The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-23
DEPEW'S LIFE SAVED BY ONE OF HIS JOKES
WHO HAD
PLANNED TO KILL
HIM RELENTED
WHEN THE ORA
TOR MADE HIM
LAUGH.

- ENATOR DEPEW met some hostile
~ Bryanite crowds during his recent
canvass Of Now York state. and
~ seemed to delight In handling them
so that they cheered him when he
got through speaking. To produce
this effect he generally began by telling
stories till his audience was in good
humor In a reminiscent mood one day.
after making one of these changes In
crowd at a little crossroads village, Sem
ator Depew told of an incident which
showed the effect of humor on crowd.
at was at the strangest dinner that
I ever attended, and I've attended
great many" he said. "A woman well
known for her philanthropic work In
New York was the hostess. and she had
as her guests the hungry and homeless
men who nightly form a line outside OF
n bakery on Broadway waiting for the
bread that is there distributed. The din
ner was on Christmas day. and the
woman who got 1t up came to me and
asked mo to make a speech TO those
who partook Of II. II was her idea thai
a little after-dinner speech would make
the dinner more OF success. ana she
described the good that might be done
In this way so strongly that 1 agreed 10
attend.
Like a good many other people OF
New York, ! was pretty familiar with
the nlEHll1 SGtub Outrldr VI hsB' O~h~sy
and the character Of the men who wait
ed for the charity dispensed there. The
dinner was at night and l made up my
mind TO be as punctilious about my dress
as though was going 70 q dinner at the
Mansion house In London. l put on my
dress clothes embellished with bouton-
Mare. and arrayed In this style. l went
10 the dinner. don't think anything
ever made quite such an impression on
me as the sight OF those men as they ate
that dinner. In the row OF faces about
the table 1t did not take a student OF
criminology 10 pick out those whose Grim
inAl instincts had for years been domi-
nant. and In their hardened features II
was almost impossible to read what
feeling that dinner or my appearance
produced All ate ravenousiy, and what
struck me very forc.bly was the lack Of
conversation In fact. n grea; majority
OF the men seemed 10 prefer TO eat In
silence. Now and then a word would be
passed. but It was generally in an under
tone.
After a while II came time for me TO
sneak. While they were eating It had
begun 10 dawn upon me that tina task
was pretty hard one, and when got Up
70 speak felt that this was only too
true. Although they had eaten well and
their inner man had been satisfied In
measure they had not known for years
II at any time before, yet The look given
me by every man AT that dinner appeared
To be one OF resentment and defiance
Ny first words failed TO change in any
face the sullen look which II wore and
as my eyes swept over that strange as
seulblaSs absolutely no sisn OF ANNA
ton visible on any ceuntsnanee boz
fore me. l don't think ever In my lie
have felt as did as looked into those
faces and wondered hew ! could interest
those men who sat looking at me silently
and sullenly as I stood there IN my even
ing clothes presenting such a contrast.
Il don't remember now what I said st
first, but I do remember that IL feli alb
soiutely fiat Then ! tried some humor-
Gus little things that had stood me in
good stead In times far less trying than
this The lrat story / told noticed pro-
duoed 10 impression There was still tha