The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-01
MARY LEASE ON A TRAIN.
She Talked About Mary Lease to a
Travelling Man.

She 4alked AOOuG mary Lease TO a
Travelling Man.
Mrs Mary E. Lease last night boarded
the Santa Fe train here for Atchison,
where she had a lecture date. She
found the chair car crowded, the only
vacant seat being by the side of a Chi
cago travelling man. OF course the trav-
cling man moved his big grips and
made room for her. This brought from
the 'uncroWned queen of the Kansas
pralrles' a thank you" and a pleasant
smile.
The ice thus broken, the travelling
man proceeded to make himself agree
able. One word brought on another,and
enough along in the converse ton TO
ask Mrs. Lease where she lived.
At Wichita" she replied
''Ahi Wichita" said the travelling
man. Il suppose you know the famous
Mary Euen?"
4 know her quite well''
She's a great old girl; I'd like to
meet her"
There was a merry twinkle in Mrs
Leases eye. She saw some fun ahead.
The travelling man continued: 7
learned a good deal about Mrs. Lease
through a Topeka friend of mine vino
vas her attorney-Hagan Eugene Hagan
an-that'S s my friends name-defended
her the time Lewelling tried 10 remove
her from the board Of charities. Hagan
said she was a great fighter, but not
withstanding her reputation as a crank
was a very easy client to get along
with. Hagan said she paid his fee of
$500 without a question. and he thought
she would have paid 81. ZOO lust as will
ingly. She is the first woman [ ever
heard of who wouldn't quarrel about a
bill that is, if she had to pay it her
self"
Mrs. Lease beamed upon the travel
ing man, and said she had heard the
subject OF the chat was that kind of a
woman.
..XNTIa+ co7+ Of ., Fo,,,i1,- A,-- - o,s
asked the travelling man.
She has a number of very bright
children, Mrs Lease replied Two
boys and girl. The elder boy is
Is her husband living?''
Yes; he is a druggist"
He must be a queer kind of man?''
We'll, Mrs. Lease is bright and IA
NOUS and all that, but she is such a Gu
riOsity that I should think man would
hate to live with her.
Mrs. Lease bit her lip. He has man
aged to stand it good while-nearly
quarter of a century, she said.
There's no accounting for tastes in
this world, - the travelling man remark
ed, after a pause.
W. F. Guthrie, the Atchison attorney,
who was sitting across the aisle and
had heard the conversation, could con-
tain himself no longer, so he rOared.
Then Mrs. Lease laughed and handed
the travelling man her card.
"Nortonviue!" the brakeman called
out.
I must get off here said the travel
ing man. and, gra bbing his grips, made
a dash for the door. He left the train
at NortOnville but Dad Griffith, the
conductor, said his ticket read St. JOS
eph
Guthrie took the seat just vacated by
the travelling man, and he and Mrs.
Lease talked politics the rest of the
way to AtchisOn.
what do you think of the bribery
investigation at TOpeka?" asked Guth-
RE.
It's a good thing for the newspapers
and the Republicans, but I can't see
how it viii help the Populists," Mrs.
Lease replied The character of the
testimony admitted makes the affair ri
diculOus. The committee permits wit
neSses to tell what they know, what
they think what their impression is,
and ] see that one witness was permit
ted to tell what he said to himself.
Such testimony is sufficient to besmirch
public men, but not sufficient to convict.
Lewelling has been left in a worse pO-
sition than any of the others, but he is
a good eXplainer, and likely will clear
himself"
What do you think of Leedy as gov
ernOr2'
IN tell you what I admire about
Leedy: lie is governor. Nobody die
tates to him. 1 understand that Breid-
enthal is very sore because he can't
run the governors office. I am very
proud of Leedy. I take a deep interest
in him, because I feel that had a hand
in his nomination. Through my infiu-
ence Lewelling entered the fight at Alb
ilene. That broke the strength of the
Harris -Breidenthal cOmbina ton, fore
ing the nomination of a dark horse
Leedy-
.Costegan prepared the plans and
specifica tions for the job. but 1 engi-
neered it. I built up the sentiment
throughout the state. Leedy makes
mistakes. but he is honest, and it viii
be impossible to beat him in 1895"
Continuing, Mrs. Lease said: 'Leedy
took step in the interest of humanity
when he adopted the policy of making
the punishment fit the crime at the pen
itentiary. God will bless him for that
The penitentiary contains many poor
fellow who stole bread enough to keep
soul and body together. and whose SEN
tence is more severe than that of de-
faulting bank cashiers and county
treasurers and despoilers of homes. For
this act alone the people of Kansas
ought to re-elect Gov. Leedy by an
overwhelming majority"
Evidently Guthrie did not care to get
into an argument with Mrs. Lease, for
he did not reply.