The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-17
r. D. S~TEVENSON'S DEATH
THE WELL-kNOWN HtNORIsT
PASSES AWAY At ST. V~INCENT.s.
As n Writer of Comic Paragraphs He
Had Few Equafs-His News
paper Connections.

Robley ID. Stevenson died at ST. Vincent's
Hospital at 1l:l0 last night. He was taken
TO the hospital about two weeks ago. suf-
fering from rights disease and organic
disease of the heart. Last Sunday evening
his condition took a turn for the worse,
and from that time his decline was rapid.
Mr.. Stevenson was about forty-three years
old and unmarried.
He was born and raised in Vigo county.
where his father was a well-known physi
clan. and where he himself at one time
practiced medicine. He was brought up on
a farm, and at an early age entered Jeffer-
son College at Philadelphia. where he COM
pleted a course in medicine. After gradu-
ating in medicine he secured a position as
government physician on an Indian reser-
walton in Dakota. Mr.. Stevenson gave up
the practice of medicine several years ago
and took up newspaper work. He came TO
the journal about ten years ago. and be-
gan writing "A series of humorous para
graphs under the head of Bubbles in the
Air" Prior TO mis- coming TO the Journal
he was connected with the Terre Haute
Express. His work on that paper attract
ed the attention of the Journal and Stew
enson received an offer 10 come here;
While with the Journal he contributed
Jokes for a time to the Cincinnati Enquirer
under the head of Base Hits"
Mr.. Stevenson remained with the journal
until the Indianapolis Press was started,
when he became identified with that paper
in the capacity Of dramatic editor and also
contributed humorous paragraphs. he Tell
i'll a short time before the Press suspended
publication. His fund of satire was abunc-
ant and his humorous paragraphs were
widely copied. He was always known as
wick" among his associates. He read a
great deal and his general knowledge wa
wide. One of the funniest OF men, ne seldom
laughed at his own humor. When asked
how he happened 10 begin writing ms snort
Jokes he replied, Il was hungry One Sat
urday last winter, when an associate said
to him, 1T is showing in Chicago to-day,
he said: Yes: and it will be showing here
tO-morrow-Sunday. 1t will be a great out
rage, too. Sunday is the only day the
workingman has left
Mr.. Stevenson was a quiet, reserved man,
who had few confidential friends. one or
the first friends he made when he came to
Indianapolis was Harry James, the tele-
report i'm the Journal office. Stevenson and
James became close friends, the former al
ways referring TO the latter as Jones.
During the summer of 1899 stevenson re-
ported the local baseball games for the
Journal, dishing them up in humorous
style. One of the things about his work in
Terre Haute that attracted attention was
the manner i'm which he referred TO a firm
of boot and shoe dealers who had gone out
of business i'm Terre Haute and had en-
barked in the saloon business somewhere
i'm the West. He spoke of this firm as haV-
ing formerly sold boots and shoes but
now selling Shoots and booze He was
recognized among newspaper workers as
was popular with all of his associates. OF
his immediate family only a brother re-
mains. The body will probably be taken to
Terre Haute for burial.