The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-20

or Southampton. l have forgotten which.
upon a United States naval vessel for
the West Indies, but, stopping at Lisbon
for orders, the voyage had been counter
manded by the Secretary Of the Navy,
and he had to return to Paris overland.
There wasn't any trouble about getting
money In those days one could get a
draft upon the journal we both served
cashed anywhere in this world.
The long railway trip through Badajos
and Ciudad Real then had been begun.
His train was due IN Madrid about
O'Clock. but it was far past midnight be
fore he had arrived. The cabman, tired
of waiting. had gone. The only convey
ance MacGahan could find was a very
shabby one. He had engaged II and told
It's driver to take him to the best hotel.
with the result that he was carried to
shabby clearinghouse. After a wretched
nights sleep, he had been prevented from
I leaving until an extortionate sum was
paid. He had got word to me by send
ing the man to the American embassy.
1t was a droll adventure. settled with
the landlady and took my distressed
friend to my hotel.
| After my return 10 London. MacGahan
one day came into the office very angry.
He explained that he had been refused
permission by his employer to go TO the
scene of the troubles in Bulgaria I sug-
gest that we go into Bouvert street
and see John r. Robinson. general man
eger of the Daily News. Within FIVE min
utes after I had introduced him Robin
son had agreed TO send the American to
Turkey.
1t was the turning point of his life.
Although none of US realized It. that
was momentOus incident. Within TWEEN
ty-four hours MacGahan had severed his
connection with his American employer
and was en- route for the Western ORR
ent. l never saw him again.
He rode through the burned and pill
LACED towns Of Bulgaria. Everywhere he
encouraged the suffering people. He told
them: THE Gar Will avenge your
wrongs He stood among the shambles
Of Batak-and the two-column story Is
before me as Notwithstanding the
heaps of slaughtered girls exactly as
they lay in the public plaza Of the VII
lage.
The Russians were modified upon the
banks of the Pruth. Command was given
TO a grand duke, but the Gar was there
1 for final review. Then followed the war
NacGahan rode with the invading army,
first with Grand Duke Nicholas. then
with Ghourka. finally, after Plevna, with
the redoubtable Skobeleff. the Bayard OF
sheayes Of letters. He got a broken leg
in the Schipka Pass, but he never went
, to hospital. although famed for life.
He had 10 time to care for his own
suferings; he had work TO do in the holy
cause of humanity. ''Couragei The Car,
Gods agent, will punish he said TO the
Bulgarians. Vengeance upon the Bashi-
7 Bazouks.'' he said TO the Russian sol
diery before every engagement.
There was one battle IN the Schipka
Pass In which hand-to-hand fighting last
ed for a mortal half hour, inspired by
desire OF the Russians to exterminate
band Of these Turkish irregulars. When
the Bulgarians were added 10 the Rou-
msnian allies such a thing as quarter
was unknown. determination OF the
Turks was the cry.
MacGahen rode with the advancing
Russian hosts. Below the Balkans they
entered Adrianople. and finally SkobeIef.
with MacGahan at his side, reached San
Stefano.
| It Is a beautiful little mosque-clustered
suburb of ConstantinopIe. To the north
ward the minarets, from which the call
to prayers is made, could be deserted.
and beyond the great dome OF ST Sophia
From that place MacGahsn. on the eve
/ OF death, sent a most remarkable and
statesmanlike dispatch summarizing the
results of the Russian conquest So i'm
pressive was it that Mr.. Gladstone. then
/ in the Opposition, had It read in the
House of Commons.
Worn out, MacGahan was attacked
with spotted fever. His case was seen
to be hopeless from the first His work
was done. When the poor fellow died his
body was reverently loaded into a boat
and carried across the Bosphorus 10 the
/ little English cemetery at Scutari He
was buried in Asiatic soil, the soil OF his
beloved Asia. Lieut. Gen Skobeleff. chum
/ of that newspaper correspondent upon
the Khivan campaign, was chief mourn
er at the graveside. Near him stood our
own Mai Gen. Francis V. Greene.
/ Years afterward a United States man
of-war went to Constantinople and
brought the body OF J. A MacGahan
back to the land OF his birth. He IS
buried by the side of his parents. near
the old home in Ohio. II was a deserved
recognition of true worth. Now Repre-
sentative Douglas, whose wife is Brook
| lyn woman, suggests to Congress an en-
during statue to this brave, earnest
knight-errant of the newspaper. There
should not be a negative voice heard
from one end of this land TO the other.
Bulgaria was redeemed because MacGa-
han strove and suffered. yea. unto death.
Perhaps I should have spoken Of Mac
Gahan as the first grenadier rather than
the knight-errant of the American news
paper. Under orders from the great Ma
poleon. the name OF Latour Dauverne
was kept for years upon the roll OF the
Imperial Grenadier Guards. Whenever
that glorious name was called the ser
geant would step forward and answer:
| Dead on the field of battlei"
TENNESSEEANS TO ORGANIZE.