The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-27
CANCER IN THE STOMACH.
How n Bogus Newspaper Report Caused
Judge Davis Much Inconvenience.

How n Bogus Newspaper Report Caused
Judge Davis Much Inconvenience.
Washington Special.
Speaking Of affecting men in public life with
that dread complaint. cancer in the stomach, IL
recall" said an old Senator to-day. 'two reckless
statements OF this kind which related to Nom
bers of the Senate, and which gave them end
less trouble when each was in perfect health.
One was David Davis. He was very fond of
soft-shell crabs, and daily at lunch during the
crab season had some served in the Senate res
tsurant
"a paragraph was published in q local paper
saying that Senator Davis's favorite dish was
soft-shell crabs. Another paper. quoting the
paragraph and referring to the zodiacal sign.
added; Senator Davis 10 fond of having cancer
in his stomach A third paragrapher cut it
down 60 that It read: Senator Davis, 1t Is cur
rently reported. has cancer in the stomach
The Senate adjourned shortly after. and Mr..
Davis returned to his home in Bloomington, Ill.
Tho cancer paragraph went the rounds; was
revived in q Baltimore paper. where the public
was informed that Senator Davis was hopelessly
afflicted with cancer in the stomach and was at
lis home In Illinois. The paragraph was tele-
graphed from Washington in every direction.
and went uncontradicted for two days. Mean
while kilograms from personal friends poured
iato Bloomington from all parts of the country
to hear of his illness, hoping the report was ex-
sgerated, trusting the ailment was not beyond
medical skill, and 80 on.
at was in tho very midst of the heated term
in 1873 when this happened. All day long mes
engers went to his house with anxious inquiries
f-om abroad. The old gentleman with his $50
pounds Of solid flesh was thrown into a reekIng
Precipitation writing messages. assuring all he
was never In better health. The annoyance did
not end there. The mail for q week brought
him letters from friends. all Of which he was
obliged to personally attend to, until the labor
became so great he sent for a stenographer at
Springfield.
.Mr. Davis told nae that reckless joke and uu-
Warranted statement cost him days of labor
when he needed rest. besides a considerable
sum of money for postage stamps, clerk hire
and IN paving for kilograms. When months aft
er it was explained how the story originated he
told me it was true he was fond Of crabs and so
was his fsther The Judge actually turned pale
when ne hea-~ Aow the report about him orig
mated. Said ne: My father died of that kind of
cancer in the stomach; that is, he one day ate
heartily of crabs. which caused so severe q spell
of collie that he died before medical aid reached
him.
1.-THE other Senator, and the last victim of
newspaper cancer in the stomach before Mr..
Randalrs case, was Senator Blackburn, of Ken
lucky. He explained that in his case it was not
crabs, but he believed the work of . Grabbed
physician. who for some cause had become dis
pleased with him. He told a lady who was a good
gossip the story confdentiaily that he had can
Ger in the stomach. and she told it to her friends
conidentially, and finally the public had this
little confidence game successfully played upon
il by simultaneous appearance of the story in
different parts of the country"
"Mr. Randalls cancer Of tho stomach, added
the Senator, 1T now appears. came solely from
a crab-style of Journalism, the kind which only
makes progress back ward."