The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-04-23
A Card.
Editor Comet :

n OdIus
Editor Comet:
From feeling of charity l hope that
the writer of that article in the Staff
concerning the fall of s. F. Swift from
window in the Carnegie Hotel was a
man without friend or kin and without
realization of the loyalty Of one or the
love of the other. hope that his lev
itous treatment of tragedy that nearly
cost the life of dear old Swift" was
prompted by spirit barren of human
impulses and born of a heart deaf to
the calls of human suffering. hope
that the milk of human kindness had
flown forever from his soul, and that
only the suffering and anguish of his
fellow-man appealed to his distorted
sense of humor. How else can such
cruel article be explained or excused?
To Swift's friends-and they are le-
gion-the article only added sorrow to
pain that was already hard to bear.
This article in the staff begins with
the statement that he Swift "was
drunk as lord all day." A more er-
roneous statement was never publish
ed. On that day of i'll luck his en-
ployer was away in New York on bust
ness and Swift was in sole charge of his
office. Recognizing his responsibilities
and discharging his duties faithfully,
as he has always done, he would not
even leave his office that afternoon un-
til every bit of his work had been done.
Until that time-as every one who saw
him that day will testify-he was per-
fectly sober.
The article continues-with omnis-
cient wisdom vouchsafed only to the
writer to describe Swift's fall from
the window. Notwithstanding the fact
that Swift was alone in his room, and
that he himself doesn't know and does
not pretend to say how the accident
happened. Notwithstanding the fact
that his groans, as he lay there on the
roof with broken hip and bruised
body, were the first intimations to q
single soul that he had fallen. Not
withstanding these things, yet the
writer of this article-assumin the at
ributes of Allah-publishes in glaring
headlines and describes in vivid detail
an account of the unfortunate fellow
cropping toward the window to vomit
the remains of days dissipation. Isn't
it strange that no signs of the vomit
lay anywhere TO verify this remarkable
statement? Isn't it little strange,
too, that this writer, with his omnis-
cient knowledge of the details of this
account, should have failed to mention
the fact that the fuse had burnt out Of
the electrict light in Swift's room, and,
whether drunk or sober, he was com
PEELED to grope around in a dark room
and liable accidentally to fall through
an open window? The writer, too
failed to observe that q sober man may
in his Sleep walking stumble to hi
death. These are theories, but where
all is left to conjecture and guess, why
not suppose charitable theory? OI
why not admit, as we all must, that W,
don't know know it happened?
And the end of that article-a jest,
ioke-when the little fellows life wa
hanging by a slender thread. Tha
play on words the writer INDUCED in
will not repeat here. l only wish the
could be as if they never were. Their
the poor boy lay, hovering betwee
, life and death, barely able to lift hi
hands in mute appeals for help, whe
this article was printed and sprea
over our city. Twas then when man
! hands were ministering to his wants
Q and when we feared that any minut
- | no bhO lhpVg aAu WuOA buO uOhT
q of mother, sisters and brothers wei
:. torn with sorrow and anguish, that b
helplessness and his suffering is mad
a subject of ribaldry and jest in publ
print. Oh, if the liberty and license
the press means tears for our mothel
and sisters, then God speed the da
It when that liberty and that license wi
be no more.
. Through the foolish act of a though
less friend he was not even spared tt
sting and pain Of that article. wiz
the writer had been with me today as
walked into Swift's room and found b
eyes beaded with tears and his hanC
working convulsively with emotion
Swift-that brave, generous, gent
spirit, whose very soul longs with joy
good doing, whose very nature recoi
from any thought of harm 20 his fello
creatures-was today suffering unto
agonies over wrong done him by OF
he had not even thought i'll OF.