Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-10-24
TRAGEDY OF A SENATOR.

ator Charles w. Jones, of Florida. who
died day or SO ago, will have been
laid away in the little cemetery at his
Old home town, Pensacola. His death
at Detroit must have come as q relief
to his broken spirit A little over
decade ago he was the idol of the peo-
pie, from Floamaton to Tampa There
never was profounder lawyer in the
palmetto State. His practice was
enormous, and he lived the life of
happy student and thinker until the
desire TO enter Congress attacked him.
From that moment his entire life be-
came changed one. From the quiet,
transformations gentleman of Florida
ne became the dude of Pennsylvania
avenue IN Washington. Once in the
Senate, he quit his law books. He
never entered into the debates of the
Senate. 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 sybarite
While in Washington he lived at the
Riggs House. He spent hundreds 81
dollars with tailors. His clothing wax
of the most expensive kind and of pc
culiar pattern. He affected the style
OF the old type of dress that picture
books tell us was used by the south
ern gentleman in the days of Calhoun
and Yancey. His trousers were OF
broadcloth, his vest of silk and his
coat facings of velvet. He wore high
heeled boots, a sloueh hat and finely
plated shirt bosoms. He was a rare
SnHclmpn
know of but two men who were before
the public in Jones' day that approach
ed him in physical size. These were
Senator Coke, of Texas, now dead. and
Justice Harlan, of Kentucky. | 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 must
cal. His gestures were those CT an
orator and his natural manners were
those OF gentleman. But in time he
became foppish end eccentric, and he
had been in Congress but short while
before he succeeded in making himself
thoroughly disliked.
In the early part of 1886 there ar
rived az 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 res-
tlvltles OF the season. She was not I'M
known in Washington. She was 81 wo-
man of pronounced beauty 1t has
been said OF her that she was one of
the most accomplished women in
Michigan. Her carriage was graceful
ana her eyes were of the dreamy kind
that make men rave and lose Sleep
She was not long in meeting the
Florida Senator, who at once became
slave at her feet. He paid her his
undivided attention. He bought her
extravagant presents, and one of the
expensive Washington florists was ell
gagged by the Senator to supply her
room with fresh flowers morning and
evening. So warmly did he prosecute
his love case that Miss Palm had to flv
from the city. She returned ID her
home, thinking that she would get rid
of her ardent sait0r, for whom sne
cared nothing.
Jones went UDon TIE theory that
faint heart ne'ar won fair lady He
bought a ticket 20 Detroit alsr. He re-
NAMED thete. vainly appealing, s1om
Gay to day, to lie allowed to see the
idol of mis- heart. But as fast as he
dispatched notes to the home of the
young lady they were as quickly re-
turned. Jones finally sought the
father OF the woman, who fired him
from his presence with the velocity of
a constable Selling a slot machine.
The Senator walked the streets in front
Of Miss Palms residence for hours
every night. He watched the shadows
OF the evening lights falling on the
lawn and imagined that his sweetheart
was near them. He wrote poetry in
the shadow of the stars and left his
illusions on the doorsteps, where they
were swepI away by cruel servants the
following morning. He sang songs I'M
Ger her window until stopped by the
police. Still the young woman remain
ed untouched. She never left the house
for fear of meeting the love-sick Sem
ator. And so the days Went on, and
finally Miss Palm and her parents
went to New York, solely for the pur-
pose of evading Jones. The house was
closed and the lights inside ceased to
burn, but the fire in Jones heart grew
more furious.
Senator Thomas w. Palmer was sent
to Detroit to urge Jones TO return to
Washington. His mission was fruit
less. Then his friends from Florida
appealed to him to return. A delega-
ton of gentlemen from Tallahassee
went to Michigan to intercede with
liCtCnnd h fria Ior
rowed money of them and then told
them to go home. He would stay in
the north, and he cid Finally his
term in the Senate expired, and then
his income ceased. He had spent all
the cash money he had deposited in
Pensacola bank that he had left when
L. II IL