The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-16
AUTHOR OF BEN
HUR IS DEAD.
Gen. Lew Wallace Succumbs
to- "a Long Illness
At His Home at Charlottesville,
Indiana, at Age of IS.
SOLDIER AND SCHOLAR
He Held Many Positions of Honor
Under the Government.
Was Minister to Turkey and
Governor of New Mexico.

Charlottesville, Ind. Feb. 16.-Sur-
rounded by his family. General Lew
Wallace, author of ben Hur,'' The
Prince OF india and other works.
one-time minister to Turkey and
veteran of the Mexican and Civil wars.
died at his home in this city last night.
aged IS years.
The health of General Wallace has
been waning for several years and for
months. despite the efforts of the fam
lily to keep the public in ignorance of
his true condition. it has been general
" known that his vigorous constitu-
ton could not much longer Withstand
the ravages of a wasting disease.
For more than year he has been
unable to properly assimilate food. At
no time has he ever confessed his be-
lief that the end was near. and his
rugged constitution and remarkable
vitality have been responsible for pro-
longing his life several months.
General Wallace was born in Brook
Vile, Franklin county, Ind. in 1921.
He has been in the thick of political,
military and literary life since the
Mexican war. which he entered before
he had attained his majority and from
which he emerged lieutenant, cover
ed with honors.
After the stirring events of the Civil
war. from which he emerged as a
major general, he took UP for brief
period the practice of the legal profess
sion.
AS the author Of Ben Hur" General
Wallace is known in practically every
country Of the globe. No other book
since the days OF Pilgrims Progress
has been so widely read. An estimate
indicates that from the total number
OF editions of the book that have been
sold at least 1000. 600 people have read
and enjoyed the Hoosier soldiers
beautiful tale of the lowly Nazarene.
BY every right of ancestry General
Wallace is entitled to the distinction
which he has achieved His father,
David Wallace. was elected governor
of Indiana in 1897 and to congress in
1912 from the Indianapolis district.
1t was due to a conversation between
General Wallace and Colonel Ingersoll
that the research which made ben
Hur' the marvel of its age in all lands
began.
They were on a train together, and
General Wallace suggested as a topic
for conversation the question. as
There a Code ,"
7 don't know. Do xou2" was In
rs there a helI?" asked Wallace.
81 don't know. Do your"
''Was Jesus Christ the son of GOd2''
81 don't know Do you2" Ingersoll
answered in the same tone.
Ingersou then took I'D the entire
subject of the Bible. and displayed
such a thorough knowledge of the
book, its characters and scenes that
General Wallace became deeply in
terested. He studied the New Tesla
ment and the life and sayings of Christ,
with the result that he came to be-
lieve absolutely in the Bible Had it
not been for IngersolI it is doubtful
whether the world would have had
ben Hur.'
The story Of the writing Of The
Prince OF India" is an interesting one.
When Garfield was elected president he
sent for Wallace, who was a close per-
sonal friend, and during the conversa-
ton offered to make him minister to /
Constantinople on the condition that he