The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-18
UNCLE JOE" LAWSON DEAD.
A Well Known Figure that Has Been Seen
for the Last Time.

Joseph Lawson, or, as he was universally
known for the past thirty years of his residence
here, Joe" Lawson, and ''Old joe" died yester
day afternoon in the city, at the advanced age
of eighty-fve, though during his whole life his IN
wholesome appearance around would have induced
the belief that he would not live year. Until
within the last ten or fifteen years he was a city
''charact ter" the oldest, funniest and most
noted Of all that have figured in the trole" of
city notorieties. His mind, some thought con-
eenitally. some believed from the effect of secret
vice, was unbalanced. He was not idiotic. for
he could talk with fair intelligence when encour-
aged to do so. and ne was not insane. He had no
hallucinatiqd, no Ats of frenzy, times Of danger
Gus feeling. He was harmless sober, and good
natured. 1t is possible that his fantastic face
and figure bv inducing belief in his mental i'm
becility led everybody to treat him as weak
minded, and thereby enlarge deficiency that
education and judicious association would have
measurabIy effaced At all events he was men
tally unsound. His form short bumped,
stumpy and extremely awkward, his gait shut
fling, his legs knock kneed his feet splayed his
face long, and sallow, and hollow his eyes dull
and fshy, bis mouth puckered and protruded as
If in perpetual preparation to whistle, and
always foul with tobacco juice The boys of the
past generation used to accuse him of carrying
his fish baitin his mouth. AcOmmon juvenile joke
was TO hail him: what you got in your mouth,
JoeW and follow it with the assumed answer,
"'Orms'
He came to this city probably in 1888. or there
abouts, with his brotheri law DR.. Soule, son of
Bishop Soule, the first resident dentist of the
city. After the death of the Doctor and his
wife, Joes sister Joe lived charity, and be-
came better known then to the boys, as he was on
the streets about the fishing places constantly,
getting his ''flin'" as he called his food,
and the cast-of clothing that were his only wear
1t is doubtful If In forty years he ever wore
single garment that was made OF bought for
him. His living came chiefly from the kitchens
Of hotels and the kindness of Old residents who
knew him well. He was also beneficiary
years For several years he was
kept at the county asylum, but his long vagrant
life, as harmless as it was idle, made the re-
straint of the asylum intoerabe, and the Jour
nal making an exposition Of his case a number
of citizens contributed and built him little
ahanty up the canal, in "Blake's Woods, and he
lived there for considerable time.
The most notable feature of his life was his
ambition to become an actor. This about
the year 1850, and later company of men
collected on some corner or in "a saloon-though
Joe was saloon loafer-would get him to
recite the ''Soliloquy of Richard ILL.," or sing
the "Hindoo Lover" and his comcal appearance,
voice AID acting made it a very enjoyable bur
lesque. The Legislature of 1851, in the wild
orse of which the journal gave an
account recently, had Joe in the Speakers
stand to spout and sing He was the standing
butt OF the boys and young men of his time, but
occasionally, as the old backwoods phrase had
it, when they boiled him for fool they got
scalaed with the broth" Horace A Fletcher
once gave him q sum IL arithmetic. as q joke for
a crowd in Mr. Nowlands hotel IF pound Of
butter costs ten cents how much will a hog
weight Come round to Haugh's hog scales
nd we'll see" The laugh fell the wrong
side that time Joe was sometimes provoked
into attempting reprisals on the boys that both
cred him, but he never hurt anything, never
drank, at least to excess, never dishonesty used
anybody elses property told malicious lie
Many bigger man was not half as much man
morally, if the imputation as to the cause of his
mental condition was unfounded.