The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-24
TRAGEDY OF A SENATOR.
sad story of ex-senator Jones' Mad
Infatuation.
From the Chicago Tlmes-H Herald.

tn
'' ''ie oiii'' -' ''''0'
by ms time the remains OF ex-senator
Charles W. Jones OF Florida who died a
do,- or co ,e.o MIN t.,-a bao, 1oid quay,
49,,
III INC Ii''ie cemetery III MS oiu hoilie 'o""'
Pensacola His death at Detroit must
have come as a ra,ief IN his broken shirt
4 li-t1a l,,..,. = a., H.. ,,,, h, NOS, Tho i7o,
~ " Ne'f'''1 "7O -ie a. .-'N
OF ms people, from tloamaton to tampa.
There never was a prOfounder lawyer in
the Palmetto state His practice was
enormous, and he lived the life of a hap
py student and thinker until the desire to
enter congress attacked him. From that
moment his entire life became a changed
one From the quiet. transformations gem
tleman of Florida he became the dude OF
PENNSYLVANIA avenue i'm Washington. Once
in the Senate, he quit his law books. He
never entered into the debates of the SEN
ate, and it was frequently the case that
he absented himself from the chamber for
days. From the life of an active lawyer
he soon nursed the habits of a sybarite.
While in Washington he lived at the
Riggs house He spent hundreds of dol
lars with tailors His clothing was of the
most expensive kind and of peculiar pat
tern. He affected the style of the old type
of dress that picture books tell us was
used by the southern gentleman in the
days OF CainOQn ana ! duCty. his lIOuS-
ers were of broadcloth, his vest of silk
and his coat facings of velvet. He wore
high heeled boots a souch hat and finely
plated shirt bosoms. He was a rare spec
linen of physical manhood. 1 know of but
two men who were before the public in
Jones' day that approached him in physi-
cal size. These were Senator Coke of Tex
as now dead, and Justice Harlan of Ken
lucky. l once saw Coke and Jones walk
down the aisles of the Senate chamber
arm-locked They instantly became the
cynosure of all eyes in the gallery When
debating a subject Jones voice was very
loud. but it was quite musical His ges-
lures were those of an orator and his nat
ural manners were those of gentleman.
But in time he became foppish and eccen-
trio. and he had been in congress but
short while before he succeeded in making
himself thoroughly dslked.
In the early part of 1886 there arrived at
the Riggs house a Miss Palm of Detroit,
accompanied by her mother and maid. She
went to the national capital to participate
in the social festivities of the season. She
was not unknown in Washington. She
was a woman of pronounced beauty. 1t
has been said of her that she was one of
the most accomplished women in Mlchi-
gan Her carriage was graceful and her
eyes were of the dreamy kind that make
men rave and lose sleep. She was not
at once became slave az her feet. He
paid her his undivided attention. He
bought her extravagant presents, and one
of the expensive Washington florists was
engaged by the senator to supply her
room with fresh flowers morning and even
ing. So warmly did he prosecute his love
case that Miss Palm had to fly from the
citv. She returned to her home, thinking
that she would get rid of her ardent suit
or. for whom she cared nothing
Jones went upon the theory that faint
heart neer won fair lady" He bought a
ticket to Detroit also. He remained there.
vainlv annealins from dav In dav. To he
allowed to see the idol of his heart. But
as fast as he dispatched notes to the home
of the Young ladv thew were as quickly re-
turned Jones finally sought the father
of the woman who fired him from his
nresence with the velocity of a constable
seizing slot machine. The senator walk
cd the street In front of Miss PALMS res
idence for hours every night. He watched
the shadows of the evening lights falling
on tbe lawn and ina pined that bis sweet
heart was ,1ear tbern No wrote ,,oatr.v II,
the shadow If tl,e stars ana left hie affu-
sior,s on tha doorstens whera thew we've
svvent away bv cruel servants the follow
ing nornino He SANG SONGS rnder bar
window untiI s+onneS bv rho noIIce SIN
the volnp. woman remained untouched
She never left IN house, far fear. of meet.
inc tba lo,JaSsinI sano+o,. "a 60 ~
da%,s went on ana 6na1II, NFiss polno Ia
be ,are,,ts n,o,,t 70 NJ vi eoIai,- e.
the pnrnnsa of ava1ine, Toras IT. go, ,o1
W., c1oso5 o,a lit - nd .e ~
bnrn hut tba fro is To,as, ho,n4 - ~
y,,ora f,,,io,Te o."
e:,,.ta ,IIt' III, r,,.
Detrnit 70 We 49, a. SIIi' 10
ington g,s noissin ss'iit, ~ w asli-
bis Sriards s,or,, o'9 men
r. rat,,rn ~ 10 ~ MN
F,,1, 50. s4 ~ sen'ieliieh
+aTnaaa LII, ~ n1icilisa" 10 m
triSr,S,. A.,a I'm ile nsteneu 10 ms
+ll,4 -, ~ ilIoileS ~ .neii ana theh
~ 49, ~ 81 iIoi,ie NJ wUulo stay IN
-, ~ lio' e. Slp ne u'9' rllaIy ms term
n ,,,l,'' ceSss - ne nau spent an the cash
hank thai he had 1eft When he
oarded a. tra,,5 1,,itt IL - - os'''Iy