The herald., 1898-01-15
THE SPINE OF MR.. GRIFFITH
How It Was Likened to an Angle
Worm in Ohio Politics


COLUMBUS, O., Jan. THE woes of
Representative Griffith and his wife,
who were carried off by both Republi-
cans and Democrats in Mark Hanna's
fight for senator last Tuesday, have
been only half told. Mr.. Griffith is a
small man from Marysville. who is said
by the Hanna men, with some reason,
perhaps, to have a fshworm for his
spinal column. Mr.. Griffith represents
Union county in the Legislature, and,
knowing the spinal defect from which
he suffers, the Union county Republican
convention adopted ironclad resolutions
instructing him to vote for Senator
Hanna. When he reached Columbus
he swung like pendulum between the
Kurtz and Hanna headquarters for two
days, and then stopped with Kurtz. Mr..
Griffith's constituents were telegraphed,
and they at once got up popular excur-
sion to Columbus with the intention of
holding reunion on Griffith's anatomy.
Before the excursion had arrived, how
ever. Griffith had bolted the Republican
caucus Saturday night, and was deep in
the councils of Kurtz. The latter, who
is something of surgeon, discovered
the defect in Griffith's spine, and when
the latter went to bed at the Great
Southern hotel, where Kurtz's head
quarters are, on Sunday night. Kurtz
locked the door on the outside and gave
the key to one of his friends. At
o'clock Monday morning two Hanna
men, unknown to the people about
Kurtz's headquarters, got hold of the
key in some way, routed Griffith out of
bed, bundled him into hack and drove
him to the Neil hotel, where Senator
Hanna was sitting up getting ready for
the organization of the legislature that
morning.
Griffith was taken to Mr.. Hanna's
room, and the screws We're put on him,
so to speak. He is supposed to have
told all of Kurtz's plans that he knew,
and finally he ended with a written
pledge to Mr.. Hanna to vote for his can
didates. Mr.. Hanna is a surgeon him.
self in a small way, and he discovered
the trouble with Griffith's spine, and de-
cided, like KurtZ, that it was best to
lock Griffith up. Accordingly Griffith
was put to bed al the Neil. In order that
Mrs. Griffith might not worry about her
husbands disappearance two neighbors
of the Griffiths in ville-George
McPeck and James S. Chapman-were
sent to the Great Southern in cab for
her.
Mrs. Griffith, who, it appears. is not
friend of Senator Hanna, first sent word
| to Kurtz and then went with Chapman
and McPeck She was driven to SEN
ator Hanna's hotel by a roundabout
way. Meantime Mayor McKisson of
Cleveland started by a shorter route to
head them off. Kurtz had number of
men on watch at the Neil. and the two
Hanna men did not dare take Mrs Grif
fifth to the woman's entrance of the ho-
tel for fear of being seen by them. In
stead the cab was driven around to the
kitchen door. and the three Mrs. Grif-
fifth protesting, tried to get in there. The
door was locked. and they were forced
to go around to the women's door. They
reached Senator Hanna's room just
ahead of Mayor McKisson and a crowd
of Kurtz watchers.
Senator Hanna is said to have argued
with Mrs. Griffith for an hour, trying to
get her to use her influence with her hus-
/ band and keep him from going back to
Kurtz. 1t was no use, and for fear
Griffith might desert Mrs. Griffith was
assigned to another room at the hotel
/ uIlll
Griffith, meanwhile, had become anx-
ious to see his wife, and, supposng she
was at the Great Southern, he started
back after her. and found she was not at
the hotel. While he was hunting a
message came from Senator Hanna S
headquarters saying she was i'll. and
asking him to come quick" Kurtz
feared to let Griffith go. and some one
else was sent, who brought Mrs. Griffith
back. In the afternoon, after Griffith
had voted with the Kurtz people, came
the delegation from Marysville, and
Griffith went over to Mr.. Hanna again
and signed another pledge. The same
evening he sent out card that he had
learned of his wife's experiences, and
signed a pledge to stay by Kurtz. Mrs
Griffith made such a valuable Kurtz ally
that Kurtz sent for the wife of another
uncertain member, Snider of Greer
county. Snider has been reported going
over to Kurtz for the last ten days, but
pears to have discovered that Mrs. Sni.
der is not a Forakerite.
So far only one office seeker has
tackled Senator Hanna. He was a small
man with claybank whiskers, who fount
the Senator in the hotel corridor yester.
day afternoon. He murmured just two
words of his desire at the senator, wher
the latter started to flee, with "Fol
Gods sake, man, can't you see l have
got enough to worry over now ?''-Kan
sas City Star.