Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-07
A DEAD MANS PORTRAIT.
THE STORY TOLD TO A GAZETTE
REPORTER.
A Portrait of n Likeness Painted From
Memory Proves Faithful In Every
Particularly Strange Tale.

a story was recently told a GAZETTE re-
porter by a young attorney of Fort Worth
which shows one of three things: That the
imagination of the young gentleman has
been carefully schooled, SO as 20 produce
abnormal development; that his father,w
figures in the narrative, was q man
of wonderful descriptive powers, or that
a young artist then unknown 20 fame, but
who has since acquired II, was endowed
with faculty which borders on the
impossible. The circumstances, as related,
were, however, vouched for by him who
told them, and happened in Richmond, Va,
the native towu of the attorney. They
were as follows:
Some years since there died in
Richmond a several times million
aire, who in contrarety to men
of this class was philanthropist in every
sense Of the word, and this fact IS stranger
still when the circumstances surrounding
his birth and mis- life become known. Most
men it would have soured and hardened,
caused them 10 turn against the world, and
engenGered the belief that every mans
hand was against them. On the contrary,
these circumstances had an opposite
effect on the man in ques-
ton, and when he had amassed
Il competency reaching up into the millions,
he turned his attention to alternating the
distress of whomsoeyer applied to him for
aid. His kind Offices and philanthroplc
deeds became notorious and endeared him
20 the whole section of country in which
he lived. Several colleges and eleemosynary
institutions of his state were endowed by
him in sums ranging from 500, 900 10 5000,
900.
Strange to say, the dispenser of all these
charities was nameless in the common ac-
ceptation of the term. That is, his mother
was an outcaSt from tho pale of society,
and who his father was he never knew.
Notwithstanding the unfortunate circum-
stance that constantly stared him in the
face and the cloud thrown around his birth,
for which he was Stunned by companions
of his own age, this man rose
above them all and By his innate manhood
and the always honorable, upright. Christ
ian manner of his living demanded and re-
ccived tile esteem, respect and love of his
neighbors. He lived tn the age of fifty or
more and upon his death willed all of his
vast property, except some donations TO
servants and friends. to charitable institu-
tions. Some time after his death it occurred
to one of the institutions which owed
its prosperity to him that a portrait of HIM
would be most fitting adjournment for the
walls of its library, but this seemed lmpOS-
sible as the dead lover of his iellowmun had
left no picture by which his likeness could
be handed down. The father of the young
Fort Worth attorney, who is responsible
for this narrative, was friend 10
the dead man from his boy
hood till his death, and was much
in his company lie accordingly expressed
the belief that If the services of a certain
young artist in Richmond, who was u veri-
table genius in his chosen vocation, could
be secured, he would be able 10 give such a
description to the painter as would enable
him to reproduce the features of the dead
man. The artist, whose name was Fisher,
was accordingly sent for, and he and
the gentleman in question set about
their task. The artist under the direction
of the attorneys father, made changes and
alterations in the features till the face was
said to be an exact counterpart of that of
the man for whom it was intended. The
feat was published in the local papers. and
afterwards served to make the artist
famous. Ten years afterward the body
of the philanthropist, which had
been inferred in metallic, alright
coffin was exhumed and was in a perfect
state of preservation. The portrait was
placed alongside the face of the body which
had been exhumed, and every feature of
the portrait correspondent exactly with
those of the dead man.
Whether this story is true or not is not
vouched for by The GAZETTE.