The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-30
STORIES OF HENDERSON
Characteristics Of the Man
Who Succeeded Reed as
Speaker

Apropos Of Mr.. Henderson's war ex.
perlence the following story was told
by one Of his colleagues recently, which
illustrates as well as any Of the stories
concerning him his ready sympathy
and tact says writer in Leslie's
Weekly: In the days wheA Dave Hen
derson was raw yot ig lieutenant,
and before he had pst a leg in the
service OF his country, he was called to
a man who had been mortally wound
ed by the explosion Of a gun lie found
the poor fellow lying on the grass
swearing a biue streak at the unfortu-
nate accident that would cost him his
life, while a callow young chaplain
knccling beside the wounded soldier
vainly expostulatcd with him for such
blasphomy and besought him to pray,
since he was about TO be called into the
presence Of his Maker The chaplains
exhortations had no effect upon the suf
fering soldier, however, who continued
to swear more loudly than ever
"Nlake way" ordered Henderson,
and imeelioe by the size OF the soldier
le SID in voice as tender as Il wo;
a4s Fgu we do nothing for you,
fos rave 9.lowT
Ihe soldier looked up wistfuly at the
sound of the sympathetic words. "I'm
afraid it's all up he said family.
"Well II il is. my man. It must be
happiness aEd satisfaction to you 20
know that you died for your country.
You are just as much 'of a hero as
though you had been killed in the field
Of battle. and your name will always
] be revered. God help you. my brave
1 boyw
"Is that so? Is that soT' murmured
/ the dying soldier. "That's a comfort,
sir; it's a greet comfort and, holding
the hand OF Ills young officer, the poor
lad died.
Mr. Henderson once told how he lost
his leg as follows:
"a good many people ask me how I
lost my leg Generally ] tell them.
but / always think of the story of she
Iowan who had both legs cut of by
buzzsaw one day he was riding in
railroad train. and an old lady who sat
across the aisle from him stirred at his
stumps pretty hard, Finally she said:
i. S.len me. sir, but will you tell
me how you loo your legsT
NO, 1 won't the legless man re-
piled The old lady sighed and settled
back in her seat Pretty soon SHE be-
gan staring again. and, unable to con-
ceal her curiosity, she pleaded:
L wish you would tell me how you
lost your legs
THE man relented.
"'Well,' he said, I'll tell you If you
will promise not to ask me any more
questions. Now, mind, you can't ask
another question:
Il promise, said the old lady in a
quver of excitement.
"'Well,' said the legless man, 4 had
them chawed orr"
It Is related that when Colonel David
Bremner Henderson was a lieutenant
in the Twelfth Iowa at the battle of
Corlnth he noticed soldier whose gun
had been clogged and which refused Ia
work. The poor fellow, ia the belief
that he would surely be killed with q
useless weapon in his hand became
woefully excited and began TO tremblC
as with an ague, "You Internal foolr
shouted Henderson, forgetting conven.
tionalities for the moment Here
why don't you pick the tube out witt
/. a pin, same as YOU do when you're
shooting prairie chickens?" The words
'prairie chickens" in the ear of this ma
tive Of Iowa sounded so good that 4
Immediately brought him to himself
a He at once cleaned out his gun ant
a went into the fight At the end Of IN,
y battle the man who had cleaned ou
: his gun had been shot in the hip an,
Henderson had received the shot II
bis left foot which compelled him &
wear an artificial leg When the tw,
e happened 10 meet afterward Colone
Henderson said. "Well, old boy. tina
IA prairie chicken saved your life If j
% didn't your hipr'
one winter a certain person with a
g nX TO grind Ia The house took rooms a
d the Nwmaudie That he might be nea
T. Mr. Henderson ANA, IL possible gal
II lll- friendship ana secure bis nduenc,
Soon after he had established himse
at the hotel he was fortunate enough I
u be invited hy one of the guests 10
o. little supper after the theater at whic
d the speaker was the principal hgur
le The company was a gay one. and shor
ID ly before separating the speaker bur
/. forth with "The Tinklng of the Ban
I, is the Only Sound | Hear" everybod
joining In the chorus with "A gusto say
'E the man with an AK 10 grind. who S,
he dumfounded, as though hypnotized 4
ne the unusual scene The chief singer al
ar not seem 10 observe the strangers S
be lence but when, a day or two late
some one proposed bringing him 10 ga
on the speaker the latter said he W.
rt not an ak anxious 10 meet a man WI
~, could not be moved by the spirit
ir. music The meeting. however, w
M finally arranged "a friendship esn
ar. lished, and at the next singing bee u
/. voice Of the man with an AK 70 grin
was the loudest In the whole chorus.