The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-25

ors suffered the death penalty. The third
was sentenced to life imprisonment. His
name was Langston. The morning after
the reception Of the yoang Governor he
called for a blank pardon, flied 1t out, and
carried 1t himself TO the warden's office
The pardon called for William Laugston.
The Governor said he wanted the man
brought in while he was there. When the
reprieved prisoner entered the room he
hung his head. The Governor stepped
to him, took his hand and said:
billy, old man, let me greet you as a
free man." and handed him his pardon.
They walked out of the penitentiary
building together That incident shocked
many. But the Governor rebuked his
critics with the remark:
When | was sick and moneyIess in st.
Joseph and had no friends, Langston wait
ed upon me and took care of me when
there was no hope of his ever being recon-
pensed. Why should not pardon him.
Langston returned to st. Joseph and the
Governor secured labor for him, and was
his friend as long as Langston lived.
And when the old man died Stewart, Gov
ernor no longer, was pall-bearer.
1T was strange sight to me-" said an
old man, recalling it. Stewart was brok
EN- in health; his hair naarly as hong and
thin as a womans was white and tangled.
nearly buttonless, and his legs hardy he'd
up his emaciated figure. But he was faith
full to the last to the man who had given
him the cup of cold water"
Before the close of Stewards admins
tration a habit contracted in politics fas-
tened itself upon him. He was frequently
unable TO see his constituents. But he
would never sign an act or a pardon
when he was in his cups. When he had
frah ihpH a w plliltV of acts
not only unbecoming in one of his station,
but sometimes so violent that his friends
could find no way to shield him. One day
while in a reckless mood, he rode his
horse into the reception room of the eX-
ecutive mansion, or what was then call
ed the executive mansion, and ordered an
attendant TO open the plano and pour
peck of oats upon the keyboard, from
which he fed his horse. Then ne rode out,
dlsmounted and returned, saying to those
whom ne met that a horse had as much
right to be served properly as a man.
Another one of his acts while Governor
was the pardon of all the female convicts.
Some of these he appointed to places in
the mansion, and the story is that they
stripped it of everything they could carry.
After the expiration of his term Gov.
Stewart was elected president of the Han
nibal and St. Joseph Railroad, and while
he was of some service TO that corpora
ton in the enactment of legislation and
the settlement of claims, every man and
woman who had known him who wanted
a pass over the road received it, He re-
signed to accept the colonelcy of volun-
teer regiment. He was appointed at the
request of Fremont But aside from wear
ing a coloners uniform, he took little part
in the war The regiment was under the
command of Mai Jacob T. Child at one
time an editor of this city, and recently
connected with the consular service under
two administrations. Stewart often call
ed upon his major to give him lessons in
tactics, but the governors memory was
treacherous. One day he passed a guard
who saluted. The colonel and former
Governor stopped, looked at the guard and
asked:
What the hells the matter with you?
Put down that gum
The guard was forced to explain. He
had obeyed orders in salutng his superior
officer.
"And what do / do?" asked the colonel.
The guard showed him.
GAN right" said the colonel, giving the
return salute, but that's not the way
Jake Child told me to do it,"
Haileck was forced to ask Stewart for
his resignation. The former Governor re-
turned to this city, and here lived in the
home of his niece until her death The
old citizens of st. Joseph still recall
figure that sometimes staggered along the
street; that sometimes stood about the
doorways of saloons until he saw one he
knew and him he followed to the bar,
where, unless he was asked, he begged for
a drink. There was nothing in the face of
the man or his appearance to indicate
what he had been. but there remained a
semblance of courtliness in his manner and
something in his speech which caused
even strangers to respect the ruin.
No one did more to keep Missouri In the
union than Bob" Stewart. The forego-
ing facts In his history are furnished in
the hope that New York, which gave this
gifted son to Missouri, may rescue his
grave. Missouri seems to have forgotten.