and memoranda of various kinds
during his weary years in the asylum. Once
he asked Mr.. Reese what Lewis Gaylord
Clark was writing now aud whether the
hniCSerJOcher was still in existence. II said
to him during that interview that | had
read with much interest his fine novel of
'Greyslaer,' he did not appear to remember
ever writing it-could not recall it,"
That remarkable crank, Maurice Pinch.
over, who has haunted the halls of the Cap
itol at Washington so long, and to whom
Benz Pcrley Poore gave national fame by
putting his picture in the Century Magazine
is dying in an insane asylum at Washington.
His pet deuson was that some member of
Congress, usually the Speaker, had swindled
him out of millions of acres of land. How
often he has come storming around the
House of Representatives and been forced
out nobody but the police can tell. Until
lately he was never more violent than to
pound with the big tin case in which he
carried the title deeds to his fictitious es-
tates whoever ventured to disagree with HIM.
Then his crankism took more dangerous
turn, and, for fear that he might do harm,
he was committed to the asylum in which
he will probably take leave of life. He is
an interesting mental wreck. Nobody knows
anything of his anteCedents, but it is evil
dent from bis talk in lucid moments that he
has been highly educated and intelligent
man.