The Sunday herald., 1886-11-28
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Conkiing at Ar,hur's FanersI--InterestIns Remi.
niscenecs Of the Late Presidcnt-Jury-rixers and
the Doodle eAldermen-rhestricslN News-Nr. How.
elIs's New Play.
Especial Correspondence.l |

by great pomp and display, though there was this
difference between the two occasions, that the multi.
tudes who witnessed Liucoin's funeral were bowed
with grief and aroused with Indignation over his as.
sassinauon, while AZ Grants funeral there was sim.
ply a manifestation OF deep sorrow, Horace Gree.
ey's funeral, being devoid OF any military display
whatever. was more like that of Gen. Arthur, eS.
cep that at the FIRST the evidences were OF Intense
popular grief, while only respectful sorrow and sad
ness looked upon the funeral cortege OF the latter
The gathering OF distinguished men at Arihurs
house and at the church Interesting In many re-
spec,s for the contrasts displayed. To my mind,
the most prominent figure present, under all the cir
cumsiances, was that Of Roscoe Conkling, Arthur's
bosom friend for all but the last 1--WE years OF mia fe
The es,rangement between them had been complete
They never spoke to one another afterthe fatal quar-
rel at Washington about Arthurs refusal TO appoint
Gen. Beale at Gen. Grants request, nor did Gen.
Grant ever after meet or recognize Arthur. Gen.
Arthur was likewise esiranged from Senator VIII
liam NJ. Evarts by incidents growing out Of the
struggle for the succession to Conkllng and Pla,t
and they never became reconclled. Both Evarts
and Conkllng were conspicuous figures at the iu-
neral, but could not question In my mind whether
or not they felt, in paying this last mark OF respect
to their old friend, nothing OF animosity. happen
to know by an Incident which occurred shortly be-
fore the election in 1ss5 that Gen. Arthur, while
| never making any overures toward reconciliation
with Conkllng, deeply regretted the estrangement
was talking with him at the intersection OF Twenty
third street, Broadway and Fifth avenue one after
| noon, when Mir. Conkling strobe rapidly by, going
up Broadway, and at the same time Senator Evarts
was passing leisurely through Twenty-thrd street.
conkling saw MIR. Arthur, hut Evarts did not,
being at greater distance across the street.
Neither the exPresident nor ex-senator salu,ed
each other In any way. Conkling did not look back,
| but saw Mr.. Arthur turn and follow him with his
eyes until he had reached the other side of Twenty
third street, when he directly upon Mr. Evar,s.
I turned to Mr. Arthur and said suggesively, "Two
old friends Of yours?" Iexpected he would shrug his
| shoulders with an expression OF indifference. He
did not, but continuing to look at Conkling's fast
retreatng hgure simply said, "Yes," in a sad tone.
"Not friends yet ~ 1 asked, and he audibly sighed
| as he said, "No."
There was one thing in his career which Mr..
Arthur deeply regretted, as he told me one night
while still pursuing that phase of his life. 1t was
the fact Of his being the actual leader Of Republican
| local politics. Circumstances placed him In that
uncongenla position, and kept him there during
State campaign In which he had neither pleasure
interest, that in which Alonzo b. Cornell ran for
| Governor against Lucien Robinson and John Kelly.
| Mr.. Arthur probably had q good deal to do with
| Kelly's bolt against Robinson's nomination, hut
| he had not worked to that end for MIR. Cornells
| sake. Many times during the subsequent canvass
he spoke of the unpleasantness Of the position and
| OF the reputation mlnipulator Of petty and
dirty politics which the local leadership brought
him. During each canvass his position led him to
| change of habits, and he would often take long
walks at or O'Clock in the morning, until people
who did not know of his quiet ways under ordinary
| circumstances thought late hours were q common
thing with him. He had necessarily to make many
acguaintances in politics which he could recog-
nize in society or business. Speaking OF these un-
pleasant surroundings incidental to his political po-
sition, he said to morning at about O'Clock,
| "Poople think am political trader and regular
| rounder." While speaking We were at table in
Brownies famous chop-house taking some English
chops and ale. AS he spoke man entered, who
fainiliarly approached the General and shook hands
with him. We were introduced, and I asked him 1,
he would not share our chops and have glass of
ale. He scowled at me for moment and said, "Do
you think I'd eat meat on Friday7" said did not
| either know that 1t Friday or that he had any
| religious scrupes. He left us abruptly, and Gen.
| Arthur, smiling, said, "That probably will make
| you think I'm rounder." "Who is he ~ asked.
