The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-03-17
RANDOM GOSSIP.
Talks With Travellers Coming
and Going and with Pe0-
pie at Home.


the meanest dust there is?" remarked
Lawyer III nry Lamm as he was lift
ing some heavy volumes from a shelf
in his library day or two ago. sit
seems to spread more and stick closer
than any other kind. No matter how
securely one may have his library
screened frjm dust, it gets into the
SHELVES and among the books in a
manner that is truly mysterious"
The late lamented General Bacon
Montgomery, for so many years con-
nected with the press Of Sedalia, had
probably attended more executions
than any other man in Missouri. A
hanging without the presence of the
genial reporter hardly seemed CON-
plete. OF course. with an experience
of this kind, he bad many exceeding
Jly dramatic aud sometimes ludicrous
! incidents to note down, BIT perhaps
meme more horrible than at the hang
ing of the murderer, John 1. West,
in BOonviIle, in May, 1877. West,
who was al illiterate and homely
young nan, mounted the scaffold
about noon on the dreadful day, on a
bluff just within the eastern edge of
the town, IN what was once the CID
fair grounds. The rope was of the
regulation pattern, Was manufactured
In St. Louis and was thought to be all
right. The day before the execution
it was thoroughly tested and stood
the strain of a severe trial. Mont.
gomery wss standing on the large
scafold when the trap was sprung and
the doomed man shot through the
hole. The rope snapped, and West,
half-dead, but struggling and sill
7 partly conscious, struck the ground.
The General was too old hand at
the business too lose his nerve or pres
ence Of mind and in a moment he was
down under the scaffold and helped
to rehsng the poor wretch. He made
some comment on the unfortunate af.
fair, in bis report, which offended the
sheriff. who said in his bluff way:
by Cd, if ever get rope around
his neck, it won't break !"
Walter Williams, the distin-
guished young editor of the Columbia,
Mo-, Herald, has the largest and
most valuable autograph collection
ofany person in this state. He bios
somed out as an autograph iend about
ten years ago and by persistent and
intelligent effort and industry has
been remarkably successful. His
collection, which he has carefully and
Systematically classified, represents
men and women famouo 10 a.C, ad-
venture, science, letters the drama
and military matters, both in Europe
and America. He has quite a long
letter written by Carlyles sister. He
has William Ewert Gladstone's hand
writing. Herbert Spencer and Tenny-
son are also in the collection. A rare
autograph is that of the Rev. S. f.
Smith, who enclosed him a stsnza
from his n ticnal hymn, my
Country, It's of Thee" Mrs. Julia
Ward Howe, whom he met at the
Exposition In New Orleans, sent him
an autograph copy of a s;anza from
her famous Battle Hymn of the Re-
public" Oliver Wendell Holmes was
quite obliging and enclosed him an
autograph copy of a stanza from his
favorite poem. In his collection are
autographs from the great actress,
Countess Helena Modjeska, Edw in
Booth, Lawrence Barrett and others.
Many of the great American authors
are represented. Jefferson Davis wrote
him beautiful sentiment, and Sher-
man, Hancock, Grant and host of
ether army celebrities favored him.
T. B. Aldrich, w. D. Howells, John
G. Whittier, are in the iist. James
Whitcomb Riley wrote him 8
stanza from one of his charming
poems, and Bill Nye sent him a few
lines of laughable nonsense.
The Rev. FL. Mackey, rector of
the quaint and beautiful little Christ
church at Boonville. was waiting be.
tween trains at the union depot 10
Sedalia last Friday evening, when q
BAzoo representative approached him,
renewed his acquaintance and had
quite a pleasant and interesting chat
with him. Mr.. Mackey is distin.
guished looking gentleman in whom
the clerical manner is clearly noticea
bic. He is tall and port!y, with g
face that is beaming with kindnes;
and with features that denote the SOU
dent. He was for FIVE years rector OF
an Episcopal church at Emporia, and
has been a resident of BoonviIle per
haps a year. Mr. Mackey, like hi
predecessor at that place, the eccen.