The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-02-04
AN OFT TOLD TALE.
Senator Mitchel1's Youthful Error
Eastern Papers Tell It now.

In the history of Senator Mitchell
there is a story of a deserted wife.
The details of it have always been
told by the senator's political oppo-
nents, with the effect that mitigat-
ing circumstances, if such there
were, have doubtless been kept in
the background. Many man and
his wife have separated, and there
are doubtless many cases where
the separation was fortunate for
both. Whether there were justif-
able features in the separation in
which Senator Mitchell figured
while he was yet a young man,
cannot be said, for, as far as known
but one side of the story has ever
been printed. In any event the oft
told tale of this early incident in
the life of a United States senator
is told now in the Eastern news
papers. as a result of the late indict-
ment of Senator Mitchell. A sam
pie of the story appears below, as
told by the Washington correspon-
| dent of the New York Sun. It
runs thus:
John H. Mitchell, senior United
States senator from Oregon, who
was indicted at Portland for alleg-
ed violation of tie law in accepting
s. 900 for the use of his influence
as senator in furthering a fraudu-
| lent land scheme, is a veteran of
many political battles. He has
been charged by his political enc
mics with many crimes, more ser
ious, if possible, than that for
which he is under indictment, but
he has always been victor when the
tug of war came.
Senator Mitchell was born in
Washington county, Pennsylvania,
In 1885, and went to Oregon in
1860, after few years residence
in California. He became more
prominent gradually, and by 1866
came within one vote of being his
| party's choice for United States
senator. He incurred the bitter
hostility of William Lair Hill, a
brilliant lawyer, who was then edi-
tor of the Portland Oregonian.
Hill learned that Mitchell was liv-
ing under an assumed name, and
made trip TO Pennsylvania, where
he traced Mitchell's antecedents.
/ 1t was discovered that Mitchell S
real name was John Nipple, and
that while very young he had
married poor girl, the daughter
of a washerwoman. by Mhom he
had several children. He left his
| family and disappeared. and in due
time turned up on the Pacific coast
as "John II. Mitchell" His iden-
tity having been established. the
Oregonian printed an exposure
which caused a sensation in the
state. For years afterward the
Oregonian referred to him as "John
Nipple Mitchell"
Mitchell did not deny the truth
fu1ness of the story. Instead, he
took the people of Oregon into his
confidence, admitted that he had
changed his name and asked the
people to judge him by his record
among them as man rather than
by the errors of his youth. He
took steps to have his new name
legalized and made peace with his
former wife by proper legal settle
ment.
The people of Oregon took Nit
chel1 at his word, and the attacks
upon him were unavailing. In 18.
IL he was elected to the Uniied
States senate and took his seat on
March 4, 1873, the same day upon
which William B. Allison entered
upon his career in the senate. AL
1ison has served continuously ever
since, and now has the record OF
having served longer than any
other man, living or dead. But
Mitchell has been in and out sever
al times, and every campaign, with
few exceptions, has been fight in
which the fur few.
! Senator Mitchell married early
in his Oregon career, before the ex-
posure of his Pennsylvania exper-
fence. His second wife was a resi-
I dent of Oregon. Of beauty and good
family. Several daughters and
one son were born them. The son,
/ John H. Mitchell, Jr., is promi-
nent lawyer in Oregon. One
daughter, Matte, was a famous
beauty and belle in Washington.
In 1891 she married the Duke de la
Rochefoucau1d. and is living in
Paris, where her mother is now
visiting her.
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