The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
A STORY ABOUT VOORHEES,.
His Friend Hennessy, Whom He
Saved from n Wicked Conspiracy.
Kate Fields Paper.

Kate Fields Paper.
A friend of VOORHEES, was telling me the
other day an amusing story which Illus
Southwest" said he, 81 once ran across a
successful gambler. whom / shall call for
convenience Doc Hennessy. Hearing that /
came from Washington, he asked me if /
knew Dan Voorhees,. 1 told him | did.
We'll, SIR said he, there is a man
who ought to be President of the United
States! Hes the biggest man who lives on
this continent!
"'You appear to admire him very much
admire him?' he cried. why, any time
that / hear Dan Voorhees, is interested in
an election, 1 run over to Indiana and put
sir, I'd go there and shoulder a musket for
him tomorrow. All he's got to do is to
e say nth the se WORD and "a he can i;fe have my Money ~
wants. That's what / think of Dan Voor-
heesI
ner which checked Iny temptation to in
quire the reasons for his enthusiasm, but
the next time L met Voorhees, L asked:
Hennessy?'
"'Hennessy?' echoed Voorhees, musingly,
Doc Hennessy-thats his name; oh, yes, /
remember him well. l defended him ten
years ago when he was on trial for murder.
The poor fellow hadn't a cent of money
and was without a friend; He was the
Spiracy that was ever. got up for the pur-
pose of robbing a man of his life and repu-
tat1Oni 1t was q clear case OF S6lf-Qe1enSe,
sir, and yet 1 had to wrestle with that
jury for twelve hours, at least, before 1
could make them see it. L was half tempt
ed to think they were IN the conspiracy
~ don't wonder Hennessy thinks so
much of you, said L. Pray, what was his
why, sir, Hennessy was a barkeeper,
and he had an alteration one night with
a drunken customer. The man refused TO
keep quiet and grew SO threatening in his
talk that finally HennesSy had to come
from behind the bar and have it out with
him. The man seized a tumbler and threw
it straight in Hennessy's face, and then
ran out of the door like a miserable cow
ard. The crowd-would you believe it, SIR
actually tried to hold Hennessy back. But
Hennessy wouldn't be held. He tore him
self free, wrenched away a club from one
OF the bystanders and started after his as
sailant. The villain had gained so much
Roadway that Hennessy had TO chase him
a block before he caught him. Then he
dealt him a blow which resulted in his
death some minutes later. The wretch had
a host of friends. who tried hard to hang
Hennessy. 1t was desperate work holding
our own against such an Infamous con-
spiracy, but justice triumphed at last, and
the jury accepted our plea of self-defense.'
1T was probably a sign of his kindness
Of heart that the Senator did not upbraid
did in spite of all my efforts to restrain my
self; but l have no doubt he wonder to
this day what l found so comical in poor
Hennessy'S case as he stated it. Unfortu-
nately for my sobriety of demeanor, L had
heard the Senator talk about some of his
most notorious clients before. 1t is a SOL
emn fact that he never rescued a man from
the shade of the gallowS who was not either
the victim of a gross conspiracy or a SUI
ferer for others sins, or a noble being over
come by adverse circumstances. And the
beauty Of it all is that the Senator firmly
believes this. If you want a pathetic proof
of his sincerity, you may find it in Ibis bank
account. He is a poor man to-day, but he
might have been Il millionaire IL ne had
not all his life stood ready to travel from
Maine TO Texas TO defend any friendless
criminal who had a case too bad for other
lawyers to tackle or no money to pay for
saving his miserable neck"