The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-23

/ from week to week. Il They X t1eSy. TINT lneyA
could keep Il tis long rs they LIZ ca.
lsnbout wcnring the very i,lainest q t,r..
Itratci. slightly bent md leaning uppi, ms lts
I f,ideEcnnt, Will DO missed by nobody 90
IStnticft Bas by the sttirhetone brokers, " to-
WHOM lieSwns we'll known His PAPER was
IFalwnys preferred ito tint Sissied by any.
body else because lic was known TO be
absolutely Responsible. Probably otl,llnt:
short 81 IL ltllsaster could have broken
| l,iin. Ii, tho panic OF 1888, which was
precipithtetl BY tile failing OF Grant and
| Ward Mi. Sage had olitg1lnding d accounts
running Into THO millions He closed his
office, and t1icltered With his creditors
where he could. AVerting q real collapse.
Among mnny admirable trnits, II Mr.,
snge possessed that Of being an agreeable
eonversntionist, generally taking n H..
low. gentle voice, and emphasizing his
mrN!ss with impressive gestures, HIS
chief form Sot recreation WINS with his
dumb pets. notnbiyshls horses TO wilon,
he would talk as II they were human, q.
! lie said at one tli1o that no Intended ca
tic name Of Sage famous for NIL time, but
the curiosity OF his friends was not
grutined IN that direction. IN 3St III
The Dynamite 4 Tragedy.
1t was evidently beforehand ordained
)thnt Russell sage would not &tiic by v!O-,
lence. 4. "A few years ago 9 slunatic, rl,o
was alleged at the time to be "a fnemb,Ar
Of an oRth-bound clique with u motive
Ito asaassinaAc millionnircs, sS expl oled q
package OF dynamite In Mr.. Sage . oillce.
Though several OF tho clerks we're killed
| land Injured, Mr.. Sage escaned With ~
slight attack OF nervous pr strati oii. a5
$5 II. D. Norcross was the name Of the
nan who attempted the Impossible feat
OF extorting money from Russell Sng's.l
One Decem bcr morning he opened ~ mo
door OF Mr.. sages oftlcc, md. pushing " NJ
HIS way In found himself In q long ha!l !
way whore theirs were I wo stock clerFs
behind wire work. The visit or, VINO vl1o WoIe
! Il closely cropped beard OF q dark brown. |,
asked tor Mr. Sage. and being told that
he was busy, said he Ii had a letter o
Introduction from Mr.. Rockefelle Il and
wnt,tet, to present II. Mr.. Sage who was
teng ged with Colonel j.. J. slocum in an
inner office, came out, and, opening the
door leading from the general once ~
tile hallway In which the man was rs sea!ea,
asked him what no wanted. He thrust ~ lor-
gv.n ~ a card on which was inscribed the
name OF H. D. Wilson. # 555 NJ ss
Said He Was Busy.
Mr.. sage said to the man that he was.
yerv busy ana asked him to be seated y
short time, when Ire would see him. 3lte
turned to enter his Office when the vlsi-,
tor said S5sf k{ II II & y ~
explain itself rs D,
M. sage took the re'ttcr and told tho
man to sit down while he read T. y y
said. f a IA ~ 35 "a n
dynamite. II Il drop It to tho floor II Will
| blow IN this building and everyone IN u
to pieces. For 81 200. coo II will not drop.
| Yes or no ?''s55s n IL g s3 VI ls
NIr. sage did not lose his presence 81
mind. 8TIe probably would have ga I'll
| his life d dozen times over rather t i,f
have handed over this amount or any
fraction Of ~. In q collected manner
he Said: 4 a. w
81 have an important business engage
ment for half an hour ami cannot sive
the matter attention until then. You gu must al'
return 5lg5 . . IA q. ...s \,
5"Then you refuse" said the iunattc, as
| Mr. Sage handed back the letter.
| 1.yV hy,. no Il told you when l have done
with my engagement WI. give give Sou5 ~
answer" 5 AK 9i3i3 @43 sG
The Explosive Hurled
Il THAT VIII not do, II; the man replied. as
Mr. Sage turned to enter his once Q .a
then raised the satchel high oVtr his
head ana dropped 1t between himself ana
| the rapidly retreating Uncle Russell.
At this supreme moment the austere.
nnancior did mot lose his presence OF
mind. 1t Is alleged no grabbed hold Of
wv. r. Lnfdlaw. one OF his clerks, and
/ held him as 4 a shield in front OF HIM.
Certain It Is that fin the explosion which
followed every one In the room with tho
execution OF. Mr.. Sage was either killed
or seriously injured B. Z. Norton was
hurled through a window into Rector
street and died without regaining con-
sciousness Several were 80 seriously In
| 1ured that they have since died.
Norcross was torn into fragmcnT. his
head being completely severed from the
body. When Mr.. Sage rcgnincd his feet
he found himself half denuded OF clothing.
blinded with blood and dust, HIS forehead
stepped down the steps with Colonel slo-
cum they met a policeman, to whose ex-
| cited INQUIRIES Mr.. Sage replied:
33l'"They have dynnmited me at last. but
! I don't think am very much hurt.
IN obody Ever Gave Me a Cent"
Russell sage's contribution to the CO..
lection OF epigrams Of which 3"the pub
| liz 10 damned, 4 Is a type, is: Nobody
ever gave me cent, The poor bor-t
rover who went to this man OF mill
lions with a 9doleful tale OF how g little
help given on fair terms mlsnt mean q
saving from bankruptcy, squandered MS
1 lime in pleading poverty, for he got the
inyaridble response. Nobody ever gave
me- n benny, and I was very poor. he
sat day after day IN his inner !, once ~ 9,
.looking after Investments, which meant
! that every dollar OF the millions he pos
sessed must bring In the highest possible
| rates Of interest S
In 1868 Russell Sage got into trouble.
| Among the dusty archives OF the Court
of General Sessions and the Court OF OYER
and Tcrminer In the city OF New York
there IL an indictment charging Russell
sage with the crime OF usury. II Is datcs
| Julv is, 1869, and on the face OF It appears
tho inscription, Pleaded guilty, fined
$3.50 Aug. 10, 1860. Albert Cardozo. judge. Y
THE indictment was found by the grand
Jury on the complaint OF Edward P, Scott,
| Of the firm OF F.. P. Scott and Co., Wall
| street, In his affidavit Mr.. Scott swore
| that June 80. 1859, his firm borrowed Of
| MI. sage $2SO,0Oo at the rate Of S-s per
! cent. a day and 7 per cent, interest. This
loan was renewed July lat at 1-S per