The herald., 1895-07-14
Collection of Stories Now
Told of the Late
Ex=Secretary
ILLUSTRATE HIS CHARACTER
Grave and Gay Tales and Some Which
Are Based on the Feud Between
Him and Benjamin
Harrison

AdS oOluc obOTy W bell illuSlraIlV6 OI his
character. 1t is a story of his manner on
the bench or his bravery in battle or his
uniform courtesy in public office. Not a
few of these stories related of him are
concerning the feud which existed be-
tween exPresident Harrison and him,
from the time when Judge Gresham re-
proved General Harrison from the bench,
to tue hour of Gresham's s death. If the
story is told by newspaper worker VINO
has had any business with the late secre
tary of state,it always includes some trib-
ute to his frankness. for within "diplo-
matte" limits Secretary Ores ham was
frank and easy to approach in the search
for news. He did not care to be quoted
as a rule, but he was always willing to
help man whu was seeking information.
Hanging in the Office of one of the news
paper correspondents on "the row" in
Washington is map of Corea, marked
with blue and red lines. The lines indi
cate the Japanese plan of campaign as
mapped out by Secretary Gresham one af-
ternoon at che beginning of the war. He
was quite sure that the Japanese would
win after the first sdecisive battle and he
showed just how they would &c. about it.
Afterward he spoke frequently of the pre-
dictions which he had made. All of them
were verified.
Those,who knew General Gresham in
the army tell the story of his struggle to
save his leg after the battle near Atlanta.
great part of the flesh Of the leg had
been shot away and the surgeons advised
amputatlon. But General Gresham would
not hear OF it. He was determined that
the leg should be saved and he fought
the surgeons until they said Che should
have his way and take his chances. live
or die. He lived, but the old wound
troubled him to the hour of his death.
Mr.. Gresham owed much of his success
in life to the fact that General Grant wit
messed the daring charge which he made
at Vicksburg. Grant was not slow to rec
ognize bravery in others and he could for
give certain degree of inattention to
strict discipline if it was due to zeal.
When. therefore, the brigade commander
put Gresham under arrest for acting with.
out orders in that battle. Grant had him
released and recommended him for pro-
motion instead. There ser Grant kept
his eye on Gresham. an. ter the battle
of Atlanta he saw tnat the rank OF major.
general, which he coveted, was conferred
on him before he was mustered out of the
army. Then when the war was over and
Grant had been made president of the
United States he appointed General
prominence that otherwise he tight
not have gained. For Gresham had only
been an unsuccessful candidate for the
house of representatives after the war,
and hejwas little known outside OF Indi-
ana.
OF Gresham's experiences on the bench
many stories are told. He was a sympa-
thetic Judge. but he was quick to anger,
and a criminal who came before him for
sentence had some reason to regret this
fact. The man had been convicted of
some minor offense and sentenced t. four
years in the penitentiaiy. As. he turned
away he said something in low tone to
some one near him. The Judge heard his
voice and called out to the court attend !.
ant: Bring that man back"
The man was brought back.
What was that you saidP" asked Judge
Gresham.
"Nothing," said the prisoner.
"You said something and I insist on
knowing what it was.
:, swell, l said that wasn't so bad SEN
tence-or something like that. I don't
Just remember"
'Oh. you did," said the Judge. DO
you know that might have given you
seven years instead Of fourY Here, Mr..
Clerk. Alter that sentence. Make it
seven years." And the criminal served
an additional three years for his temerity
in commenting on the sentence he had
received.
Another tale Of Judge Gresham's ex-
perience on the bench illustrates his SYM
pathy. 1t sounds very like story about
going the rounds OF the newspapers re-.
Gently; but one who knew Judge Gres-
ham well vouches for it as original and
accurate. When he was young on the
bench. Judge Gresham had to hear suit
for possession OF some land in Lake
county. The plaintiff sought to dispossess
the defendant, who had been an occupant
of the land for about twenty years. The
title was evidently good and the only
question as the Judge put it when the
case was first explained to him was
whether the possession of the ground for
twenty years gave the defendant right
to steal it. However, the defendant was
and his plea was wholly for sympathy.
He told the court how he and his family
had settled on the land in 1845; how a
little girl had come to his life there; how
the little girl grew and grew and became
prettier and prettier every day; how she
sickened ana the roses went out of her
cheeks; how he walked to Chicago to get
doctor, but when he returned the little
girl was dead. They buried her. he said,
without mass or candle in a little mound
beneath an old tree that stood on the
property on which he had lived SO long,
And now, he said. they wanted to steal
his childs grave from him.
finished his tale the lawyers saw the
judges eyes were full of tears. He SAID
to the plaintiff: "Sir, you may find
some courts that would give you this
mans little grave, but not this one. Mr..
Clerk, make out decree for the defend
ant"
The man who once held the key to
Judge Gresham's future was John c..
New, the proprietor of the Indianapolis
Journal. With John G. News friendship
Mr.. Gresham could have been president.
perhaps. A friend-a mutual friend
tried to bring the two men together at
the time when Gresham was becoming a
distinct political quantity in Indiana.
Harrison and New were not on good
terms. and if Gresham and New could be
brought together, this mutual friend
thought. Gresham could have the support
of the Indianapolis Journal at the next
election, and possibly he could com m and
the support of the Indiana delegation be-
fore the natioral convention. There was
no hope that he could ever be made the
nominee of the Republican party unless
he came to the convention with his state
behind him. So this mutual friend
brought about meeting and took Cen
eral New to Judge Gresham s office, conf
IDENTIFY expecting that they would come
to an understanding. But Mr. New and
Mr.. Gresham came to a disagreement
very quickly. and when their friend re-
the room. looking in opposite directions.
As soon as their friend joined them Gem
eral New terminated the interview with
out q word and walked out of the room.
Gresham turned to the other man and
said something about New which includ-
ed pretty hard epithet. The subject