The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-01-12

w AAtV0AAO0s. 4NIAACAllDV1 4OOO
that his friend Rush Beene", /,
as he called him, was running
for district attorney against w.
M. Inge, of Corinth. One day
Inge was making a speech at
old Richmond, and said someth-
ing about Beene which uncle
Jimmie did not like, and he took
out q long, sharp pointed knife
and began picking his teeth with
it, and said at the same time:
When you see old Jim White
sides take out his knife and
commence picking my teeth this
way, fitting the action to the
word" you may know there are
certain things in his mind
about certain matters, now God
bless you". And such men could
be found then plentifully who
would resent the least aspersion
on his character. But the kindness
of mis- heart was such, and the
goodness of his nature so gen.
orally recognized that few men
were even called upon to defend
him. R. 0. Beene was a splen-
| did hand to turn incidents and
happenings that came up at the
spur of the moment to his ad-
vantage, or to the disadvantage
of his adversary. When he and
Col. Inge were running for dis
trict attorney in 1856, they spoke
together at Corinth, Col. Inge's
home. The speaking took place
at a church, and while Inge was
speaking Beene took up the
church Bible from the stand
turned over Paul's first letter
| to the Corinthians to sue if he
couldn't find a text applicable
to the occasion. So, when he
| rose to speak, he said; my
Corinthian brethren, I beseach
| you, by the name of our Lord
Jesus christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and that there
be no divisions among you; but
that you be perfectly joined to.
gether in the same mind anG
in the same Judgment -
The appropriateness of the text
and sameness of names was such
that the hit took we'll, and as
a consequence, the brethren stood
very firm to Russ at the polling
day. Beene unfortunately, like
many of his day and generation
would imbibe too freely some
times. He himself said it would
be a mighty mean man that he
would not drink with.
| Once when he was district at
torney, and a very important
murder trial was in progress,
and he was to close the case the
first thing in the morning, all
the other attorneys having spoken
the lawyers for the defense
several in number, knowing his
weakness in relation to liquor
drinking entered into a con-
spireacy to drink him drunk by
detail. The agreement was to
get Beene in a Grouse with them
all, and for them to drink lightly
and only have part of their
number there at a time, while
he would be on hand all the while.
They succeeded so we'll as to keep
him up all night, and they were
all pretty full, but Beene, as
they felt sure, was past making
a speech that would be danger
GUS that morning. So, satisfied
with the result of their efforts,
they all separated after daylight.
Russ staggered off to his room,
and slept about an hour, got up
and bathed his face and combed
out his hair in good shape, and
when court was called he walked
into court. his adversaries and
would-be destroyers watching to
see the final effect of the nights
potations, and believing still the
impossibility of his making a
successful speech. Beene had a
way when he warmed up in
making his speech in a case, OF
making a noise through his nose
occasionally, which cannot be i'm
itated in writing, but which was
the very finest indication that
he was going to make magnifi-
cent speech. So, in very short
time after he began to make his
closing argument. he began max.
ing these peculiar nose grunts, =
and seemed never to have taker
a drink, and he spread dismay
into the ranks of his enemies
one of whom remarked to the
others, Nov we've played h :
1t is said by those who heare
! him that morning that he made
the speech Of his life, and con
victed the defendant.
J, Again, in the fall of 1856. il
the memorable campaign of tn,
Democrats against the Know
nothings, in which Beene took ;
prominent part, though not him
! self a candidates, his opponent,
thought Russ was too far gon,
, to do them any damage. TIL,
candidate and other speaker