The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-05
TRIBUTES TO FIELD
JOSEPH HOWARD, JR., NEW YORK
CORRESPONDENT, IN TOWN.
james Whitcomb Riiey's
Estimate.

Among the guests in town to-day are
Joseph Howard, jr., OF the New York Re-
corder. accompanied by Mr.. Medill and Mr..
Winton. of New Jersey. Mr.. Howard was
caught on the fly and when informed of
the death of Eugene Field was evidently
affected, and more especially by the sudden
ness of the event. When asked later to say
something concerning Mr.. Field he sug-
gested the Journals using the following,
which he had prepared for the New York
Recorder:
Poor Gene Field, The sad news of Eu-
gene Fields death came TO his friends as "A
terrible blow. For years he has been Just
this side of invalidism, thin, nervous. dys-
peptic and the reverse OF rugged. Precisely
how so frail a body could hold so active a
spirit was ever a wonder, for he was an in
dustrious man, and that, too, in channels
time and required physical strength, as we'll
as mental activity. To the Western public
the name of Field meant much. Little by
little it was becoming a factor in the East.
L doubt if he would have done we'll to come
here, for our great maelstrom soon SWal-
lows men. sinks individuality, and mingles
in the common mass the brightest ana most
effective, no matter whence they come,
nor with what freighted. To my mind Mr.:
Fields best work was that he contributed
to the press. In that line he was unique.
His two books, one of Western verse and
one of Profitable Tales led up TO one he
was working on at the time OF MS aeatn.
WILL AO ANCAA1( ~
Books This last he contributed chapter by
chapter to the Chicago Record. ana IL was
of great interest not alone to bibliopn1les,
but to the ordinary student. and TO all men
who find pleasure in looking at, reading and
collecting rare and curious editions.
PERSONALLY, Eugene Field was a most at
t~ractive man. He was oddly built, very tall,
very angular; he loved to talk and was a
good drawer-out of other men. OF late years
form. Indeed. he was booked to speak this
year in quite a large circuit; beginning. as
l understand it, in Kansas City. to-mor-
scheme of this sort in companionship with
Bill Nye and Whitcomb Riley, but he con-
cluded 1t. was best to go II alone and did
so. His daily column of 'Sharps and Flats
made most interesting reading In a chicago
paper, and il was, too. a toleraDly fair
barometer of his personal feelings. III he
were i'll and out of sorts, sarcasm, irony,
frequently the rapier and occasionally the
bludgeon played active parts. He was very
fond of children, and some think his chief
successes were made in writing for little
folks. Death came to him suddenly and
unannounced. He retired sunday, night a lit
tie out of sorts, and was 1ound dead AFTER
a single groan in the morning.
Mr.. Howard speaks pertinently of another
topic in the Recorder this morning. Says
he:
"Our jury system is radically wrong in
many ways. Juries appear to be afraid.
They are afraid of the judge on the bench;
of the meddleSome newspapers; of public
opinion. Now why should they fear the
man on the bench? They are a coordinate
branch of the court and as absolutely in
dependent of the judge in matters of fact
as he is of them In matters of law. Judges
now and then rebuke juries because the
verdicts are not in harmony with the
judgment of the court, but no self-respect-
ing jury need heed such rebuke, for the
court is absolutely powerless in the mat
ter. They also fear the newspapers. but
the community would indorse an honest
verdict at all times and under all circum-
stances. They yield at times to what they
believe is popular sentiment, but they
should be strong enough to defy popular
sentiment of the day, experience showing
them that popular sentiment always comes
right side up in the end. The Holmes jury
said we took only one ballot when we
went out, but we remained out three hours
because we thought il wouldn't look we'll
to hurry back In other words, for the
sake of appearances, twelve men. under
oath, kept that poor devil three hours
on the rack of uncertainty, and the public
as we'll. Nice men they were."