New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05
PERSONATING PRESIDENTS.
EUCCEssFUL COUNTERPARTs OF WHITE
HOUSE OCCUPANTS.

CLERK PASSES IN WASHINGTON STREETS
FOR MIR CLEVELAND. AND HIS DoINGs
ARE WRITTEN UP IN THE PAPERS
Correspondence Of The Boston Transcript
Exnerience has many times proved that it is
not difficult matter To get ones sell taken loI
the President Of the United States in case there
is the very slightest resemblance in appearance
to that distinguished parsonage. The SUBJECT Is
now brought to public notice by the account III
a recent issue Of The Detective of how VIII
lam A. Murphy. one Of the seven Chicago police
men detailed to guard the President during the
Peace Jubilee for half an hour chcered 10y
the crowd as the President himself II seems
thet Mr. Murphy considerably resembled MI
Mckinley 50 that when at one time Mr. NC
Kiney rode quietly in a closed carriaSe' Murphy
was ordered into the barouChe with the Chiet Oh
Police and ordered to take off his shining SILK
hat whenever the crowds in the street cheereh
The device worked like a charm. The crowd
howled itself hoarse at the sight OF Murphy
fine Roman nose and thin hair. little thinking
that the man they greeted was policeman
who in his work Of protecting the nation
Chief had been directed To pose for time as the
Chief himself.
Such occurrences are by no means infrequent
While the President Of the United States at any
narticular tire whoever he may be-. is doubt
less the best known man in the country, IL Is
also true that ne Is the easiest man I" person
ate This is due 10 the fact that the meii'a
picture most people have Of the president Is a
COMPOSITE Of the various likenesses they nave
from time 10 time seen. composite ~ meyer
distinct This mental picture is so blurred ina
whenever a man possessing the general physi'a
characteristics ~ the President for any reason
gives out the hint that he is the PRESIDENT, nv
has no trouble in getting himself accepted d'
that face value Whenever one person Ih !"
crowd makes up his mind that a certain man -
the President the rest readily accept the conr.u
sion and il there be- sceptica ones they dare not
raise "A voice in protest
COMMON HAPPENING
The guides at the White Hous" say that II IS
the commonrst OF all happenings Tor groups "l
leisurcly tourists to gather and watch man
possessed Of a smooth face. Roman nose anu
n dark complexion who happens to go IN or OUT
OF the White House He may be the humblest
office seeker or an everyday citizen ~ WASH
ington; ~ may be- a foot taller or loot shur'rr
than the Chief Magistrate but still m"hIdy IN
the crowd whispers There goes the Prtsl-
don't e" Those. " no hear this remark suppose mat
its author knows what he is talking about.
crowd gathers and the very fact 81 us gamer
Ing is conclusive that there is something 10 see
and when the object in view is man gong up
or down the steps il is taken for granted by an
Corners that ne must certainly he the freSideiii
" the United states. Whom else would crown
sion to look att In this way thousands ol I"op!t
90 away from Washington to tell for the rest ~
th.ir lives about seeing the Pres dent when they
have really seen the hero "f on" OF I'M - IN
promptu gatherings. Any man in M country
bearing he slightest resemblance 20 Mr.. HcN'"-
low who might bc seen quietly walking on Il
Sunday afternoon in the grounds back Oh th'
White House would surely he taken Tor inc
President and So proclaimed 10y all passers-hy.
An interesting case in point occurred ABOUT d
wear ago IL was known that Mr.. 'l"NelahH
then an ex- President. had arrived in the Guy
fr,rn "A southern fishing trip. ana ina, al a 'a'"r
hour the same day he would TAX" III" IRAN 10
his New Jersey home As Mr. Cleveland after
ward declared tn" interval between the ARRIVAL
OF one train and the departure II the oth'r ne
had passed in the Pennsylvania Railroad Sta-
fttnf u
Washinrton But the newSgath rerS Of this city
were rather looking for Mr. cleveland that day'
and il is not surprising that several enteIPrlS
ing journals contained story me next morn
inc Of how the late Chief Executive had been
seen gazing into a store window on Est. ana
how the people. particularly the children had
gathered about him. and how silent and demure
he seemed
II was assumed that ne looking in the
store window with a view To selecting presents
for Ruth Esther etc. when the onlcokers dis
turbed him. and the newspapers commented
philosophically upon the fact that man could
havo been strolinG through Est. who only a
year before had held the destines Of the Nation
in his hand. and was still leading figure in the
COuntry's history.
NOT TRUE STORY.
The story of this incident travelled far and
wide II was copied into The Transcript" For
purposes Of illustration the story doubtless
found it's way into many sermons and impress
sly. addresses. As matter Of fact. the strange
man who walked through Est. that day silent
in manner and demurc in count"nance. about
whom Ia" OnlrpkcrS and particularly the chill
drrn gathered. was Walter II French. Of Massa
Chu.,tts. the file clerk Of the House Of Repre-
scniatiy,s. He is "A man ~ about Mr. Clcveland's
size age and complexion. Mr. French's mus
tachc and hair are about as abundant and about
Is gray AS Mr.. ClcVcland's. 50 much pleased is
Mr. French by the resemblance that he usually
selects his clothing with view to carrying out
still further the illusion. ON this particular day
he happened to glance into al Est. window and
the first thing be knew people were looking at