The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-28

| washington, Oct. 2.-(Speciai) MY
story regarding a stranger from WASHING.
ION IN cunningham six weeks ago threw
tHe nrst shadow across the happy way
| OF FEDERAL officeholders in Alabama.
| Inc strangers name and precise duties
We're not ascertainable; his presence in
Birmingham was not known to a dozen
| persons there; but it was learned. in a
manner that he was something of a scert
agent representing a certain high per-
sohase IN washington. 1t is believed that
ne likewise made a mysterious visit To
montgomery. 1t is evident that he was
the herald of hard fate to at least one
excellent man. namely, William Vaughn.
then United States District Attorney. now
a lawyer in private practice 1t is be-
iieVed that the Alabama visit OF this
herald OF high parsonage will yet prove
ia.ai 10 other officeholders in that State.
Inc stranger from Washington was a
good looking man, Weighing about 23O
pounds, with a red face and wearing
snort red mustaches. He did not appear
TO De amiable and he certainly put three
very amiable men into unamia ble moods
Upon the first night of his presence in
Birmingham, the stranger Toasted with
Attorney Vaughn, Collector Bingham and
postmaster Hughes in the Morris Hotel
CAFE 1t was by no means a Bacchanalian
revel The four men were as solemn as
mutes at funeral. Possibly this solem-
nifty was due to a fact that three of the
four men, the stranger included, never
indulge in the cup that cheers and some
times inebriates, and that the forth is
always very shy of intoxicants. The
stranger apart, a soberer party in the
sense of indulgence in what is generally
termed drink could not be found in
any town at any time-a truth that is
locally notorious be it spoken to the credit
of those estimable men. But whatever
the cause. the four at the feast that
hight were solemnly. painfully, sedate.
One who was, and is happy in remain
ing. a friend of the three Alabamians in
question observing them SO serious with
the serious stranger, asked another friend
of them all, Republican in private life,
for an explanation.
Our friends don't know at this mo-
| ment whether they are on their feet or
their heads, or some other part of their
bodies he replied THE stranger you
see is a man from Washington on Il
secret government mission. / don't know
who he is or precisely what his business
is and neither do our friends know. They
can't make him out. nor can 1; but they
are very unhappy and l am uneasy.
Something is certain to happen
In the morning of the second day the
party were together in the Hotel Hill
man ,as solemn the night before.
Then the stranger disappeared, presume
bly, proceeding that afternoon to Mont
gomery.
Subsequently this chronicier of news
was in an Alabama village which does
not receive the morning newspaper till
late in the afternoon of the day of publi-
h. tl,oo to rtltr IN
formation that District Attorney Vaughn
had been removed from office, he invol-
unfairly exclaimed:
THE stranger from Washington"
What do you mean?" asked an eminent
public man.
The story of the strangers appearance
in Birmingham was related.
"a duller man than Sherlock Holmes
would see the connection" the public
man said, with a show of interest.
Now men who know Mr.. Vaughn know
| there is nothing against his private char
acter; and as for Collector Bingham and
DR.. Hughes, postmaster Of Birmingham.
they have twice successfully withstood
the severest tests to phich private char
acter can be officially subjected. The
President has twice given them supreme
approval just as similar approval had
been given Mr.. Vaughn. Yet Mr..
Vaughn has been summarily dismissed
from office In the first year of his second
term, and 1t is generally believed in Wash
ington that Mr.. Bingham and Postmaster
Hughes are in grave jeopardy Of the fatal
official headsman. This much is also true
of District Attorney Reese, at Montgom-
cry, now in the first year of his second
term. and against whom the only ascer-
tainabIe allegation is that he favored the
elimination of the negro from the Repub-
lican party OF Alabama.
If these several off1ceholders be not re-
moved this week, they need not have any
fear. The election occurs tomorrow
week.
Nothing is said here regarding Marshal
Bryan or Postmaster Buckley at Mont
gomery, Marshal Cooper at Birmingham
or District Attorney Wickersham. Collec-
tor Tebbetts, or Postmaster Barker at
Mobile. each Of whom is understood TO
have been not ardent supporters OF the
so-called lilly white" movement.
While there is a widely accepted story
that Mr.. Vaughan refused to indict GER
tain persons, whose names are not otfi-
ciallv disclosed, the immediate cause of
his removal from office was politics Re-
fusal to obey instructions may have been