New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-20
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
WHAT MEN ARE SAYING AND DOING THERE

WASHINGTON, May 10.-The fact that tho recent
| Democratic Convention In indianapolis met WITHOUT
picture OF the lato Vice President Thomas A. Hen
bricks TO act as a ralyIng point for enthusiastic
Hooslcriom, and had 10 send out hurrcdy ior
| replica OF his wellknown ncamcnts, has had
drastic effect upon the owners OF various poomets'
and has moreover Injured largely to tho benefit OF tho
| local phooerap her: but The Physical Wreek, as
am informed required no such adventurous ad 10 MS
ingenious mind. For months past am advised, no
has had ready, not merely, but two couhteriet
proscntmcnts OF his engaging counenance and Apollo
Ike form. These have been lmncd In oil " with Gun
ming arto and are am told, fullength iikencsses.
The designed to appeal to tho younger ana more
ambitious delegates IN the st. Louis Convention rep
rescns Black as scrgeant-major Of the lin lnlana
zouavcs. The CATERS, baggy nexpressbles ana req
Zouaye cap in this illustration are designed 10 10
peculiarly effective Tho other and final illustration'
evidently aims at being regular crusher, SO 10
speak, 1t depicts tho fraudulent pensionor In inc
tchastc and sombro garments Of Official greatness
whlo upon his solderlovng heart, pinned TO the left
lapel of his block frocE-coa the Grand Army Dadge
shines out consplcuously-he badge Of that organzs
tion in fact which he has continuously lapored 10 us
| credit and destroy.
Each Wow, doubtless to prevent mistakes is simply
but largely labelled with and rank; the adver
tscmcnt last described being dOcketed with true spar
tan brevity: General John c. Black Commissioner OF
| Pensions" I learn that guard OF honor, appointed
| from the ranks or bis own clcrkS, anu uhuot Wv"
Service rules has already been told of TO accompany
these precious specimens Of preRaphaelite art to 81
Louis at their own expense, and to hurrah for tho
Physical Wreck in tho convention hail. where they
ondly hope to run I'M the advertisements upon the
stage, while the band plays In the Sweet By-and-
By When Can Read My Title Ccar,' 'Thc Roguc's
| March, or some such appropriate and eyhlaraung
| air.
Some Of Blacks fuglemcn Will then, doubtless, rise
and explain why in his cectoneerng tour In Brooklyn
last August he publicly approved Clevcland's order
for the return Of the rebel flags and also how many
of his masters pension vetoes he Black caused 10 DC
prepared and recommended Meanwhile, am told that
Black has given pledges to the southern wing OF the
Democracy that IN the OF HIS receiving tho NOM
| nation TO the Vice Presidency, he VIII "bounce'
forthwith every Republican cmploye stu remaining
| in his Office.
Colonel Bob, IngcrsoIl must have laughed to him
self last Tuesday when his old friend, Mrs Hickman,
met him at the Capitol, as he was srolling from the
Senate to the House, and said:
Colonel, have message from Mr. Conkllng l
had long talk with him day or two ago through
| trance medium lie told to tell you that since he
has been IN spirtand, where all things Of earth arc
perfectly clear to him, no secs that he was on the
| wrong side In the telephone case, and so were you
He says neither Bell nor Drawbaueh is entitled to the
patent that It rghtfully belongs to son OF Justice
| Woods, Of either Rochester Buffalo, N Y He
says that long before Bell took patent Woods had
models In the Patent Ohicc for transmitting sound
| through and by water, without any wire at ALL
Mrs Hickman is a benevolent old lady who has spent
many winters In Washington lobbying for charities
and laws locking to moral reforms. She is lady OF
property and her son is Judge in Of the Terri
tories She became acquainted with Mr.. Conklng and
! Colonel Ingcrson ard nearly every other public man
I'm the many winters here, during which she has been
| at the Capitol almost every day.
Mrs. Hickman says that everything Mr.. Conklins
told her through the trance medium IS true, and she as
ses that the Western Union has recently begun suit
in Chicago against the Bell patent, and in favor of
Woods who has sold large part Of his interest that
| company.
| This interview with Mr Conhllng was had through
| a New-Tork trance medium, a Mrs. Wocdhouse who
| has been here several months Mrs. Woodhouso Is
very handsome wOman about forty years OF age. She
has notlceably fine figure, and she dresses richly
She IS very light blonde and has beautiful teeth.
| Tuesday night Mrs. WOOdhouse gave seance at the
house OF senator Palmer She charges well for every
message she brings from tho spirit land-depend upon
| that Tho richer the "customer7 the heavier the
| charge. 1 wonder how much Senator Palmer had to
payl
1t has never been my happy privilege to be present
at any OF the hearings accorded to attorneys by
| Tho Physical Wreck" at which momentous ques-
| tlons OF pension law judicially decided; but /
understand that the pompous solemmty which pre-
walls upon such occasions puts our supreme court
utterly to shame, and suggests the awe-inspiring
grandeur OF Westminster Hall during the trial Of a
Warren Hastings Queen Charlotte. am told
that during one of these hearings in which the pension
case OF an ex-gencra being argued, Mr.. James NJ
Ward Law Clerk OF the Pension Bureau, ard the same
bibulous and cratic verify who tried conclusions with
THE TRIBUNE the other day. appeared, as is customary
FOR the Crown
Br'cr Ward made long argument adorned with
tbo ctn
which Black listened with his usual fat, SNUG, self
compIaccnt smile, and HIS hcnchman sat down con-
WINGED that he had dealt his opponent a regular
faccro The attorney for the pensioner made reply
after the usual fashion, and at the close Of his remarks
observed:
But my learned brother has omitted most i'm
portant citation, yer IIonah In support Of his nest
| able and eloquent argument"
81 fail to recall it, Mr. Blank' remarked the
bea" with pursed-up lips ard all the profound sem
tontiousness Of his xtra-Iudcial manner.
at is to be found I'm the book,' replied the attor
ney and ii yer IIonah Will desn to allow me, Will
| cite &c. as ! have IT hcre.'
vheIeupon, taking up an open book with the place
properly Marked the attorney proceeded
| You VIII find the precedent which my learned
brothah appears to have forgotten. but which might
ftnely have closed and characterized his showing Of
the case, duly forth IN OF our highest author
tiles on English Common Law, and respectfully refer
yer Honah to 1t. Here is the book: Dickens 2; the
celebrated OF Badel VS.. Pickwick ,: where the
learned Sergeant Buzfiz, Q. c., makes that telling
point Chops and tomato sauce, gentlemen"
| have been told that the Law Clerk of tho Pension
Bureau made no reioinder. and that like Abrer Dean
Of Angels whom Brets Harte unsteady celebrates
when the chunk OF old red sandstone hit him In the
abdomen" the subsequent proceedings interested him
| no moros
| When Mr. Kennedy OF ohIo in HIS speech last Tues
day alluded to the Rev. B0bcrt ]. Breckenridge, OF
kentucky, there was hearty applause on the RepuD-
| lican side
! The present Mr. Breckenridge once told the story
upon young relative" that when he got into his
rikorrn wns alniit. TO inn his COMPANY. he