Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-05
JOHN RANDOLPH.
GOLF NEW ANECDOTES OF THE &c
CENTRIC VRGlNlAN.
prc...d for m Engiis', Court Re
cep.Ion-Denry Ciay's story0i
Their Relations
New York TImes.l

,.oo nassiny by tho door of tho lobby
,oo5;oc TO .he floor Of the House OK hep-
,oscntatives at Washington. give "na'
| folIov,s in his own words % narrateu "
mo forty years letter. -,
~ oDrroached tho entrance" said
Wrifford, Il heard shrilI, piping ihiui'
o.ed voice rs il in quarrelsome aitercation'
NV first impression was that tlpsy woman l,'al
! had made her way into the mouse ann nn
resistinr efforts 20 expel her puSnITeu , on
| IN coIild oet a view of the floor 10 my
oopton1shment perceived tho sounds came
/ Sroyn a fall and very slender, swarthy young
49,, with lone. skinny fingers, OK winch
! tbe forefnper was pointed toward anu
! shaken at one of the members Sc
80 | would like 10 know the meaning Oh
| tho centleman'S lnslnuatiOu tuo9o ~
The first words that greeted my ear anu
what is more, will know, too.
rries OF order brought the speaker 20
/ o,,eo Or, inuuiriug who this strange Cd
| 'ect was. ( was told that II was Johh i'"h-
! doinh of Roanoke. who had recently been
| elected a representative from virginia, aIu
| vho was then twenty-slX years oid. nan
dolph's career - now matter Oh hls'UIy,
! INT Who saw him at the time, can say that
| he attracted from tho first universal atten-
! ION. in and out of Congress, by the 0ril-
! iancv and sarcasm OF his speeches ana MS
/
| eccentric manners"
Randolph was q Democrat, but he could
never be relied on 70 60 with his party on
! sldo issues. The following anecdoto Will
remind the reader Of stories told OF Chat-
| bam IN bis best day-in fact, know no
| thiny in al my reading which compares
with II. give il on the authority OF the
! late Leonard ). Nose, born IN virginia,
! who became q Texan about 1861, when l
/ first met him.
"Foo1n "FooI."
"Thero was a great discussion on the
| Eastern Shore, and especially IN Accomac
county. about the course the Democracy
should take on some patticu local cues
! tiou-. 4 fiery young DemOcIat-the rising
orator and held - le . powerful spea1-
er-was 10 address tho meeting, and II was
| Wei understood that Randolph would
sneak IN opposition. ! was eighteen years
| old. and INV father gave me permission
! 20 60 10 the convention 10 near the
speeches There was nothing but or
| cauiyatIOn IN tho morning. Dinner was
m 10. At the hotel Il found that was
seated directly opposite Mr. Randolph;
When be rose from the table | followed
close Mt his heels. for the court, house was
already damned. and how was l TO get III I;
An immense crowd blocked tho door.
! Whom We reached It there seemed no pos
I slMlity Of entering Randolph OF once ex-
claimed n his shrlu tones:
PUT me III the house. put me IN tho
Instantly ho was raised on the shoulders
of his uartisaus, aud once inside the choice
of seats was offered Elm. had crept IN
safely. AID got as near the great man Is l
The young orator began bis famous
speech. II was the occasion OF his Iie o
have John Randolph opposed TO HIM. He
was poetical when abiding 70 the Eastern
Shore. he was towery when be spoke OF
virginia rs the Mother OF RESIDENTS, lie
ATTEMPTED 20 be profound when he came
to tho subject Of the meetlnS-but II was
really laldcrdash.
4" an ewes were turned on Randolph when
the voung man concluded. But Randolph
,ever stirred him from hi7 scat. Stretch
:ug his long. thin arm to its full length to-
ward the ceiling. with his skinny toretn-
cer thrust upward, then lowering the arm
aud exactly repeating the motion, he eX-
claimed IN his highest, shrlllest tones
which accompanied each gesture:
." Fool! Fool.
