The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-11-04
STORIES OF SHERMAN.
Noted Statesman's Experience
With q Railway Conductor.
JOKE on THE BAHDITrI IN CUBA.
Marrow Escape From Capture ReIat-
ed By the Ex-secretary OF state.
How His Humor Once Brought Him
out of an Unpleasant Position With
Much Credit.

How His HumOr once brought MIN
out of an Unpleasant Position with
Much Credit.
Among the anecdotes related about
the late Senator John Sherman, ex-
secretary of state. the following are
Of timely interest:
A stranger once caught Senator
Sherman with q stolen pocketbook.
The ex-secretary OF state used to tell
the story with great gusto. says the
Chicago Chronicle His friends main
tain, and he claims. that he was al
ways fond OF a joke. This joke was
on him.
One busy day in July, 1856. the legis-
lator left>Columbus, o.. where he had
been "mending his fences" as he used
to call 1t. and took a train for his
home in Mansfield. He was In a par
lor car reading a paper and enjoying
himself as well as the heat would per-
NIT. when he noticed that the persons
In the rear of the car were talking ex-
citedly. The conductor was In the
aisle gesticulating and seeming ready
to weep. The senator paid no more at
tention to the matter and was about
to resume his perusaI of the days
news when a man tapped him on the
shoulder.
Pardon me. sir" said the stranger.
''but the conductor has lost his pocket
book with 5000 in It,"
That's too bad" responded the sena-
tor. keeping his eyes glued on the po-
litical column
Have you that purseT" persisted the
man.
II have not" said the statesman
curtly. but inwardly amused that he
could be taken for thief.
II think you have" declared his per-
secutor.
This was too much for Sherman. He
sprang to his feet in anger.
81 am Senator Sherman, sirI Do you
mean to insinuate that I am a thief
Go away from me at Oncep'
81 know you are Senator Sherman -
was the reply; also | do not imply
that you are a thief, but the pocket
book is in your valise."
The tall senator grabbed his travel
ing bag and yanked it open. On top
of it's contents was a soiled shirt, next
was a collar and beneath a pair OF py-
jamas. AS he pulled the latter out a
pocketbook fell from the folds and to
the floor 1t was the conductors prop
erty.
Senator Sherman was all the more
embarrassed because he could not i'm
agine how the article had come in his
valise- The persistent stranger al
lowed him to fret a few minutes before
he explained. The senator had gone in
the dressing room after the train left
Columbus and overhauled the con-
tents of his valise. In replacing the ar
ticles. which he had laid In the seat,
he caught up the conductors purse.
which had been mislaid. When the
trainman missed his property and re-
lated the circumstances. the passenger
who talked to Senator Sherman had
figured out what had happened and
statesman. Senator Sherman after
ward declared he enjoyed the joke only
when the mystery was solved.
Ex-Secretary Of State Sherman told
the members OF President McKinley's
cabinet while they were interestedly
discussing the Cuban situation that he
once had a hair curling adventure in
Cuba. 1t embraced the story OF a
weird plot by Cuban banditti to kid
nap the Ohio senator and two other
distinguished Americans and to hold
them in ransom In the Businesses Of
the interior. The aged statesman said
he had departed from Havana before
he learned OF the conspiracy against
his liberty. but the evidence was so
clrcumstantial that he was compelled
to believe It
With General McCook and Congress-
man Manderson. in the spring of 1887.
Senator Sherman made a tour of Gu
ba- The island was then In a state of
peace, and the legislators saw little
that was exciting. A few days pre-
vious to their departure. however. Sem
ator Sherman was interested in the
story about big sugar plantation at
Colon. and told the captain general he
would like to see it
"Rut the country up there is infested
with banditti." demonstrated the Span
ish official 1T would be a dangerous
trip"
The American insisted on going,
however. and the captain general fur
nished them with an armed squad.
Suspicion as to the integrity of the
owner of the sugar plantation, Pedro
Lamberto Fernandez. was strong and
the officials warned the guard to watch
the employees and their superiors
closely. The trip was made hurriedly,
the visitors suffered no molestation
and returned to Ha rama without inter-
ruption- But after they had left the
sugar plantation there was an exciting
incident.
Sancho Matagas, leader of a strong
band Of Cuban banditti, rode I'D to the
plantation with 20 armed men. They
dismounted and surrounded the build
ings. The first act OF the robbers was