The evening times., 1899-10-03
JOHN T. MCUTcHEoN,
Chicago Record"

JOHN T. MCUTCHEoN,
Chicago Record"
Who is hez An exceedingly clever cartoonist
who recognition during TIE campaign of
1896 for some humorous cartoons in which figured
! iop-eared pup.
Mr.. McCutchoon happened 20 be trip round
the world the revenue cutter McCulloch when
the war broke out. He secured permission to
accompany it with Dewey's feet 10 Manila.
The writer OF the editorial submits the
foregoing as a biographical sketch and
lets it go at that. He admits that Nc
Cutcheon is cartoonist. He sneers at the
dog-a most kindly animal. He says that
McCutcheon happened to be on trip
around the world Possibly ne should
cured permission to accompany Dewey's
feet to Manila a"--doubtless on account Of
his standing as a cartoonist.
1t is hardly worth while to enter into
a discussion as TO the merit OF McCutch-
cons work in the Philippines. He has
been sending cablegrams and letters at
close intervals ever since May 1898, and
readers Of the Record know by this
time whether or not he has been seeing
things and reporting them truthfully.
The man who wrote the editorial be-
lifting McCutcheon and slandering the
dog had to make some kind of an effort
IN tne general ul
Administration at Washington. He could
not write any other kind of editorial. He
had to blame somebody. He couldn't blame
General Otis-as yet-so he blamed the
correspondents, and selected McCutcheon
as SHINING mark because McCutchecn
had drawn a picture of a dog in 1896.
AS matter of fact McCutcheon started
around the world so as to get away from
that dog. But he didn't succeed. He
writes home that occasionally he meets
an American soldier out in the jungle. and
when they have sat down in the shade of
a palm tree to escape the killing heat the
soldier says: so your names McCutch-
eon, is it? Are you the man who drew
the dog?
Then McCutcheon looks for another tree.
McCutcheon does not disOwn the dog
but he is trying to live it down by meri
torious conduct in the field. It's a mean
thing to bring up on man when he is so
far away.
Acknowledging the dog, therefore. It
must be urged in all fairness that it does
not stand for a complete biography Of
McCutcheon. The Times Herald" asks
the question, John T. McCutcheon-who
is he?" and then fails to answer the ques-
ton.
1t is true that McCutcheon was knovn as
a oartoonst and not known as a writer UP
to the time that he happened to be on a
trip around the world and made arrange
ments to see the battle of Manila. He had
been a writer all the time, but he hadn',
been working at it. Some people thought
that a miracle had happened in Eastern
waters, seeing that a cartooniSt had been
transformed into good war correspon-
dent. Those of us who had known McCutch-
con for years were not greatly shaken. In
fact, McCutcheon was sending from the
Orient brilliant letters of travel to the
Record" somewhat extended answer
to the Times HERALD question, "Who is
he?'' will explain why McCutcheon was en-
abled to see things in and about Manila
and make an interesting and veracious re-
port of them.
John T. McCutcheon was born GEAR Rom
ney, Ind, in 1870. His father, Capt. John
B. McCutcheon, known throughout Tippe-
canoe county as Barr McCutcheon, had
fought on the Union side throughout the
Civil War and was severely marked with
wounds. He was the most popular man in
or around Lafayette, for he was the only
Democrat who could overcome a Republican
majority of 1,500 and be elected sheriff two
terms in succession. AT the time of his
death, about twelve years ago, he was city
treasurer of Lafayette.
Without trying to establish the fact that
McCutcheon Is or was hero, the hero
market being glutted at present it may
be worth while to tell of something that
happened to him when he was fourteen
years of age. His father was sheriff at the
time. Young McCutcheon was assisting
the turnkey at the Jail and was directing
the transfer of about twenty prisoners from
the dining room to another part of the
building. A prisoner who was under peni-
tentiary sentence stood behind the solid
door leading into the dining room and as
the boy came in he upset him, bounded
through the open doorway, and reached the
street. McCutcheoE locked the door,
grabbed revolver. and went in pursuit.