The age-herald., 1897-10-14
ROMANCE OF SENATOR JONES OF FLORIDA

JONES OF FLORIDA
 The death of former Senator Charles ". Jones, of Florida, in Detroit, the day before yesterday, recalls the somewhat romantic career of the cratic senator, a native of the Emerald Isle. knew Jones fairly we'll when he was in the senate. 1 He came to Washington a dashing feI- low, and went quickly to the front as one of the southern leaders. He was a companionalble fellow. Good story teller. Man of fine ability. Ie was regarded as one of the coming men from the southern states. It was prophesied by many that he would be the most bril- liant senator Florida had sent to that body since Mallory and Yulee. Jones was good talker, quick in debate, fearless, and generally upon the right side of every proposition. Jones great failing was his intense vanity. He had an am- bition to be known as the best dressed man in the senate. His ideas of dress, however, were not of the modern type.
 
 He affected the dress of tn old-time gen. tleman. Broadcloth coat and vest doe skin trousers and broad expanse of shirt front, with a white tie He was smooth ly shaven and was never without the fashionable silk hat. His hats were all ways up-to-date. Jones was, in sense. a poser. He wanted the galleries well filled when he made speech. If they were we'll filled when he began to speak, there was no assurance they would re- main filled until his speech was finished. Jones aspired to be popular with tho ladies. It is no trouble for a senator to be popular with a certain class of women in Washington, if he so desires. Jones was a frequent visitor to the ladies' gall 1ery, and from there took pleasure in pointing out to the visitors the various senators upon the floor. have watched Jones hundreds of times parade through the corridors of the hotels. He lived | most of the time at the Riggs house. He seldom stayed in his rooms. He was known for long time as the great dress parade senator"
 During the winter of 1S85-S6, there came from Detroit one of the most fash ionable ladies of that city, who spent the winter in Washington, stopping with friends and relatives at the Riggs house, at winch hostelry Jones was then a guest. Nfha 1qdXy n n 1ad,,. She was reputed to be, and was unques- tionably the richest unmarried woman n in that beautiful city. Jones was enam- ored of her at first sight. Cupid had an introduction to her. Being an un- known senator, she could not we'll re- fuse. Jones paid court to the Detroit lady in a most enterprising manner His bills at the florists oftentimes ran up to as high as $50 per day. That is, upon specal occasions, especially upon recep- tion days. For weeks, every day at half past nine o'clock a beautiful bouquet was sent to the ladys rooms, with the dainty card of Charles W. Jones, Sem a'tor from Florida" attached. Jones be- came persistent. So much so that the lady, out of protection to herself, had to decline his further favors. He made her life burden. She moved to an- other hotel. Jones followed. Bouquets and notes daily went to her room. The notes were mot opened and the flowers returned from yUhanoa ba moved again. So did Jones. No matter under what roof she was domiciled, Jones was there also That is what happened to Jones. Driven to the verge of desper- ation, her winters amusement at the Nations capital having been very much marred, she took refuge in the privacy of her home at Detroit. She had hardly more than reached the City of the Straits until the name of Senator Charles w. Jones, of Florida, was written upon the hotel register of the Russell house, which at that time was the fashionable hotel of that city. More bouquets and notes went to the Palm homestead in Forest avenue. They were returned as fast as they were 6cHt. NOunlnS uaunted Jones. He was a conspicuous figure about the hotel lobby, and for weeks it was mys- tery in Detroit as to what Sena tor Jones' business was in that city. His friends had missed him in the senate, and those who knew him about his hotel noted his absence from Washington. He implored Miss Palm in his daily notes to her the privilege of an audience with her. He protested his love for her in the most en- thuiastic manner. No youthful lover ever waged his court with more ardor than did Senator Jones. He was then past the meridian of Efe-
 Failing to see the young lady. he sought her father and he too, gave