The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-27
STORY ON M'DowELL.
How He Busted His suspenders at 81.
Louis.

The wild delirium and enthusiastic
hayseed or bust spirit of the Populist
Convention Is picturesQuely portrayed
by the ST. Louis correspondent OF the
Philadelphia Record. 1t happens that
our own Jehazy Mcdowell was the I'M
blushlng hero Of the tragic incident:
1t was during the first uproar Of the
day. The crowd was gathered at the
rostrum. The air was full of waving
standards, pictures, banners and flags.
The people ON the platform were dane
ing and shrieking with Joy. and most
enthusiastic Of all of them was John
Mcdowell. Of Union City, Tenn. the
Sergeant at-Arms of the convention.
and candidate for Congress on the Pop
ulist ticket in his district
MIR. Mcdowell has been very much
overworked man during this cenven-
ton. and in addition to being over
worked he has, ON two or three occa-
sions, been within an ace of figuring
as the star feature Of lynching party.
But he had gathered all of his energy
together to help along this demonstra-
ton and make it the greatest that any
national convention had seen.
When Mr.. Mcdowell gets excited he
spreads his legs apart, throws his hands
and arms wildly about his head, shakes
his whiskers and leaps about with the
energy and the spryness of a billy goat
after lunch on tomato cans.
Mr.. Mcdowell was doing all this and
more. He was shrieking at the top of
his voice and every once in a while he
would rap the man in front of him on
the back, he was so enthusiastic. As
the demonstration got hotter the ex-
citement of Mr.. Mcdowell became more
intense He grew red in the face. his
eyes grew bright and threatened to pep
out of his head. and he leaped eighteen
inches at the climax of the uproar.
Mr.. Mcdowell was so energetic tina,
half the people were looking at him. II
was moment of supreme triumph for
the Tennessee Populist, when suddenly,
without note Of warning, all of his
suspender buttons gave way and In an
instant his trousers began slipping
down.
They escaped the fierce clutch of the
unfortunate man. Have you ever faced
death? Have you ever seen people when
an earthquake was shaking the liver
out of them? Have you ever seen a
poor wretch on the scaffold with the
knowledge that his last minute had
come? Well, If you make a composite
picture Of humanity undergoing all these
combined, You have got a fair picture
of Deacon Mcdowell as this awful ca
tastrophe overlook him.
| AS stated, the deacon was on q chair.
He clutched, but he clutched too late
He dived and grabbed, once, twice,
thrice, but down those trousers slipped.
Mary Ellen Lease was only three feet
away. Miss Mitchell Of Kansas, was
less than two feet away. Helen Cougar
was almost on the spot.
Mistress Julia Ward Pennington was
just two seats off, and all around and
about there were gathered the beautiful
and the eloquent women Of the conven-
ton, and every eye was upon the un-
fortunate Deacon Mcdowell. Then he
grabbed and then again, again and
again, but the trousers eluded him.
Down, down, he dived. At last victory
perched ON him. He got the trousers,
and with a yank that threatened to rip
them from stem to stern he pulled them
up. At no time had the applause ceased
nor had there been any sign Of let-up
in the demonstration. Now 1t was In
creased two-fold, and the women Joined.
Mcdowell, clutching the truant trousers
closely about him, attempted to resume
his part of the demonstration, but 1t
was useless, and after frantic efforts to
show enthusiasm, he retired to hunt
up ten-penny nails.
This was one Of the interesting feat
ures Of Saturdays session Of the con-
vention. When Vt was over an indig
nant Populist introduced this resolution
Resolved, that future Sergeans at
Arms shall be required to wear tights. y
For some reason the Chairman re-
fused to put the resolution, so that II
is possible this catastrophe may happen
again.