The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-18
A RICH YORICK
By SAvOYARD

The death of Proctor Knott inevitably recalls Spencer Dabney, a Kentuckian cast in like mold, though their walk was widely different. Spence, as more than thrice ten thousand of his friends al- ways called him, was journeyman sad der and a genius, as pronounced one as Knott or Prentice, or Tom Marshall. He was a splendid looking man, and in that elder day, when your southerner was the handsomest and most tastily dressed man in the world, he was remarkably dis tsnguished in personal appearance. when he donncd his best attire. Above six feet, symmetrically formed, graceful and hand some Spencer Dabney would have been d striking figure anywhere.
 The way he got to be a lawyer IS a good story. He was one night playing poker with Judge Fount Fox. Mike Owls Icy, Sa.s>s Boles and John Sandidge, at Russel Springs. For a joke Owsley told FOX that Dabney, then very young II an, was there to be examined touching lis learning in the profession of Coke and Blackstone. Fox answered, "Dab- uey, you look like 8 lawyer. you talk like a lawyer, you play poker like a law ger, and I'll be hanged if I don't make you lawyer" which he did on the spot.
 Spence moved to Lebanon, where Proc tor Knott subsequently, livei and opened g law office. The boys elected him jus tee of the peace, and his library was the Revised statutes, the Code of Prac- tce of Kentucky, and the Farmers AL
 tod hot h lie rt was noted for a maximum Of dignity snd a minimum-of learning. He got into rolitics and was a candidate for state senator. Unfortunately the presiding of fcer of the convention put the vote this way: All in favor of the nomination of Colonel Dabney will please rise" That beat him. though in a majority not a Dabney delegate could stand on his Pin.,
 don't recall a more dashing look ing man than Spencer Dabney at his best. He would have attracted attention, commanded admiration, in any society One Fourth of July the orator of the occasion was absent and Spence was oslled on to fill his place and make democratic stump speech and he did 1t and hung on his words. His periods were ard hungon his words. His periods were tervid and burning, and after two hours ef enormous eloquence he closed in very rhapsody of patriotic Reclamation. Coming down from the stand Spence met one of his maternal uncles, who was lretty nearly as m(ch of a wag as Spence himself. The old man said: Spence, I'm proud of you. Your eioquence was splendid, your presence superb, your voice rich, resonant and musical, your gestures were grace itself, but, Spence. what you lack is idees. If idee ever strikes you, I'm damned if you won't h, a rouser.'
 And what voice it was. It was as resonant as Joe Blackburn's and as musi- cal as Billy Brecknridges, and there was more to it than either of the others had. It was stagey and thrilled you. He could roll the R no other man l ever saw or heard. He could look the part too and if Spence Dabney had been student he could have played a bis part in our political history. I do not believe that Proctor Knotts speech on 'he bill of rights in the Kentucky constitutional con vention of 1890 has ever been surpassed in the English tongue, but Spence Dabney might have been as great a man had he been endowed with the same temperament and the same tastes.
 But the best episode in the career or Spence was when he personated Henry A. Wise in 1855. The proprietor Of Russell Springs was possessed of an idiosyncracy and he idealized Wise, though the demo- cratic candidate for governor of Ken lucky that year. Beverley l.. Clarke Vas the equal of even Wise himself. Some of the younger guests at thes springs re- solved to play joke on their host, and they sent for Spence. who came in coach-and-four arrayed in the gorgeous