1.-The effect was extraordinary, electri-
cal. Nobody laughed, a complete silence
| prevailed. Then a resolution was ohereh
and unanimously adopted sustaining the
course known to b. approved by Ar. Kan
do.ph"
|
d0lph we're told me by Washington Irving,
with whom became intimately acquaint-
! Cd when, in 1872. he was appointed Minis
fer To Spain. ! was invited Oy my trend
Cautgln Holched e, with whom Mr.. Irving
WI. 20 sail. 20 90 out with nm III the
packet-sh.p Independence on that occa-
sion. auI ! joyfully accepted the INVITA-
, tion. Il WIS ON tins voyage TO Liverpool,
which lasted twenty DAYS, that among
very many anecdotes of the men lie mad
met had tn, account OF Randolph:
~ visited and spent some time IN WASH
, ington." aid Sir. Irving, when very
v3uug man. and through the introduction
, ! of one of his friends became acquainted
with him. tie took fancy to me, so II
seemed. aud ! yGs treated by hun with
much kindness. Many years later, in 1880
| held tic position of Secretary Of Legs
t, ton under tir. AlcLaue, our Minister &c
ENGLAND. Soon after ilr. Randolph wa,
appointed Minister 20 Russia. His strange
/ ! conduct at that Court was the subject tOl
newspaper comment everywhere. Mah}
q, thou lit hlm insane. | never shared thai
opinion. | often. however, ENTERTAINED
the idea that mo was addicted TO opium.
may be IL error.
At COURT.
"You remember his sudden departure
. | from tho Russian court. He mado his way
o. London 10 tho CONSERVATION Of Dr
n McTaue, who was puzzled what 20 d(
! with him. Randolph has arrived ne
sid 70 me. L shall turn him over TO you
a have heard YOU say you were ac9ualnteo
= ! with him. ! fastened to call on AIr. Ran
: dolph Mr. McLane, Of course, bad made
, ! the proper visit of etiquette) 10 offer my
/, services for anything he might demand
: lie appeared very glad 70 sec me, and tool
n me at ny word tor many trltilng matters
l. soon q drdwlng-rOOm was announce
= | where Ny. Randolph was TO be presented
Keep him away from me, beg OF you,
said aIT. NcLane. TN we reach the room.
> ! / waited on Mr.. Randolph at the appOlntc,
time found him aTrayed IN a black dres
: coat. waistcoat. and knee breecnes. all o
. the t.glest possible fit, with black sill
! stockings and low shoes fastened by lin
= mense gold buckles. lie had IN his hand
: clack hat. 70 open and shut, instead OF
/. oi0Dt0i IrdS. st his side danged an i'm
= meuse troopers sword which dragged upoI
I | the floor. The insignia Of the American
Embassy was wanting l confess neye
{ saw SO extraordinary spectacle. Slr
|, Eand5lph was excessively meagre and II
. these habiliments his legs looked like
= par of candle-molds, well matched by hi
: spare. skeleton frame.
: -" did not laugh, for he was so serlOusl
in earnest. Ihad difficult work to per
- form TO induce him in some way TO modlt
= carriage was at the door. and no time wa
:, 10 10 lost | first made an attack on III
c troopers sword. | explained that If h
. wore ANYTHING Of the kind 1t should be
raoier that the boys in the street wOul
>. laugh at him.
n 30 MANS LIVERY.
u "Irvlngl' he exclaimed. Ny fathe
wore a sword, and will wear one, by -
II sir
r Il induced him, however, to let me de
2 post it in the coach. and / took good car
:. when we reached the palace that it shoul
: remain there.
+ Il next begged him to permit me to q
% least ak the eagle TO the collar of hi
T; coat. simply TO prevent annoyance whe
u We reached the entrance. Here be wa
not to be moved. L wear no mans livery
by --. sir was all he would say, whic
compelled me TO make continual explains
/ tons in getting past the officials.
s. 1.-THE gold shoe buckles were monstrou
! in size. Randolph had bought them a
:. the most famous house in London. Non