The St. Louis Republic., 1900-09-02
INGALLS, and The
IhTERVIEWERS.
Late Senator's Pleasant Ways of
Withholding Mnch-Desired
Information.
HOW He ONCE WAS TRAPPED.
Talked Music to a Reporter, Who
Threatened to Print His Re
marks Unless Given
Something Better.
The Republic Bureau.
18th ST. and Pennsylvania Ave

18th ST. and Pennsylvania Ave
Washington Sept. John j. ingalls,
wasn't a hard man to interview-indeed, he
was singularly approachable and unusually
amiable to newspaper men, whom he trusted
but there were certain periods in his
career during which he didn't want to talk
for publication. and I was assigned TO ex-
tract an interview from him during one OF
those periods" said one OF the leading
Washington correspondents this evening.
TT was shortly after Ingalls, had been de-
feated for the United States senatorship.'
he continued. Senator Ingalls, drifted in
to Chicago few weeks after the un-
fortunate event-as unfortunate for Kansas
as it was for ingalls,, in my oplnion-and
put up as usual. at the old Grand Pacinc
Hotel. / was a reporter for my paper at
that time, and my city editor rounded me
IN and told me that he wanted me to drill
n long. high-grade interview out of Ingalls.
| rather felt that was up against II when
/ got the assignment. for ingalls, had been
as ciose-mouthed as a clam since his deteat,
cortenting himself with sardonicaiiy teiins
the newspaper men In other cities who ap-
preached him that In his capacity of states
man out of a Job he didn't have anything
to say that would be of interest TO the pub
lie L had often met Ingalls, and knew him
pretty well, and l was quite familiar with
the fact that when he didn't want to talk
he had a knack of tanning interviewers
such as few men in public life In his day
possessed.
Seeking the Interview.
:. st set off one dark afternoon. the day
after Ingailss arrival In Chicago, to get
the talk out of him. When l told Paul
Gore, the Grand Pacific's chief clerk. to send
nv card up to the Senator. Paul leaned over
20, hl
Ingalls, was in very crusty frame of mind,
and that, although he had received repre-
santatiyes from a number Of the papers that
afternoon, he had passed EN- all up, as
Gore put it. Without Sau siVbns m WsIea sf to
interview It was good tip. sent my
card up. anyhow, and shortly the bellboy
breught back word that the Senator would
see me in the parlor in about a quarter of
an hour So went up to the second moor,
where the big, dirn-lit parlor OF the Grano
Pacific was located.
..It was dull work sitting there and twld-
ding my thumbs while l waited for the
statesman out of job to come down, ana
so noticing an open piano over at the end OF
the parlor, crossed over to it and sat down
before the instrument. In my early youth
I'd been dubbed into practicing three or
four hours a day on the piano, so thaf L
was able to strum pretty fairly on the in
strument. l put my foot on the SOFT peuai
and began to run over some OF the oid
things that remembered-a snatch of this.
a fragment of that and a small section OF
the other-just to divert myself until the
eminent Kansan made his appearance
became so interested that didn't notice the
passage of time. but played on softly. try
ing to dig up remnants of my repertoire,
when heard a slight, half repressed cough
behind me. and wheeled around on the
stool There, In the dark corner opposite
me- sitting on a sofa, with his long legs
crossed ard peculiar smile on his thin
features was Mr.. Ingalls,. jumped up, Of
course and started over to him.
"Dont STOP said he. motioning me back
to the plano. GO right ahead. I'd rather
listen than talk
'.I had quite natural feeling that he was
jollying me. and so shook my head In my
weil-knewn gracious manner. took his ex-
tended hand and said.
well. Senator. begin At the beginning