The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-30
AvAccINAr1oy Stony
Laid TIA West rirEinin-.!A "Reminiscences
Which IL Gooh Whetn-r Trn- or No,l

Which IL Good Wheti-r True or MOI,
Chicago Recori: These old memoir
les suggest the story o. Judge Denbsr.
who was one u congressman from In,
Petersburg dlstritttin West virginia.
The judge was a notable old statesman.
and the West Virginia towns we're al
ways delighted 70 Welcome him into
D rounds aud to hear him speak. Also.
the Wess Virginia candidates wtse al
ways cfetrliy glad to be understood as
being on Intimate terms with him. for
his friendship meant n great moral
support, So. at least. Henry Hardin
felt when he was out for sheriff in
Wood county.
Hardin had secured a meetinE to be
arranged to be addressed nv the old
Judge. and had made arrangements Cor
a most spectacular and c%onvipriny Ut.
Tie tableau on the temporary sin
erected In the red schoolhousc out near
C~laysyllle The inside OF his plan was a
secret 70 all but himself.
h evening came. and with II the
Judge. and with 1t, too, the judges vac
cination arm, for although he was sixty
and o. rugged health. he had allowed
himself, 10 be persuaded at Washing
ION ana q submitted to a prevalent
desire Tor vaccine. n smallpox scare be-
Ing on at the capital. The fudge had
never before been v%accinated, and IL
took inasnlfcentiy. He walked down
the middle OF the. room and to the
stage In calm dignity and stood con-
irontlnS d audience. Hardin was sit
ting ut q table, acting as chairman.
turning theatrlcally and assuming 10
see In the visitor the best and dearest
friend he had ever had, he rushed to-
ward him to effusively greet and then
Introduce. 1t was his idea that by as
Stunning a great familiarity with the
1urist he would harvest many a vote
because OF the borrowed luster of the
judges name.
My dear old fsiend!" he cried. and
lifting his own hand he sought to seize
that OF the honored guest in a slap
ping clasp. The judge saw the move
ment. and in the natural dread of a
vaccinated person he SHE'D, but this
did no more than. simply run the
wounded arm right into the range OF
Hardin's descending fist. There was a
sound OF colliding palm and coat
sleeve and then n wild, passionte
scream as OF n panther deprived of Its
young.
The people OF White Oak precinct are
themselves fairly good fighters. They
are gifted In biting and gougtng and
ear-rending, but they never saw such a
spectacle as unfolded Itself on that lit
tie temporary stage in the next few
minutes. The honored jurist. In his
swallow tail coat. leaped up into the
air four feet, and when he came down
he alighted fighting, The maddening.
intiction of Hardin's greeting robbed
MIN OF all care 10 further protect bis
game arm, and the old pugnacity OF
his Wood county boyhood days return
ed. He slammed the candidate across
the room and crossed over with q bound
and slammed him back again. He toss
ed him UP, and when he came down
clinched with him and rolled and pulled
a and bit his thumb and blackened
both his eyes and did other similar
things. He doubled the aspiraut up
into n wad and threw him out OF a
window, the sash going just ahead OF
him. Then the worthy old gentleman
resumed the stage and remarked that
IL there was anyone else there who
wanted fraternal greeting he would
cherfully give 1t. No n speaking up,
he entered upon his address ard gave
some inside facts on the tariff.
Hardin was elected, getting 100 per
cent Of the registered vote OF that pre-
clint. The people said any candidate
could get a speaker u come out ana
speak, but a mar who could induce a
statesman like Judge Denber to give n
correct exhibition OF a good. honest.o!d-
time West Virginia harvest-home fight
ought to be encouraged.