The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-15
yoMN y. IArosFox DSrNa.


ReTn . Slave. ne necanse OeIiego
President, CenErcssuau, ana EIisirter e usayti,
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1A.-At . late hour to
night John N. Langston. tho wellIknown negro
leader. was sinking rapidly. His physician OK
poets him to die before morning.
John Mercer Langston was born q slavo in
Louisa county, Va. in 1929. His father was
Ralph ouarles, q white man, belonging to one
OF the wealthy and respectable families OF the
Old Dominion. His mother was his fathers
slave, and In blood was q mixture Of Indian,
AnRlo-saxon,a and negro. Hor name was Lang
ston, and by hor Querles had three sons,
named respectively Gideon Quarles, Charles
Henry, ana John Mercer Langston. Their father
look great pride In them, and the two eldest
received n good education from his own hands.
ABOUT the time John Mercer wns 8 years old his
father died. but he had provided In his will for
the freedom OF the three boys and tho education
OF John Mercer. The executors OF Mr.. Quarles
sent young Langston to Ohio. whore his oduca-
ton was intrusted to w. D.. Gooch, o neighbor Of
Quarles who had freed his slaves and removed
to that State.
When Langston was 10 years old Mr.. Gooch
started for Missouri. taking Langston with him,
but the latter's brothers brought suit for abduc-
tion. the late Allen g. Thurman. then a rising
young lawyer, prosecuting the case. The result
was to prohibit the removal of young Langston
from the State. He was then put at school In
Cincinnati, and in 1884 entered Obcrlin College.
passing through. tho preparatory. collegiate,
the the ila ass SS@ed re n isSa. liz EFfSa had no in atSn,
ton OF entering the clerical profession. and
only, studied theology to increase his range
OF knowledge and better. prepare himself
for the Bar. Not being able to gain admis-
sion to q regular law school. he pursued his
of Elyria, In which town he was first adj
mitted to practice. Mr.. Langston had the
honor Of being the first of his race to be
admitted to the Bar In the West, and the
first to be elected TO Office on q popular. vote In
this country. t~he'otiico being that OF Clerk Of the
townships Of Brownhelm and Russia, which he
c%essfully for twelve years in Ohio and was for
eleven years a member OF tho Board OF Educa-
ton OF Obcrlin.
He left Oberlin and went to Washington to
accept the office OF General Inspector OF Educa-
ton under the Bureau Of Refugees. Freedmen.
and Abandoned Lands, in which capacity he
served for over three years. visiting all the prin-
cipal points in the South, addressing, wherever
no stopped, large assemblages of white and col
ore people. In 1868 he accepted the professor
ship OF the Law Department Of Howard Uni
versity, was afterward elected Vice-Presiden
and acting President, and had conferred upon
him the degree of Doctor of Laws. He served
for nearly seven years as a member of and
attorney for the Board of Health of the District
of Columbia, and from 1877 to 1885 was Minis
ter and Consul.General to Hayti. On his return
to this country in 1885 he became President OF
! Petersburg. Va, whore. no remained for three
years, when he was elected to the Fifty-f1rsI
Congress. Since 1891 Mr.. Langston. had beer
prominent in politics, but did not hold Office.