The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
SOME CAPITOL STORIES
THE GREAT SCARE RECENTLY IN
THE GOVERNORS PARLORs.
Indiana's Executive Mistaken for q
Santa Claus-Auditor Daily's Ex-
perience with a Burglar.

4
Some very funny things happen around
the statehouse that do not always leak cut
at the time of their occurrence. One of the
best of these might be termed 1.-THE Great
Scare"
One day last GUNNER a couple of travelling
photographers stroled into the Governors
office, with the paraphernalia of their pro-
fession under their arms, and asked II the
Governor would not like to have pictures Of
his apartments TAKEN with the occupants
of each appropriately posed. AS business
was not particularly rushing at the time,
permission was giver. The doors were
locked in order to prevent intrusion while
the delicate operation of taking snap
shots of the various rooms was being per-
formed. Now, either these particular gen.
tlemen had not thoroughly mastered the
business Of taking snap shots" or else The
stuff they used to produce the flash was
different from that ordinarily employed in
taking flashlight pictures. AT any rate, when
the match was applied each time to the
composition the result was defamation
that was really awe-inspiring to one not ION
the inside" Such an effect it produced in the
minds of Captain Vest, the custodian of the
Capitol, and General Gore, who is adjutant
general of Indiana, and whose Office inn
mediately adjoins the Governors apart
ments. So frightened were these officials
that they held hasty council of war and
decided that something must be done at
once They were under the impression that
q maniac had broken into the Governors
room and was, perhaps, making violent
assault upon the chief executive. Accord
ingly Captain Vest went quickly in search
of the janitor who takes care of the guber-
material chambers, to get his key and gain
an entrance to the place where the shoot
ing' was going on. Not finding the janitor,
the captain sped rapidly back to the general
and the two once more placed their heads
together upon this weighty and terrible
problem. They decided to use force, If neces-
sary, to get into the rooms
So the captain went to the door of Room
6, which is the entrance room of the Gov
errors suite, and applied his sturdy form
to the massive oaken doors with all the
pressure he was able to command. He was
just about to force the doors open when
Bradley the colored janitor, very oppors
tunely came up and asked what the cap
tain was doing Being told what was sup
posed to be the matter, he took out his key
and opened the doors The captain, pale and
trembling like an aspen leaf, almost fell
into the room. His knees fairly shook be-
meath him, as he asked in a jerky, breath
less manner, For Gods sake, what is the
matter here?" When he was told that moth
ing more alarming than the taking of a few
hashlght pictures was going on he almost
collapsed from excess of joy and relief.
The fortune in the old country" mania
has at last struck the penitentiaries of the
State 1t would ordinarily be supposed that
when a man gets into the penitentiary he
is safe from the wiles of attorneys who seek
to entrap the unwary by holding out to
them the hope of securing a slice OF an
estate in the old world that for some reason
or other has for decades lain in courts or
chancery unclaimed But not so. Recently
the Governor received a letter from con-
Wet in the reformatory at Jeffersonville, IN
which he urged a reason why pardon
should be granted to him that if he were
free he could take the necessary steps to-
ward securing a great fortune. in Holland.
to which he was undoubtedly direct heir.
This novel and powerful plea might have
been successful but for two reasons. One is
that, since the Ripley county lynching af-
fair, the Governor has taken more than or
binary precautions to ascertain the truth
or falsity of the various statements that
are urged to him in behalf of convicts who
are anxious to breathe the sweet air OF
freedom once more. The other reason is that
the executive conceived the idea that the
board of pardons of the reformatory, be-
| ing in closer touch with the convict, was
| in better position to judge of the merit
| Of this novel plea than he could possibly
be. Consequently, the interesting and pecu-
| lar petition was rejected, and the unfortu-
| nate or designing prisoner was respectfully
| referred to the reformatory board for the
| relief he sought.
| The Governor was reminded of the APP
| proach of Christmas in a most refreshing
| ly interesting manner a few days ago. He
received the following communication,
which is reproduced verbatim ct literatim,
on account of it's peculiar spelling and
characteristic language:
''Mr. Government Mounty--Dear Sir,
thought 1 would rite you a few lines to
| let you know that / have been sick AXIS
week but l am not well am just cropping
aroung hope these fue lines will fine you
and family are well and do well govern
stood close to you got tow other demo-
Gratis votes for you and will do better next
government have come to you for a christ
mas gift / would not have anything for
me some thing please send ii SO it will bee
here thursday before christmas if you
please back the letter to me and Qn) care
| OF the postmaster remember me govern"
| State Auditor Daily had an experience at
| his home a few days ago which gave him
| quite fright for a little while, and which
| has furnished his friends who are "on" with
no little amusement. 1t seems that he went
| up in the hayloft of his stable the other
| evening to get a few forkfuls OF hay for his
| horse. The loft was quite dark. and in his
| journey to the portion containing the hay
| Mr.. Daily struck something which he took
| to be burglar. His first thought was that
! a man had concealed himself in the hayloft
! with the intention Of robbing whoever might
| come up there. So he hauled off and hit the
| object a terrific blow. 1t promptly struck
| back at him with considerable viciousness
| This was repeated until Mr.. Daily's sus-
| picions were aroused by the popularity OF
| the blows his antagonist was delivering,
and also by what he thought sounded much
| like suppressed chuckling from below So
he lit match and was both surprised and
| vexed to discover that he had been all the
| time holding miniature fistic carnival with
| striking bag which formed part OF
/ quite a complete amateur gymnasium that
/ had been rugged up by his son in the I'M
occupied part of the loft.
Afraid OF Thunder.
| Washington Post