The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-24

senior Free was reading his Bible when
taken sick. He arose from his chair. laid
! his open book on the table, and placing
his spcCtaClcs upon the book. he went
10 his room ana died In short time.
| The room has not been changed since.
and through all these years the Bible
/ and the glasses have remained un-
touched.
When gold was discovered In Calitor-
MIA In 1918. the "lmmortnl J. N was
among those who were taken by the
gold fever. and he went to California.
He arrived there In 1870. and was sue
ceSsful. In 1852. when Il great fire ut
Marysvillc destroyed the city the pos
sessions OF u. ~" were wiped out. and
II affected his mind. He returned TO the
states. and his mind was seized with
the fancy that he was the "Dcmosthe-
ncs OF America" He originally had
tine speaking abilities. and was sue
cessful debatcr and stumpcr in his
neighborhood. He had a striking per-
sonality, was clean shavcn. ard allow
cd his hair 10 grow 10 great length. For
years he would announce In the papers
that u. NJ" the "Demosthcncs OF
America" would deliver lecture In a
'''A''iI' A'N'ir ~ ''I 1Slll iDLt. bDl
would never appear. During the civil
war he affected to believe that Abe
Lincoln and Jcfi Davis were both right
Oh the war. Viewed from their stand
point" and announced that ~. ~"
would become martyr for truth" be-
licving that it he were confined TO n
dungeon there would be q light break
upon these magnatcs that would soon
stop the war, but TO stop It he must he
confined to n dungeon. III order to
please -. N the sheriff of Seneca
CoUnty placed him In . cell IN the faif
and from that cell Il. y" bombar,,cti
the newspapers Of the state upon his
pet theory. Finally the sheriff wanted
10 release him, but y. N" would not
accept release unless the sheriff and
the Tiiiin papers acknowledged the cor.
rectncaa Of this theory. This they final
)y ID IN order 20 Eci y. "" ont Of the
jail. !!c then made his way to Wash
iHSt"n. had an interview with Lincoln
which pleased III" President by his
OuaintncS" and cccrnt rlCi!Y and from
washington 10 "cNt to Richmond
passing through the pIckcts and dodg-
inE tile lines of guards until he reached
Richmond. There for few Days, until
his madness. which had nothing mall
cious or wicked about It. was discover
ed. he was taken for Yankee spy."
His good nature and queer ways tr-
umphcd over Confederate suspicion, and
he nj last had mn Interview with JeN'
Davis. To whom he unfOldcd his theory.
-. N" wnH allowed TO return through
III" lines and GENE north. thinking that
he had mad" converts OF both Lincoln
aud Davis. Before the Interstate COM
mercc bill became 4 law. ~. N" had
free passes on nearly every railroad In
PENNSYLVANIA and Ohio. and as lie
never had my money he lid not puy
his hotel bills. IL n" was n good ora
tor, hut he could not keep his mind
confined rron any subject FOR more
th"" "NGr""'. md hiS lectures wcr.
n medley OF strange words ana straurr
thoughts, lie once said: 81 made n
moving speech last night AT ClrcIcvIlle,
When | began the court housc was fun,
mud when | flushed the only ONES left
were the janitor and myself" Every
one Knows him personally, and hnr II
sympathy for him, and ms he waninrs
good naturally through the country he
finds those who never refuse him hos
pilnlliy, He hna a brother. Major W,
II. Free. who was member OF the leg