The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-25
CAREER Of NCERS|IL
As Lawyer, Soldier and Lee
turer, by Turns.
ALWAYS SHY OF POLITICS
How His ''PIumed Knight
Speech Made Him Famous.



never dwslt long In one place. Five chill
dren were horn in the family. These were
John. Ruth. Mary. Clark. ana Robert.
When the youngest OF the children was
three years old he was baptized In q
theater In New York City. The elder IN
gersoil was conducting services there be-
cause the church Of which he was pas
tor had been destroyed by IRE.
The father OF Robert g. Tngersoll was
not strictly orthodox and his views on
the Bible subjects often brought him
trouble. This was one OF the reasons why
ne moved about so much. When Robert
was ten years old his father came west.
He staid awhile then went back to New
York He remained there only a short
time, then came west again. That time
ne settled In Wisconsin, but not for long,
and back TO the east he went again. In
short time he came west once more.
this time to the southern part of Illinois,
near Shawneetown.
The eldest of the children, John. was
senut, TO Yale College and thence to q
theological seminary to prepare for the
ministry. He afterwards gave up preach
Ing and became a physician and settled
In Wisconsin for the practice of medicine.
The two other boys, Clark and Robert,
did not 80 TO college, When they had fin
tshed the courses in the common schools
both studied law. Clark was admitted TO
the bar hrst, and when Robert was
twenty years old he too was admitted.
Then the brothers, who were ansepaFable
companions, opened Jaw once In Shaw
neetown.
In these days before the war Robert, as
wei as his brother, was a Democrat He
was considered good fellow in Shaw
neetown, where 1t was looked upon as the
proper thing to do 70 drink whisky and
damn the nigsers." Clark went into poll
tics and was elected to the legislature and
afterwards to congress. Shawneetown
I'D not longer suit them. They novel to
Peoria in 1857 and became Leaders among
the young Democrats there.
In 1se0 ebert was nominated for con-
gress against bin kellogg in the Peoria
district. He made brilliant campaign,
but was beaten. That was the last time
he ran for office.
In 1869 he went to war as colonel OF the
Eleventh Ilhonis cavalry. After a year
and half of fighting he changed his
political views, and renowned his allie
glance to the Democratic party. He
changed his views generally, about this
time, and long before he died he was a
total abstainer from intoxicating drinks.
Before his change Of political faith he
had attracted attention by his utterances
against some OF the teachings OF the
churches. and had written his famous at
tacks on John Calvin in the form Of lee
ture, entitled. ''Heretdcs and Heresies."
In 1864 his brother Clark was sent to con-
gress to succeed Owen Lovejoy, Robert
remaining In Peoria to practice the law.
In 1856 he was appointed to the position OF
attorney general OF Illinois by Governor
Oglesby. In 1858 he was DESTROYS OF the
nomination for governor. His candidacy
never amounted 10 anything serious,
although his friends have said that II he
had been willing to make concessions he
could have succeeded. Others of HIS
friends have said If he had not been such
a CONSPICUOUS and active agnostic he could
have been governor.
The next pooint in his career that at
tracted attention was was when he APP
peared in the naional Republican conven-
brilliant speech In nominating James @.
Blaine for president. 1t was In THIS speech
he described Blaine as the "Plumed
Knight" and from then his reputation as
an orator was made. The next year he
was offered the position Of minister 20
Germany, so his blographers say, but de-
eKned II.
As a lawyer his most distinguished eff
fort was as counsel for the defendants in
the great "star route conspiracy to de-
fraud the government In contracts for
carrying the mail. The celebrated trial
ended in 1873 with a legal victory for In
gersoll and his associates in Il. by reason
of the acquIttal of the defendants.
Since that time he had been q lecturer.
having abandoned the law for the more
profitable work OF lecturing about the
country on Bible subjects. He has been
regarded as the foremost lecturer in the
United States. as judged by the side Of the
crowds that went to hear and the prodts
from admission fees charged. Some Of
the best known Of his lectures were:
some Mistakes Of Moses" The Gods"
brains and the Bible" and What Must
We do to- be Saved?'
In 1862 he married Miss Eva Parker. the
daughter Of a farmer of TazEeil county.
Ill She has been HE companion In nearly
all Of his travels about the country. They
have two children. daughters. One %
them Is married and the later years Of
IEgersoll's life were made happy BIZ the
companIonship OF two grandchildren His
home after his success on the lecture
platform. was made N New York
HIS activity as lecturer did not dfmin-
tsh with years. While IL was q question
whether his popularity was declining. he
continued to attract large audiences.
ANECDOTES OF ISGERsOIA.
When Colonel IHgsrsoh was living In
Peoria in Is9 he Was nominatsd b the
Democrats for c0nsTesA Il was for
lorn hope. and be accepted the n0fDsns-
ten a. II q were q Joke His opponent
vas "BHI-' kellogg. Who was q SipGl2F
politician. and had the adTaStsss o. be-
inE a H&puSsicAn in q district fnSS vas
overwhelmingly ReubsicAn- SSsa tie
camoaien got under -ssT. boEeTss. every
5Osy Vas surprised at Ehe brilliant stsfap
Speeches % Gnge-soIl he tcrs kessoEss
political arguEnen;s Il t2stsrs- Hs sHF-
passed his opDOnent on saaTeTJ- ~ 0Is
burst % stanp oTstogy be SAID;
"Rather thzu hia8er snF human Sfins
In hss Effort to procure his lSSeTty S0sia
6s chained in tie t0~sst depths o. heiL
W-hea the votes were cosnted ne Sas
badly be4asa-
All preachers q the gcsDs 81 DOT cos
6emn Inss.s5sL The Rev. carolSe :.
8zrsEe. % KatamasOo. Nieh. male his
secearps The subject % sermon. y SA'eS
he sad: