The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-21

ible marks of violence upon him. At q
question as to where and how this hap
pened he started in again:
Down in Greenlawn, among the graves
just now! lmet slick young fellow in
saloon on West Washington street, and
had q few drinks with him. He went down
with me to see my mothers grave. 90
there always to put flowers over her-Ilove
her-she was an angel mOther-when he
signalsd to all his other thugs, and they
knocked them down. but they were too
many for me, and robbed me- And cried
murder and nobody came! And had to
tight them of. and struggle and crawl
through the damp grass and thorns.,
and it was dead night-dark and
old pork house and caught a car" This,
in brief, was the story which. with slight
variations as to the mum Der he had knocked
down, he retOld q half dozen times.
Perhaps there is nothing of pathos In
this story of John w. Ray, printer. q story
of wrecked talents and wasted opportuni-
ties but there Is an element of tragedy In
il, stronger even than had physical death
the son OF James Brown Ray, thrice Gov
ernor Of Indiana, serving ont the unex-
pred term of William Hendricks
in 1925, elected to succeed himself
serving until 1881. The Governor
died while his son was O small. lad. and the
boy was raised in one of the most promi-
nent families of Indianapolis, sent with
their children to Eastern schools and grad
uated at Harvard. He began dealing in
real estate. and was SO successful that the
career of q millionaire was predicted tor
kim. Later he was Governor Morton's pri-
vate secretary when the latter was In the
United States Senate, and was for ton years
one of the best-liked young mon In Wash
ington society. Then he was practically q
member of Mortons family, and was q
roommate of John Morton. 1T was during
his career in Washington that whisky got
its hold upon him and finally caused the
breaking of his engagement with the
daughter of Cabinet officer.
His descent was rapid. Influential friends
here gave him position after position. but
he lost them all through bis inability to
let drink alone, or even moderate his hab-
it's. Finally he sought q ease" as q PRINT
er. and printer he has been ever since,
working In nearly every office In lndiannp-
oils, and making frequent excursions out
of it Tor a few months at q timc. He just
where he had been working in job office.
and said last night that he had saved mp
the $3.50 mon tioned In hls-story of the rob-
berry. Whether the robbery story was true.
there can be no doubt that he
believed it with all his might. When he
is sober. there is no more refined and intel
llgent gentleman in Indianapolis than Ray.
III the COmpOSlDR-TOOU.O on the street, UOOIly
Glad or we'll he always displays the
instincts and breeding of gentleman and q
man. He told only the truth when he
said he often took flowers to his mothers
grave in Greenlswn. Whenever he has
money it is a toss-up as to whether he Will
spend it for drink or for an armful of
flowers TO lay upon that one altar he holds
sacred. There's where / worship my
Godp he exclaimed. In the course of his
talk last night And Ray is fully alive to
hn Va ha
is in liquor ell the world within
sound of his voice knows who
he lie. but when be is sober be never men.
tions the fact that his father was once Gov
ernor. Yet frequenter of the State library
might often lind Ray standing silently
with uncovered head before the picture of
the old Governor.
Time and again his friends have tried to
reclaim him in vain. He was sent to one
of them last night after shoes had been pro-
vided for him and he departed with the
often broken promise on his lips to brace
up and let it alone.n