The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-16

Ct ioots thoroughly piaStereQ. An Oi0
woman who was near took the president
n charge and with a chip scraped the
mud from his broadcloth clothes. He
was taken TO the old McCaslin hotel and
given thorough rubbing and bath.
Later he gave q reception. The pres
ident was the laughing stock for all and
he took II good naturally. Many stories
are told OF how he was mystified by the
Old quakers approaching him and calling
him by his first name. He was quite
nonplussed at first by this presumption
as ne took It. on their part.
That section of Indiana in that day
was somewhat wild. A man named Kise
was the leader OF notorious gang. He
CHANGED 70 be in town that day and
was passing down the road when one of
the old quakers hallooed to him and told
him that President Van Buren, was
there.
You can tell old Van Buren, to go
to - for me-" replied Kise. who was
smartins under some government action.
The president heard the remark, and
turning, smiled, and said:
There's certainly one vote in Indiana
I won't get"
From the day the president was
dumped out into the mire until the pres
ent the old elm has been a sacred SEN
tine. to the memory Of the jolly presi-
dent. The improvements that are being
made around IL have thus far LEFT the
tree whole. but its days are numbered
and the surroundings are so changed
that there is little left to help recall the
interesting scene.
Just south of this city a little knoll Is
to be cut down and improved for res
i1erce property. It lies along classic
Fall creek and is one Of the prettiest
hills in the country. On its crest, just
at the close Of the war, the late Fred
Douglas was mobbed and almost killed.
The knoll lies just east Of Pendleton and
IN those days the little village was one
of tae best known points in the state.
Douglas had just come north to make
his eloquent appeals for his race. He
was invited to speak at Pendleton and
the hill had been selected as the best
place for him to deliver his address
A platform was raised and on the day
Of the speaking the entire hill was COW
cred with people who had come miles
to hear him. There was still quite a
bitter feeling against the ''niggers"
among many southern sympathizers and
they considered it a great insult to
them that Douglass should come to talk
to them.
Douglass got fairly well started when
there was series of shouts and howl
ing. drunken mob Of 200 men, armed
with clubs and stones, came charging
UP the other side OF the hill. They be-
gan to shower the stones on the platform
and several Of them struck Douglass.
He proceeded, however. until big bowl
der laid him out on the platform uncon-
scious.
The mob came on and there was lit
tie doubt Of their intentions. Douglass
would have been dead man that night
had not the right man appeared at the
right time. He was a little old farmer
named Morris Hardy, but he was equal
TO the occasion. He mounted the plat
form, s,raddled the PROSTATE form and
drawing a revolver, he faced the mob.
They halted when sthey found that he
meant business He then delivered a
short speech that was forciole instead of |
eloquent.
All the time keeping the crowd covered |
with his revolver. he stopped. picked |
up the PROSTATE form and carried it to |
his wagon. He left no opening for the |
mob and at last getting his horses united |
he started for town, He got his man
INTO his own little log cabin and took |
Ip sentry duty on the outside. There !
ne guarded while his wife nursed the |
nan back TO consciousness.
In the later years, when Douglass was
known all over, syscivilized world, ne
would occa sionally come back to the lit
lie vineclad cabin and while his hours
away with his former benefactor. He
made them many pretty presents and
vas preparing to visit them for few
lays when they both passed away. His
,wn death soon followed.
On the same hill in 1924 three white
men We're executed for killing Indians.
I was the first legal execution OF whites
or numbering Indians that had ever
AIKEN place.
The third landmark to give way TO
he march OF improvement until recently
vas in Indianapolis. 1t was the old
Second church." where Henry Ward
3eecher preached for many years. 1t
vas dedicated Nov 4, 1910, when Indian
polls was only village Of $500 popula-
ion. This church was torn away sew
raj weeks ago and on the ground on
which X stood a magnificent business
nd hotel block is building.
The old Second church was big
rame building, costing $4,000. and al
hat time was the finest church in In
lana Beecher came to Indiana polls
rom Lawrenceburg where he had been
reaching for two years. Those who
re familiar with the scenes enacted in
plymouth church, Brooklyn, where he
rent from the old Second church. can
,eil imagine the scenes in the old Sec
nd church during his ministerial work.
ie was one OF the greatest OF all OF the
dvocates OF abolition and he preached
is theories from the pulpit in lndiaasp-
lis. A great feeling was created agains,
i'm In indianapolis, az n Brooklyn.
e sold slaves from the pulpit 70 show
radically the traffic that was going on
the south.
The membership ot this old church was
,mewha. limited but in the list are .
)uad names OF ancestors OF the promi- Z
eut men of the Indiana and Indianap- .
Is % today II was occupied until n
ec- %, 1867. and since that time until /;
was torn away a few days ago * has a
cen the greatest landmark IN Indianap- ,
is. 1
ANECDOrE, OF SENATOR HARRIS Z
,me OF the Pleasing Tales Being Told of
of Aim in Washington
Washington. July i5.-1n the hotel lob