The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-04-18
TO DOWN GEN. GRANT.
Macrum Incident Recalls an Inter-
esting Incident Of For
mer Congress.

Washington, D. c., April 10.-The
Macrum investigation recalls an episode
that occurred in the Forty Con-
gress, when the Democrats were trying
to down Gen. Grant. A congressman Of
the name of Glover from Missouri got
himself appointed chairman of com
mlttee to throw out dragnets in every
possible direction. hoping to haul up
scandals on the administration, and the
widest kind Of testimony was accepted,
provided that it reflected upon the honor
Of the President Glover had for SER
seant-at-arms of his committee an &C.
centric individual known as Alphabet"
wilcox, because he had half a dozen
initials
One morning when politics was boil
ing not Glover passed the word around
the reporters gallery that he had I'M
covered the biggest kind of a sensation,
ana would have a witness before his
committee at 3 o'clock that very after
noon whose evidence would not leave a
vestige of Gen. Grants reputation. In
1act, he went SO far as to predict that
the President would send his resignation
TO Congress as soon as he learned the
testimony against him.
The committee room was TANNED full
or reporters long before o'clock, rest
Tess, ANXIOUS men, conscious of Glover's
vicious disposition, doubtful of his pre-
dlct0nS, but nevertheless confident of a
sensation.
Promptly at the hour the huge form
or Alphabet Wilcox emerged from an
inner room accompanied by a weazen-
faced little man in funereal suit of
black broadcloth and wearing a white
iinen tie and a pair of well-worn and
faded black Kid gloves. He said he was
q tailor by trade and lived over in
Georgetown, where he had formerly
been prosperous and happy. but his bust
ness mad been ruined his family had
peen broken up, his home had been de-
stroyed and his happiness was forever
gone, because of the interference of Gen.
Grant IN his domestic affairs-where-
upon everybody drew long breath.
That little tailor swore that Gen. Grant
was lin the habit of leaving the white
house between l and o'clock every
morning, forcing his way into his hum
scandalous manner that his wife and
daughters had been compelled to leave
the house to save their regulations.
AFTER the witness had described the
behayiOr of Gen. Grant at his latest Wis
it, which had occurred only a few nights
before, Mr.. Glover inquired why he had
not called for the police. The tailor
. 100 "a, up In surprise, and remarked that
the police could not do any good, be-
cause If any one else entered the house
Gen: Grant would instantly vanish.
But they could guard the doors and
the windows suggested Glover.
NO, the witness replied; that is inn
possible: No human power can restrain
a spirit
"A spirit" shrieked Glover. "a spiritv'
Yes. replied the witness, calmly.
Gen. Grant never came to my house in
person, but always in spirit
1t was his disembodied soul that had
been committing all the capers OF which
the tailor complained
1t only took a second for the audience
or excited newspaper correspondents to
grasp the situation, and then they let out
a yell that could have been heard across
the Potomac. 1t appeared that the wit
ness was a demented Spiritualist who
had met Wilcox at a seance a few nights
before and had told him this extraordi-
nary story. That was the end of Clio
ver's Investigations. and the matter was
never reported to the House