The age-herald., 1898-01-18
STRANGE COINCIDENCE
 IN TWO OLD FAMILIES


 the same day that the daughter of Senator Joe Blackburn, of Kentucky. shot herself. Whether Blackburns daughter. Mrs. Lane, intended to commit suicide or not may nev- CT be known. The shooting took place on Sunday last at the Wellington hotel, in Washington, where Mrs. Lane and her husband were living. Her friends claim it was accidental, while others advance the theory that it was possible suicide. The Carlisle and Blackburn families were for a number of years upon the most intimate terms. About the time Carlisle was made speaker of the house of representatives, Blackburn was promoted from the house to the senate. Senator Blackburn was for many years the most enthusiastic cham pion of MT. Carlisle, advocating his nomi- nation for the presidency. As early as 1884, when Cleveland received his first nomina- tion, Blackburn was sounding the praises of MT. Carlisle.
 The two families were for a great length of time inseparable friends. During the Forty-eighth, Forty-ninth, and Fiftieth congresses, when MT. Carlisle was speaker, there hardly a night when Senator Blackburn was not a visitor in Speaker Carlisle's rooms at the Riggs house. Mrs. Carlisle and Mrs. Blackburn were great friends. After the death of Senator Beck, Mir. Carlisle went from the house to the senate. There was much opposition to MT. Carlisle's election. Senator Blackburn, be- cause of his friendship for Mr. Carlisle, went to Frankfort and did all he could to aid in making MT. Carlisle his colleague.
 So intimate were the families that it was public gossip in Washington for a long time that Miss Lucille Blackburn, who was shot on Sunday was going to be married to MT. Logan Carlisle, who died on Sunday. That the couple were sweethearts, was not to be denied. Whether they were engaged to be married is not known. MT. Carlisle was Miss Blackburn's escort to many social functions in Washington, and those who knew them best were inclined to the belief that they would be married. The Black burns were rather anxious to have Car lisle for son-in-law. The Carlisle's were equally anxious for daughter of Senator Blackburn to become a member of their family.
 Strange as it may seem, the two fam lilies quarreled about politics. Senator Blackburn was a strong adherent to the theory of free coinage of silver. The split began in 1895, when Gen. Hardin was nom- mated for governor of Kentucky. The platform upon which he was nominated ig- nored the free silver idea, but Gen. Hardin went upon the stump talking for free sil- yer and ignored the financial plank in the state platform. Senator Blackburn was at the time a candidate for reelection to the senate. He cared little for the expression of the platform He himself talked free silver and advised Gen. Hardin to do the same. In the meantime, MT. Carlisle had become one of the most enthusiastic ad- vocates of the single gold standard. Dur ing MT. Carlisle's career in the house of representatives and while a senator, he was a pronounced advocate of the free si- yer theory. He had no sooner become a member of MT. Cleveland's cabinet until he got upon the other side of the financial question. He had, his friends said, been hypnotized by the president. Secretary Carlisle participated in the Kentucky cam paign. He opposed the election of Gen. Hardin to the governorship, and also that of Senator Blackburn upon the free silver idea. Gen. Hardin was defeated for the governorship by Col. Bradley, making the first republican governor Kentucky ever had. The legislature was so nearly repub- lican that Senator Blackburns reelection was impossible, the result being a year later a republican was elected as Senator Blackburns successor.
 During the campaign of 1896 Mr. Carlisle bolted the Chicago nomination. Hostility between the Carlisle and Blackburn fami- lies became most pronounced. They had ceased speaking. All those whom Senator Blackburn had appointed in the treasury department were removed by the order of Secretary Carlisle. MT. Lane, Senator Blackburn's son-in-law, whose wife on Sun- day was shot, was among those removed The Carlisles carried on the war against the Blackburns with all the energy possi- ble. It was suggested by some one during the campaign that joint debate take place in Kentucky between Senator Blackburn and Secretary Carlisle. Logan Carlisle who, during his fathers term as secretary of the treasury, was chief clerk of the de- partment wrote letter to the party sug- gesting the joint debate that "a Carlisle would prefer to have debate with a nig-
 
 reply aroused Senator Blackburn to such an extent that reports said that he threatened to anihilate the entire Carlisle family. After this remark of young MT. Carlisle there was no possibility of the families ever becoming reunited. From that time on it was war to the knife and the knife to the hilt.
 Miss Blackburn was married about two years ago to MT. Lane, of New Jersey. He was a good official in the treasury de- partment, but Logan Carlisle, fighting the battles of his father against the Black burns, dismissed him from the treasury department without any apparent provoca- ton. Lane had been granted a leave of absence for two months and took with him his young wife to Europe. The hostilites against the Blackburn families was be- coming very intense. Logan Carlisle cabled to London, where MT. Lane was then stop ping, notifying him that his services were no longer needed in the treasury depart ment. This brought MT. Lane back to America on the first steamer. There was