The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-05
FLAGS AT half MAST
In.Honor of Ex-Gov. LeWeIIing
Yesterday.
HIS FUNERAL TOMORROW
Body Viii Arrive Here This
Morning at 1905.

An escort of Knights Templar from tbs
ol,vet commandery here went to Arkan
sss City last night and viii bring tbs
body of Ex-Governor Lewelling to Wich
ita on the morning Santa Fe train at 1:G
today. The body will lie in state today
and the funeral will occur at 10 o'cloch
Thursday morning, in charge Of the
knights Templar. The escort sent to Ar
kansas City last night consisted Of Major
Bristow, w. ]. Frazier and Oscar Barnes.
The news of the governors death
brought genuine regret 10 every citizen
of wichita and Kansas generally. What
ever political enemies he may have had
everybody who knew him personally was
warm personal friend. he was Of a
genial, good nature, quick to forget a
wrong and the last to become ill-humor-
ed.
WAS HIS LAST DOLLAR.
He was unselfish. One day last July,
As he turned the corner at Market and
Douglas, by Herman & Hess clothing
store. ne saw woman on the opposite
corner holding a child in her arms and in
one hand a cup for public charity. He
walked probably ten steps up Market
then turned around, walked across TO the
heggar and dropped a dollar into the cup
ana hurried away. A friend remarked:
Governor you took a great deal Of
trouble to give up that dollar"
"Oh, not much,' he said. THE trouble
Is to come yet That dollar is the last
pne 1 had and I'll have to do without
stcgies for two days, ROW. It's awfully
hot to keep that child there in the sun,
and now that the mother has a dollar,
maybe she'll take the baby in"
he was suspectible to any kind Of
plea for help from anyone at any time.
He never could learn that there are i'm
posters, men who had narrowing tales OF
want for a chance to steal, or men who
misrepresented the truth for some advan-
tage with him. The fact that man
would take a quarter for the plea that
he was hungry and then buy whisky with
it would not cause him to even hesitate
when the next man asked.
HE TRUSTED HUMAN NATURE.
He never suspected anyone of Interior
motives Every man who worked for
nim had his utmost confidence. He often
went out Of his store and left the safe
and all the money in charge Of an en-
tirely new man. One day SO was stolen
from the safe, and while suspicion at
tached to n young fellow who had just
come to the place, the governor made no
particular effort TO ind out saying
maybe 1t was mistake in accounts. The
other employees finally struck undisputabe
evidence Of the boys guilt and the gov
ernor called him in about it, lie put UP
a story that he was innocent and appeal
ed to Mr.. dwellings sympathy. Every
body but Governor Lewelling knew the
fellow was guilty. The other employees
made It 50 hot for the boy that one day
he went to the governor and told him
his mother needed him at home lie was
gwen the amount due him and allowed to
30.
There are great many people in Wich-
lta who remember when he lived on Fair
mount hill and frequently came up Doug
las avenue with a market basket on his
arm The town did not know him then
He was Mason and attended the lodge
meetings frequently One night at a ban
qupet he made a speech that caught the
crowd, and from that he grew in Wichita
Governor Lewelling was one Of those
men who had no business in politics He
was by nature gentle and kindly and the
hardness of politics annoyed and fretted
him His candidacy for governor was an
accident
HIS BEGINNING IN POLITICS.
He ran produce establishment down
on East Douglas and a few men in the
city knew him and liked him and when
the alliance movement came along ne
went in with it, while it was stin very
young He was its first Sedgwick county
chairman. Willis ran for governor and
was beaten. The next campaign which
came up Governor Lewelling decided
that he wanted 10 be district clerk The
pins were set up for his nomination
for that place. when b. T. Kies. then
running the Commoner. decided that he
wanted to be district clerk himself But
how to get Leweling off the track? The
man who first thought Of a solution is
said 10 have been Rufe Cone who
wouldn't so around the corner to talk
politics today. Cone proposed that they
clear the field by nominating Lewelling
for governor. At that time dwellings
name was spelled LleweIyn People in
Wichita when they heard his candidacy
mentioned did not believe that there
was anything in it and paid no attention
70 the matter. But the hard working
group of politicians kept at it. T G.
Fitch took part Mrs. Lease. then power
ful in politics and on the ground. helped
out. Jerry Simpson soon came over
The vote on governor came at midnight
in the Crawford Opera house. Mr.. Lew
ellng's chief opponent was a man named
Vincent Several ballots were taken and
on the last one the newspaper men hal
Vincent nominated. and he probably was
but the secretary announced that Lew
cling led. having figured incorrectly Vim
cent came 10 the stage and withdrew in
favor Of Leweling and LeweTinS was
nominated he was brought IN the
stage and there for the FIRST time made
8 speech in Wichita
He LET \ LOBBYIST OUT.
F a Sewers. who has konwn him in
timate,y since and who has been his sec
retary since 1885,. said OF him yesterday:
Governor Lewelling was q great man
in many things: ne was sraau man in
notlanE He was entirely without sus-
Qic.on ard THIS led him 20 some nalt-
ic1l v2Earies. He was sincere as a friend
and trustful even TO hoyishness Al
s7,O,siy the most unselfish man I eyer
DIV city Neb.. ApriI 4. 800
CeneSee Pure Food 10. lie Roy. ny
Gentlemen; must say IN regard n