The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-29
M'KINLEYs DOUBLE.
EDITOR MERTON HAS IMPERSON-
ATED HIM PUBLICLY.

Once This Happened by Mr.. McKin-
Iey's own PrOcuration, When He
Terminated a Good Turn Done to
Merton with an Embarrassing
Joke Upon Him-How Merton Posed
for Mr.. McKinley's Photograph.
Formerly Lived In Canton and He
and the President Were Old
Friends-Astonishm of the
Crowds Who Saw the President's
Double at the Bulletin Boards Aft
err the Shooting in Buffalo.
washington. Sept. 2s.-while Presi-
dent Mckinley. in Buffalo. was making
his strong willed fight with death there
stood in the eager crowds than scam
ned the bulletin boards in Pittsburg,
night after night, man who in fea-
ture, bearing and expression so resem-
bled the stricken President that men
who passed that anxious figure started
and stared and wondered whether their
eyes were not playing them false. The
man was Thomas Merton, the editor
of a Pittsburg evening newspaper, and
an old and valued friend of the chief
executive of the nation. Mr.. Merton,
like his famous double. comes from
Canton, o. The editor is a much
younger man than the President; but
many strange instances of mistakes,
in which journalist and statesman
were mistaken for each other, have
been recorded. and on more than one
occasion Mr.. Merton has been forced,
to his great embarrassment. publicly
to impersonate Mr.. Mckinley.
On Memorial Day, 1892 Mr.. McKin-
ley, then Governor Of Ohio. reached
Chicago. where he was to make two
addresses, one to members of the G.
A. R., another in the afternoon to the
American Mechanics.
Merton was then dramatic critic of
a Chicago newspaper, but owing to his
personal acquaintance with Mr.. Nc
Kinley, he was sent to find Mckinley
and get from him, If possible, advance
copies of both his speeches for the day.
The McKinleys were stopping at the
home of Lafayette McWilliams, a
cousin of the President Merton reach
ed the house with difficulty, being COM
PEELED to work his way through
great crowd that had gathered to catch
a glimpse of the man then being spok-
en- of as the next President, passed the
police lines and rang the doorbell. Or
ders had been given that Mr.. McKin-
ley should not be disturbed. A colored
servant, frowning severely, opened the
door few inches. His jaw dropped
and his frown gave way to look of
CONSERVATION. He rubbed his eyes
and looked again. One minute before
the servant had seen Gov. Mckinley
at breakfast; but there he seemed to be
at the front door.
Take this card to Gov. Mckinley"
said Merton, chuckling to himself over
the servants worried look.
Oars Mr.. McKinley's twin brother,
or his spook, out dar," was the mes
sage delivered to the butler with the
card by the colored man. The future
President promptly received Merton.
Governor" said Merton, my paper
sent me for copies of your addresses
for to-day. We want to get out extras
as soon as you begin speaking, and we
will put them in type at once if you
will help u.s.
81 have no addresses prepared" re-
piled Mr.. Mckinley. ION the way over
/ jotted down some points, and hope
to have an hour before time to go to
the meeting in order to get them in
better shape"
Mertons face fell. The governor no.
ticed his disappointment, thought hard
for moment, then said:
Wen work this address out togeth
er, and right now. Let's take these
notes and see what can be done with
them"
With his notes in his hands the gov
ernor began an address to an audience
Of Arn1 nd Nd fhn
easy chair in the little library he
strobe, speaking rapidly and with fire.
seemingly forgetting that he was not
addressing large gathering, while his
audience furiously pursued him with
the angles and pothooks of stenogra-
ply. Presently the speech was finished.
"How's that Mr.. Merton?"
Merton sought in vain for a suitable
expression of thanks. Before he could
find 1t the future President said:
well, come on-the afternoon ad-
dress"
In a moment he was racing along,
outlining his second effort OF the day.
Just as he had got fairly into the
swing of II therescame an unlocked for
interruption. After a turn. in his pac-
ing up and down, that brought him
facing the window, the orator broke off
short in the middle of sentence and
uttered these surprising words:
Look out! Here is trouble"
Here is trouble" murmured the re-
porter as he mechanically embodied
the words in his written characters.
Then realizing that it was not part
of the speech he looked up astonished.
Mr.. Mckinley was half way to the
door. There was a smile-it was per-
haps more of a grin-on his face.
Good bye: don't let them scare
you," he said, pointed to the long win
dow opening on the lawn and was gone.
Wheeling around, Merton beheld
what seemed to him half the popula-
ton of Cook county making for the
window. He grabbed his notes and
jumped UP, but the time for escape
was past. A six-footer strobe through
the window, seized his hand and be-
gan to pump-h handle it energetically.
How are you, Major Mckinley? l
hope to see you President of the Unit
ed States some day."
But 1 am not"
"Ah, Misther Mckinley, Dim for We
fer Pope or Prisidint or anything" in
terrupted a warm hearted Irishman,
getting possession of Merton's olsen
gagged hand.
Other men were close behind, and
there was one woman who demanded
with shrill iteration an autograph.
Merton edged toward the door through
which the real Mckinley had deserted.
Selling an opportunity he made a