Evening star., 1899-01-28

SCIENCES are extremely interesting Some
how he has been overlooked by fame. has
been passed by in the shuttle for position
and promotion. and Yet holds relatively the
same Office ne he'd when Lincoln WAS Pres
ident Of these United States
His name is known 10 bat few. compara-
lively speaking, Vet he has stood at his
pest for thirty-f"ur years. or ever since the
I'd Of November. 1864. \ familiar face to
the NJ abitUoS Of the White House is that of
Thomas F. Peudei or Tom Pendel." as he
is popularity addressed. who was appointed
by the powers that then were to guard
President Lincoln in them times that tried
mems Souls-aud women's. too''-as he him
self hath said it
One of Linco!n-s Guards.
He was horn On the Analostan Island,
near Georgetown. May - 1s2l and so is
now seventy-four years Of age, though no
one would suspect that more than three
score years and ton had passed over that
massive head. with its crown OF Jet black
hair. that sits Sturdily upon Tom PEN
dei's shoulders. lie was forty years old
when. in company with three other police
men of the capital Sergeant Cronn, An
drew J. Smith aud Alphonsus Dunn, he was
summoned To the White House for special
duty They were in citizens dress and did
not attract much attention when intro
duced TO the President and told they We're
10 guard him day and night. NO one
could deny ho says. that Nj I.incolns
life was constantly in danger. and. as he
himself would hardly acknowledge it, and
disIikcd exceedingly To be under military
surveillance. We were detailed in citizens
dress. with oar badges and six-shooters
concealed
soon after our arrival. as We were sit
tnS III the entry al the foot OF he private
staircase, Mr. Lincoln descended the stairs
and said: Which of YOU men will walk with
me to the Waf Department. Says l. Mr.
President ! Will 60 with YOU, and along
l went
1T was a dark night but when we reach
ed the door Of the department he turned
to me and said Now. Pendel you go back
10 the w mite House and then home. 1t
Will be late before / return, and your fam
lily may need YOU That was Mr. Lincoln
always. - kind and thoughtful Of others
Indeed, he was a good man. as we'll as
great. and We shall never look upon his
Ike again.
BY His side.
Yes. l saw many an instance of his
kindness, for. You know. for years / had
nothing 10 do but sit and watch him, right
in the room with him all the time He
didn't like th2 idea Of a guard, and fretted
some. but one day l found him rather more
inclined to il. We were walking over to
secretary Stanton's house one Sunday
morning. ana he says to me: 'Pendel I've
received many threatening letters of late;
but I've no fear. however
Mr. President says l. because YOU do
not fear is no reason why you should not
be in danger and should not guard against
it Many good man. and many brave
man. says !. has lost his valuable life just
because he did not fear
That is SO, sighed the President, and
fell a-thinking. He had a heap on his mind
those days and / believe il was n real re-
lief for him to tell those jokes and stories
that are ascrihed to him. Did hear them?
Oh, yes; but l never heard a word that
might not have been uttered in Il lady $
presence. though some of the yarns were
pretty rolliCking. He liked TO laugh did
Mr. Lincoln. but sometimes il seemed as
though if he hadn't laughed he'd have
cried; for his was solemn and melancholy
nature after all
Menaring the President
4 never left his side. so to speak. and
wherever he went, 1 was there recollect
once we We're descending the stairs of the
Navy Department, and crouched at the
bottom Of the staircase was u man, who
turned and looked at the President as he
passed him. Mr.. Lincoln did something he
rarely did, and that was to turn and give
second glance at this man, for he gem
orally went along deep in thought and
without glancing to the right or left But
ne turned and | looked at this man. and
met the fellows gaze insolently fastened
ON him. He said nothing, but we piIrsted
our way until we finally came to the White
House grounds Then he said: 'PendeI
got letter last night, warning me against
- man who exactly answers the description
of that man at the foot of the stairs
That's all he said and he never alluded n
the matter again; but ever after that i
kept sharp watch on every man We met
especially IL IN suspicious place or atti.
tude, and my six-shooter was ready ell the
time.
Was President Lincoln q Christian man,