Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-01-03
MANY RECALLED BY RECENT
MORRIS TRAGEDY.
DRINK THE CAUSE OF ALL
A Iona List OF Horrors Connected
With National Capital, Suicides
Being Especially Numerous-At-
nosphere Provocative to Drinking
Some Of Tauibee's Escapades.

Washington, Dec 30.--The murder
OF Auditor Frank II. Morris by big
Sam" Macdonald is but the latest of
a long list of crimes which have oc'
Cured here among men in public life,
every one of which is traceable to ex'
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
petItiyo examinations as medium Tor
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
tons inetficiency from all classes has
been reduced to a 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
life of bright, promising and promi
nent men.
Only a short time ago one OF the
brightest clerks in the pension bureau
was executed for a most fiendish muir
der of young girl almost 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 for
years been chief of a division, but his
inattention to his duties led to his re
duction in rank and pay, just az Sam
Macdonald was forced from a higher
to a lower class for similar reason.
One evening Worrell had been en-
loving himself with friends, He sep
arated from them apparently as cheer
full as he ever had been in his life. and
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-
ont nj
his final life departure In similar
manner. One evening after unusually
witty converse in good company he
; left his circle and stepped around the
: nearest corner A fash. report and
Maginn was picked from the street
& with bullet hole in his head.
Everybody will remember, when 1t
is recalled the fate of the brilliant
CONGRESSMAN Taulbee of Kentucky.
Washington life was too rapid for him
Judge" Kincaid. correspondent OF o
Louisville newspaper, wrote history
of some Of Taulbee's escapades, under
orders from his employers.
One day when the house of repre-
sentatives was In session Taulbee
came from the hall. met Kincaid In the
corridor, had hot words with him and
struck him in the face. kincaid sent
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 on
the stairway leading to the cafe, and
shot him through the heart. kincaid
lay in jail for some time, but was &C
quilted upon his trial.
Such tales as these could he multi.
piled into volumes. Members OF the
house and senate, high government of
ficials, diplomats and attaches of legA
tons belonging to titled families al
most without number, have thrown
away discretion in the life Of this polit.
zeal little city, and have speedily been
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 their 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 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 a few years, however, MacDon-
aid has exhibited a growing morose.
ness, and at times when drinking was
disposed to be violent He tired
his friends with denunciation Of Audi.
tor Morris. He is from Cleveland
and am from 5teubenville," be would
say. "and Ohio men ought not to go
back on each othsr' He had but him