The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-01
PENTECOST'SREWARD
The Famous New York Crank
Given Office by Tammany.
Made Assistant District Attorney, at
$500 Year, for Upholding the
Tax-Eating Tiger.
KNOWN In INDIANAPOLIS
Where He Set Type Before Turn
ing Preacher and AgitatOr.
His appointment Severely Criticised on
the Ground That He Has Been
Practicing Law but One Year.
Special I'd the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Dec. 31.-The whirligig OF
politics and the mutations Of time have been
prolific OF strange happenings in these fleet
iEg years of the nineteenth century, and
not the least remarkable is the appointment
of the erstwhile minstrel. printer, preacher,
faddist, single-tax advocate, Socialist, An
archist and semi-atheist. Hugh owen Pente-
cost as assistant district attorney OF New
York at an annual salary OF $500 a year.
Verify, 1t pays to stroke the tigers back
and pet its kittens. This Mr.. Pentecost has
done, and he nas reaped me reward.
Many readers of the Journal will remem-
Der a gay young printer who set type IN
one Of the Indianapolis dailies shortly atser
the close of the war. The typo had a pleas
ing address, could tell good stories and had
a fund of them. liked TO sing. dance and rat
tie the bones for the amusement OF his fel-
low comps" end was altogether hall
feIlow-w ell-met, not less shftess than the
majority OF printers In those days. This was
Hugh o. Peuteoost at twenty. He Is now
forty-f1ve. and has not lost that gift or
pleasing people which made him attractive
in his youth. But this Is not what your cor
respondent started TO tell.
things in its history, but the most singular
of ell, perhaps, IS the appointment OF Mr.
Pentecost to a place that should be f1llec
only by first-class lawyer. Nearly all the
local newspapers. Democrat and Republican
alike express astoniShmen- at Pentecosts
preferment, and deaounce it as outias secus.
The ex-preacsler was picked out by Boss
Croker and folsted OH Colonel Fellows. the
the ex-clergyman and Socialist, bnt said
that he understood him to be 'Llce fell
low" Tammany lawyers made wry faces
when they heard the news. Not only was
Mr.. Pentecost a recent convert to the wig
wan. but he begin to study law only two
years and a half ago. In this State lie would
have had to wait six months longer before
being admitted to the lar. He succeeds
Henry B. B. Stapler, who argued all cases
on appeal. Mr.. Pentecost will take the oath
of Office at noon tomorrow
One of the reasons that impelled Croker
TO appoint Pentecost is the war DR.. Park
hurst is making on Tammany. Croker has
become alarmed, and for several weeks he
has been endeavoring to 'reorganize' his
society by inducing business men, to ac-
cept important offices in the organization,
with the hope of drawing off the fire OF
Tammany's enemies. This plan, however,
is not proving a success. 1t is true that
some business men, were secured, but
they were offsprings of the tiger" having
been at some time or other, fed from the
crib guarded by that beast When Croker
saw he could not change the tiger s.
stripes or conceal it's claws, by paint or
''purifcatfon,' he changed his tactics. His
arch enemy is a preacher, and as Croker
believes in fighting fire with nre, ne con-
ceived the idea of putting a preacher In an
office where he would work great INJURY 10
Parkhurst With Pentecost as prosecutor,
Tanuany need not fear that cases against
its members will be pushed with the vigor
that might be used by an anu-Tammanylte.
At the same time. Croker will be able TO
many in putting a preacher in office, is not
an enemy Of the so-called moral element
of the city.
LIKE A 1tOUNTEBANK.
The World, in it's local account Of the ap-
pointment, says: Hugh q. Pentecost, whom
the world has known as a Baptist minister,
a Congregational preacher, follower OF
Henry George the editor OF reform week
ly newspaper, a reformer In general an
atheist, and many other things. mas been
selected as an assistant district attorney
at the request of Richard Croker, Mayor
Gilrov and Police Commissioner Jimmy"
Martin. MIR. Pentecost has had an expert
ence of one year as a lawyer ana Tanimany
man He received the official notice from
recting him to appear at the Office Monday
noon to receive the official appointment ana
The names of few men are more familiar
to the public than that of Hugh o. Pente-
cost He fops from one thing to another,
and the things which he has said in his
sermons and lectures % nave bN Rep6 have nsih foll IN
lowed his career ceased long ago to be sur
prised at anything he did But no one
ever expected that he would receive an ap-
pointment like that when was mane puphc
Just one year ago Mr. Pentecost Joined
Tammany Hall. He is member OF the
organization Of the Twenty-first district
of which Jimmy Martin is the leader. He
is also a member Of the general commit
tee. Last fall he took an active part in
the campaign He spoke all over the city,
often two or three times night.
II have been Democrat for eight years" !"
said Mr.. Pentecost yesterday. When
was a minister / was a Republican. 1 am
a straightout Jeffersonian Democrat And
am a sincere Tammany man. i am a great
believer in the principles of Tammany
Hail." Mr.. Pentecost said he was an appli-
cant for the place which has been given
him He made his application in the proper
way to the proper persons He was happy
over the appointment, and he would do his
best to serve the people of New York.
"Mr. Pentecost," said the reporter, ''it
is generally believed that you are Social
list. Is that true?"
THAT is absolutely false. It Is one Of
the things / have had to contend with
am not a Socialist nor Anarchist nor
any other kind Of ist, and ! never was
/ am a Democrat and Democracy and So
cialism are opposite poles. / was interested
in q general reform movement for the ben
eft OF the laboring people. / never advo-
Gated any remedy. 1 have grown out Of
these things"
Mr.. Pentecost says he gave up his news
paper, the Twentieth Century, two and a
half years ago. His name appears at the
head as editor as late Feb. IL. 1892 He
was admitted to the bar Dec. 5, 1892 When
Mr. Pentecost was asked IL he was an in
fidel he laughed and said people could call
him what names they liked. That was
something he could not control.
About the General Sessions building the
selection Of Mr.. Pentecost aroused much
comment When Colonel Fellows was asked
about il he said: MIR. PentecoSt's name
was presented TO me with the strongest
recommendations. / think him a man OF
unusual ability, and admirably qualified 10
fill the duties Of the office. / regard IL as
one OF the best appointments that could be
made"
MR.. PENTECoSTS CAREER.
Pentecost is forty-five years old and
comes from New Harmony, Ind. He spent
most OF his life until he was twenty-one in
a printing office. Then he entered Madison,
now Hamilton. University. In this State
He was graduated from college In 1870 and