The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-11
A VISIT TO BERNARD MURRAY.

AvIsIT TO BERNARD MURRAY.
He Considers Himself a Much Injured
Man-SOmsthing About Him.
Bernard Murray, the man who has
brought a $4,000 damage suit against
ex- Congressman w. A Harris, has never
done anything else to distinguish him
self He has been contented if he made
a living, and is willing to let the world
wag as it will.
Murray is best known to the travelling
public. for he has been proprietor of
hotels all his life. Those who have not
met him when he presided at the table of
that ancient hostelry, the Eldridge house
at Lawrence, have met him during his
brief experience in the hotel business in
Kansas City or in Canon City, Colorado,
where the tourist ate trout from his table
and enjoyed the mountain air.
If you imagine man of medium stat
ure, with gray hair, blue eyes, a weak
chin but pleasant intelligent counten-
ance covered with a short beard and
Murray and you would at once conclude
that he is not the man to create much of
q stir in the world or in society.
Approach him as a JOURNAL reporter
did recently in the Eldridge house at
Lawrence andif you are stranger he
will greet you with rather sus spicious re-
served air. He has seen considerable of
the world and he is not inclined to put a
great deal of trust in strangers.
If you talk with him awhile you will
discover that there is q subject which
weighs very heavily on bis mind and any
reference to it will bring a cloud on his
COuntenance, his voice will QuAver and
he will try to change the subject, or if
you persist in following that thread he
will refuse to talk. That subject is his
wlfe's divorce and her subsequent mar
riage to Congressman Harris 1t
would be very cruel man indeed who
would pursue subject fraught with so
! many painful recollections and so it is that
very few try second time to talk to Muir
ray about his trouble or his damage suit
| He says he is so years old, but in appear
ance he is 10.
In conversation with the JOURNAL re-
porter Mr.. Murray said he went to Colo
rado in the seventies. 1t was not until
| 1882 that he moved to Lawrence and
took charge of the EIdridge house. He
stayed in Lawrence until 1888, when he
returned to Colorado with his wife.
"Now. don't ask me about my case. =
said he. II do not want to talk about it.
| My petition is on file in the court at To-
peka, and it speaks for itself There is
nothing else, and if any one is to talk
about my case, it must be my lawyers, I
will refer you to them. You know 1
have three, one in Topeka, one in Law
renee, and another in Denver. They
have my case and will have to attend
to it."
at has been reported that this suit
was brought to prevent Mr.. Harris from
becoming a candidate for governor, and
for political reasons" suggested the re-
porter.
Yes I have heard that" replied Muir
ray, lowering his voice" But there ia
nothing in the report. This suit is be-
tween myself and Mr. Harris, and no one
else has single thing to do with it. 1t
is not brought to frighten him, nor in
jure him. and shall press it to the end.
"Harris has done me a terrible wrong
more than could tell, and whatever I
could get would not repay me for what
have suffered. My home and family
have been broken up, when 1 trusted
the man as much as any one could. u
These words he repeated twice again
during the conversation.
"You say that you were damaged f.
nancially?"
you to my petition or my attorneys for
talk to me about Colorado or anything
else, but I can not talk about this matteE
I do not want to appear rude, but must
refuse to talk"
Then he did talk about Colorado for a.
least an hour. The beauties of the noun
tains, the vigor of the climate the growth
of the stats, and lastly about politics
Mr.. Murray is a Republican, but" said
he, 1.-THE PopUlists got away with US il
our county. They were stronger thar
people gave them credit for"
If there was subject on which Muir.
ray could not talk it was not broache il
the conversation and his language was
always good, his points clear and indi
eating intelligence
Once when the reporter asked if hi
liked Colorado better than Kansas, Mr.
Murray said:
yes, do. Would to God had neve
come to this state. 1t has been a costly
experiment to me. am going home il
day or two and shall not return unit
my case comes up which is in Novem
Der. l now have no business but owl
considerable property in Canon Cit
and I will have to see to that. l snppos
l will go into the hotel business agai
: some time but do not know now that
will"
> It ia said that Mr.. Murray is not i
good circumstances, and it came fror
the best of authority that he borrowe
/ money to commence his suit against Nj
Harris.
As far as the suit is concerned, tn
public will hear nothing more of it unit
it is called for trial next November, an
=. = it is extremely unlikely that it will b
= heard then, for one side or the other
; almost sure to ask for continuance
though Murray says he will be ready fc
!; trial,
o Consul Pearey Very sick.
New YORK, July ia special to th
n World from Colon, Columbia, says: Th
d United States consulate here has bee
closed since Monday. Consul Peare
$ being confined to his bed by an attack
fever, there is no one to act in his al
IS sence. He is reported to be very ILL