He told me, with qulzzical look that it was
tain prominent man who had lately been acquitted
OF killing one who few years before had slain his
brother, the two murders being the result OF an old
| pendeud. mention this conversation aud Incident
illustrating how obnoxious the political life
| which led Unexpectedly to Gen. Arthurs public
prominence, and how much more natural than peo-
pie suppose was the dignity which he displayed on
reaching the Presidency.
Notwithstanding the estrangement between Arthur
and Grant and Conkllng over an appointment which
he could not concede to such friends, Gen
Arthur was very true to his friends. / was very
active, Tribune writer seven years ago, In urg-
ing the election of Rufus B. Cowing, the present
Judge of the General Sessions Court, and Arthur
having warm interest In his election, often sug.
gesed articles calculated to bring about tina,
end. After his election Judge Cowing asked me II
there was anything he could do to repay Inc, and
answered no. few days later an ex-deputy sherlfi
who had brought the Tribune some extremely i'm
portant news when he was in ONCE, and for which
he would take no pay, came to me and told me h,
WAS an applicant for q position in Judge Cowingi
court but the Judge had told him that of the twelve
subordinate positions 10 which he could appoint
. | persons he had only the appointment OF one; tn,
others were to be named, as was customary, by tn,
district leaders and approved by Gen. Arthur.
went to the General and he told me the appointment
had been decided upon. told him the circnm
stances Of this mans service and of his refusal Il
take pay and that had no other way to repay hin
than by urging his appointment to OF the place
in Cowing's court. candidly told him that the up
: pllcant Democrat, but that he had worked 70
for the election Of the Republican Judge. Gen. Ar
thur thought awhile and said, swell, he shall hav
it," These were the circumstances OF the appoint
ment ofihe present popular and ecient Capt. Curry
ofthe General Sessions Court. believe 1t was abou
the only time that Gen. Arthur, the Republican
leader, ever personally appointed Democrat 4
. ONCE.
e The course OF the jury which has been trying Nc
/ Quade, one OF the "boodle" Aldermen. indicate
very clearly that the jury have been activ
in the matter personally saw the skiing Of the jury
nxers' and another active operator about the
during the trial. This latter 'jury- is empoye
Q by railroad company as a detective, and he occa
, sionally arranges evidence rather manpuates II
defeat the claims Of injured persons for damages
In this State the heirs of person killed by ralwa
train can recover only 5000 damages, but an In
: jured person who survives sue for any amount
hence the manufacture OF evidence show that IN
, persons suing Injured through their own care
lessness Is alucrative and extensive business for
OF unconsconable scoundrels. Still this particula
operator nnds time to do little In the way Of ge
a ting corrupt men drawn on jures In actions wher
a much money or rich mems liberties are at stak,
In desperate cases, like that OF the "bO0dle Aide
3 men, these people can only hope to secure dsa
l. greement, and, as rule, they paid TO secur
Is about the unwlsest thing prisoner can d
q though 1t saves him temporarily; for the effect
r the disagreement OF Jury In such cases by
u single man, or even two, holding out against III
evidence, Ii to arouse the newspapers TO indignal
- demands for an immediate retrial Of the indlcte
y person. The District Attorney, also indignant
- being defeated In this way, Ia moved TO insist upo
- an early retrla. Judges who would decline TO =
through another term willingly consent to prolractt
a. labor to maintain Justice thus defeated. HayiI
Al tried the case the prosecution, made aware
NJ the actual defense Of the prisoner, Is better pr
r. pored to retry 1t. And now Jurors are apt to fe
ie more sensiby the importance OF their duties, al
ID to know the odum attaching TO suspicious dis
I'd greement.
IN Judge Henry Hilton, either for himself or for Il
Stewart estate, has been building the site OF Il
ly Old Harrigan aud Hart Theatre large building 4
al purposes hitherto undeclared. The secret OF
nnal use has been carefully maintained II looks
u II It might be either church or a theatre, but
h understand II Is to be neither. II Is to be an AIne
can version, with slight alterations OF those PARISH
passages, as they are called, nlled with small boot
=. for the sale OF every imaginary article. samples
a, which only are Kept In these booths. Any large