Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1900-02-20


ousy of his reputation Tor personal
courage Upon that oe brooked
neither reflection nor imputation u
is an open secret that weeks be-
fore his assassination bis closest
friends warned him Of bits intend
ing fate. and entreatcd him 10 pro-
tcct himself His reply was: Eft
spare myself my cause VIII suffer
III viii do myduty, let Tie conse-
quences be what they may - rhe
shadow Of the Sanford encounter
darkened his life, but 1t was a fair
fght in which Sanford was
slain after first firing upon him,
and for which he was acquitted
That the bloody tragedy left a
haunting memory those who were
closest to him knew best of ALL a
few days before he was himself cut
down, he declared TO a friend: John
Sanford was a brave, chivalrous
gentleman. His death was brought
about by men worse than towards
who stirred up the evil between us,
hurried with whispered falsehoods
to and fro and at last forced the
killing which have never ceased
to regret. The same pack of cow
ardly hell-hounds-no two of whom
Will go into room with me, lock the
door and try conclusionsman 10 man
ARE swapping at my heels now
and plotting further trouble for me. "
"Alas, for minds so great
That thingssosmall could bait.
###
He was true. Above the engul-
aug swirl of politics, beyond the
allurements of official life, higher
than the prestige OF position, he loved
his friends, and priced his princi-
pies. The one he never deserted.
and his devotion to the cause of the
people he sealed with his lite.blood.
His dying message, "Be brave and
fearless and loyal to the great COM
non people, will ring through time
18th the solemn voice of inspiration.
N yer forgetting that he was of the
m sses, he loved the masses; glory
NJ that he sprang from the common
p opie, he stood the peerless cham
p N Of the humble-of the common
e s. against the classes. In all the
ong years of his public service, not
)ne vote was ever cast against the
best interests Of the people He
could have bought his way to po-
litical preferment by selling him
self to the corporate interests; he
could have attained his every ambi-
ton by Pledging himself to the
wrogn-but he could have none of
it. He would have died, and he did
die--most foully and UNANIMOUSLY
murdered-6rst. He was a man
among men, God be merciful to
BIN.
His enemies have triumphed at
last. The eye that quailed before
40 living man is sightless forever. |
The good right hand that smote |
his foes and stayed his friends lies
pals and waxen upon the dauntless
breast now Wondering to dust.
The heart whose every pulsation
thrybbed for justice and right has
beaten it's last tattoo OF stormy life.
And the unspeakable pity of it all !
is that the love OF the people, that |
came late to him in life, can, not |
the darkness Of the tomb.
by the undying hate of
corporations for no reason save
that he would not bow to their yoke;
prosecuted and held up to scorn by !
the ministers of Cod although of !
hawlass moral character himself
and a church member for more
than a decade; assailed by desper-
ate, disappointed personal ambi-
tons, he sinks into a bloody grave,
wounded unto death both 10 body
and in soul But there is an abid-
ing faith with those who knew and
loved him that, on that dread day
when earth and sea shall give up
their dead when his poor body
stands before the Creator who fash
ioned it in his own imagine, when
he cries aloud as he points to his
CORY wounds, All this ! suffered.
My life ! laid down, for conscience
sake the Great God of US all viii
4 r.