The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-28

an important matter or news. Not q word had
been said during the course of the conversation
to lead me to regard it private and felt at
liberty TO make the freest use of my oDportuni-
ties. About IL o'clock that night Governor
Hendricks came tearing into my room and ex-
citedly asked me if had made an interview out
of our conversation the previous afternoon.
told him had, whereupon he fairly tore his
hair and peremptorily demanded its sup
preston. The matter was in type then, and
told him it had gone too far, but after
laborng with me for an hour I agreed to regard
the colloquy as private, and with pang killed
the report. From that moment until left In
dianapolis ! hadn't better friend in the world
than Governor Hendricks. He would get up at
midnight to oblige me- and in many ways he
showed his appreciation of what he must have
considered great favor Contrary to the COM
mon estimate of his character, Governor Hen
bricks was man of great frmness. Personally
he was brave Were it not for the courage he
displayed in the face of the greatest danger he
would have been killed during the popular
clamor following the exposure of the conspiracy
of the Knights of the Golden Circle. Howling
mobs had their hands at his throat, and the
slightest sign of cowar6ice on his part would
have been fatal His nerve saved his life and
won for him the wholesome respect of Governor
Oliver 2. Morton, which he held to the end of
the old Romans career. eight years ago.
The Philadelphia Press says: "Mr. Hendricks
met all easily enough; but his range narrow,
his choice of subjects not wide and casual allu-
sion was somewhat lost on a man W hose reading
seemed to have been close rather than varied.
For one personal incident, he spoke at this re-
eept'on OF coming to the city law student
and buying at stall in front of Leary's pre-
decessor worn copy of one of Byrons early
poems In an American reprint his first poetry.
But the extraordinary thing about Thomas A.
Hendricks was little likely to show at full
dress reception, and this was the grip which he
had and held the toughest and rudest of
Indiana politicians through long years in which
he had neither patronage nor prefermenu to offer.
Men call politics selfish; but where else does a
man hold support, affection and leadership as
Hendricks did through long years of disastrous
minority2"
Mr. Charles w. Cotton writes in the New AL
bany Ledger: Thomas A. Hendricks was
member of the first Sunday-school organized at
Shelbyville. His father was an ardent Presby-
terian. He was also one of the most prominent
opponents in Indiana of the running of the mails
on Sunday. 1t about 1888 or 1884 when
John Hendricks organized the first Sunday
school in Shelby county. 1t was held in the
diningroom of his residence, near Shelbyville.
Thomas A. and the writer of this brief ard i'm
perfect sketch were members of this school, and
his sister Mamie the teacher of the class.
In his boyhood days Mr. Hendricks never missed
attendance at the public service of the Presby
terrain Church, unless detained by illness"
Mr. y. o. Stealey, of the Louisville Courier
journal, tells the following anecdote: Mr..
Hendricks was fully convinced that he would die
suddenly. One day was telling him how terri
bic was the evident suffering of Mr.. Morton
during his illness, and the agony attending his
death. 1t was so awful. said Mr.. Hendricks, L
felt as sorry for him as a man could. l don't
think | will go that way. | don't want to. If
have one desire more sincere and earnest than
another it is to die suddenly. l want to go
quick. These long, painful sieges of illness,
ending in suffering death, are too terrible to
think about"
Carp" says in the Cleveland Leader: .In
morallzng upon Vice president Hendricks
"a W.
mark last night Said he: Strange is the work
ing of human life. Here is Governor Hendricks.
apparently in the full vigor of manhood, walk
ing the street with springing step. and with
nerves like iron. Samuel j. Tilden seems to be
on the verge of the grave. His voice trembles,
and gives forth but husky sound and he is, we
think in the last stages of dissolution. Still
Hendricks dies first, and Tilden lives to read his
obituary. "
An old friend, talking of Mr. Hendricks
speaking ability, says: He lacked the element
of making a crowd laugh He once said, in re-
gard to this: L can't be funny. 1t is not in me
to be funny. l cannot even repeat joke &C.
ceptably. l tried it once in the campaign for
Governor with Henry S. Lane. He told two or
three capital anecdotes, which / got pretty we'll
by heart, and thought I could turn the tables
against him by telling them at our next Joint
debate Somehow they were not taking The
people did not laugh, and when he got up to an
swer me he made more fun of my using his
jokes than the jokes themselves ever provoked.
| have not tried to be funny since'"
The Medical Treatment of the Case.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
There strange incidents in the death of
Vice-president Hendricks that have not been
commented upon as they deserve. His illness
began with chill, which was caused by his
/ going out to reception in thinner clothes than
he had been accustomed to wear. That is he
TOOK OFT his business SQlt and a 0raSS Snit
and then, after standing about in heated rooms
until nearly midnight he rode home. man
sixty five years of age who does that may expect
pneumonia, unless he wears an extra undershirt,
and that does not always give sufficient protec
ton. the Vice-president felt chilled when riding
homo. This was combination of fatigue and
unusually thin clothing.
The stomach troubles show that he had eaten
something that was not wholesome for him.
Usually at receptions there are refreshments
that not made up of the most digestible food
and drink.
That which is strange is that man of the
delicacy of organization of Mr.. Hendricks, with
the multiplicity of cares that he had and the
admontions he had received that he was no
longer young man, and Ills experience in social
affairs should have been careless as to his dress.
But the strangest thing is the treatment that he
received. Here man without an ounce of
superfuous flesh or drop of blood to spare,
subjected to bleeding because he had an acute
pain in his stomach We thought people had,
since George Washington was bled to death,
learned better than to take the very life out of
man, unless to reduce inflammatory action. Is
there any scientifically educated physician of
considerable experience who does not think that
the bleeding of the Vice president was the cause
of his death2 If there is such a man, we would
be glad to hear from him.
THE STATE PRESS.
ODinions of the NewsnaparS NJ rrx3;ana Vrx,o,,