Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-03
WASHINGTON CRIMES
MANY RECALLED BY RECENT
MORRIS TRAGEDY.
DRINK THE CAUSE OF ALL
A Long List of Horrors Connected
With National Capital, Suicides
Being Especially Numerous-At-
mosphere Provocative to Drinking
Some Of TauIbee's Escapades.

washington, Dec. oU- liz
of Auditor Frank H. Morris by Dig
Sam Macdonald is but the latest OF
a long list Of crimes which nave oc-
Cured here among men in pubic me-
every one of which is traceable 10 eA-
cessive use of intoXicants.
The political atmosphere OF WASH
ington seems to be provocative OF
drinking. Time was in departmental
history, previous to the reform OF the
civil service and the initiation OF COM
petitive examinations as medium 1or
appointment, that drinking to excess
was almost the rule. Nearly every ap-
pointee was a political or personal
favorite, and he was held IN place by
his Influence" no matter what was
his conduct.
Under the new civil service regula-
lions inefficiency. from all classes mas
been reduced to minimum, but many
of the old employees, like, Macdonald,
never could escape from the habit &C.
quired and fostered under the reign OF
political favoritism; and many OF this
former generation who are still IN the
service have been in one way or an
other protected under the new regime
No other city in the country, and
probably no other in the world, pre-
sents so many tragic chapters in the
i life of bright, promising and proml-
nent men.
| Only a short time ago one OF the
brightest clerks in the pension bureau
was executed for a most fendish muir
der of a young girl, almost a child
who had lived in his family, the crime
being a result of excessive drinking.
A few years ago no clerk in the
treasury department was better
known than Ben Worrell, a One-legged
veteran of the civil war. He had fol
years been chief of a division, but his
inattention to his duties led to his re
duction in rank and pay, just as Sam
Macdonald was forced from higher
to a lower class for a similar reason
One evening Worrell had been en-
joying himself with friends. He sep
arated from them apparently as cheer
full as he ever had been in his life, anC
without hesitating for moment
walked around to the western stairs Of
the treasury department and there
where for years he had made his en-
trance and exit, put bullet through
his brain.
Cooper Maginn was another bril-
liant government employee who tool
his final life departure in similar
manner. One evening after unusually
witty converse in good company be
left his circle and stepped around the
nearest corner. A flash, a report an(
Maginn was picked from the stree
with bullet hole in his head.
Everybody will remember, when i
is recalled, the fate of the brillian
Congressman Taulbee Of Kentucky
Washington life was too rapid for him
Judge" Kincaid, correspondent of ;
Louisville newspaper, wrote a histor.
of some of Taulbee's escapades, unde.
orders from his employers.
One day when the house of repre-
sentatives was in session Taulbet
came from the hall, met Kincaid in thu
corridor, had hot words with him ant
struck him in the face. Kincaid sen
his card in to another Kentucky mem
Der, and, when the latter came out
borrowed his revolver. A few min
utes later he came upon Taulbee OF
the stairway leading to the cafe, ant
shot him through the heart. Kincait
lny in 1iI f0r l,1t
quilted upon his trial.
Such tales as these could be multi
piled into volumes. Members Of Tho
house and senate, high government of
ficials, diplomats and attaches Of lega
lions belonging to titled families, al
most without number, have thrown
away discretion in the life of this polit
ical little city, and have speedily beer
lost to name and fame. The congress
sional record is sprinkled with maud
lin speeches made upon the floor Of
house and senate, and hundreds OF
other speeches have been made which
were, fortunately for then makers
kept out of the records pages.
| Among the department employees
murders have not been SO many, al
though the list of suicides is volumi.
nous.
Macdonald was popular with his
| friends. Like his brother, the opera
singer, whom he greatly resembled
physically, he was a fine example of
the work of nature in her effort to
make a perfect example of a human
animal. He is six feet three inches,
and OF almost perfect proportion. He
was OF genial temperament except
when stimulated beyond sanity.
For few years, however, MacDon-
aid has exhibited a growing morose-
ness, and at times when drinking was
disposed to be violent. He tired
MS friends with denunciation of Audi
tor Morris. HE is from Cleveland
and 1 am from Steubenville," he would
say, and Ohio men ought not to go
back on each other" He had but him.
self to blame for his reduction to a
lower class, but he sought to throw
the responsibility on others. and
singled out Auditor Morris as his OBJ
ject of hatred.
1t is already predicted by MacDon.
alds Old friends that in the event of
MS recovery from his self-inflicted
wounds the plea for the murderer will
be insanity
Advocates Hot Baths.
a German physician advocates in q |