The Washington herald., 1914-03-12
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By FRED G. KELLY.

tlrkfnlaDa DOyfsh-1aceu little man with
short gray hair and a slight stoop-was
the Judge who presided at the trial of
young Henry Clay Beatty. charged with
numbering his wife. case that attract
ed nationwide attention two or three
years ago
But that is only one OF number of
things that make Congressman Watson
noteworthy.
To start with. he was for years-from
! early boyhood clear into mature man
hood-the foremost practical joker OF
Nottoway County, Virginia
Inventiveness at practical jokes was a
gift he had Inherited from his father.
who had been the leading joker In his
company when he served in the army.
But with the father the gift had been
only rudImentary. whereas the son had
taken 1t and developed II to a high de-
gree OF perfection.
Young watsons specially was play
ing ghost. He used to lurk about the
country eraveyards and silently step
forth at the edge of the highway to
startle the unwary traveller.
There was a young man thereabouts
who used to ride horseback to the home
of one Of the bellies of the countryside.
When IL was reported that the two were
dDOul 10 "dlSoh Nhdb
he ought to test the young mans mettle
and ascertain II he were sturdy enough
spirit to take up the responsibilities OF
the welded state.
He got a sheet that he kept in his
room for such purposes and waited In
the silent cemetery until the young man
came lightheartedly riding along.
Not word was spoken, but when the
rider saw the white figure approaching,
his one thought seemed to be to get some
where else. He whipped up his horse. and
what made it all the funnier to Watson
was the fact that the horse kept going
faster as he got farther away. indicating
that the victim was becoming more
frightened all the while.
That was more than thirty years ago,
and neither Watson nor the other man
ever spoke of the joke. About two weeks
ago the man dropped into Washington.
He and Watson had a long conversation.
and Watson had it on his tongues end
several times to speak about the little
prank. But he didn't
One of the hest jokes Watson ever
played was a fake duel There was an
old ex-Confcderate army officer down
that way. who was commonly believed
to possess much less bravery than he
claimed for himself. Watson got him to
he his second in duel When the duel
took place, the guns were loaded with
blank cartridges and Watson shot and
killed-as il appeared-his opponent
Whereupon the dead duelist's second took
after watson's second with a gun and
chased him DER hill and dale for two
or three miles. And IL was generally
regarded as a thoroughly comic situa-
ton.
Watson might still be a leading prac-
ticaI joker except for ono thing He
narrowly escaped being killed one night.
shortly after he began practicing law.
right in the midst of a highly amusing
prank. and that led him 10 abandon his
hobby forever and ever.
In accordance with his custom. he
grabbed up sheet one night and set
out in search of recreation. Some play
cards for amusement. others play lawn
tennis: Watson played ghost
\ lone traveller came along the road
past the cemetery where Watson sat
patiently awaiting a victim. This Traveller
CHANGED to he carrying a revolver. Wat
son believed he was in no danger of
being shot. because OF the following
reasons:
Ca) The man probably did not have
any revolver. CbD II he did have one he
would bc too scared 10 use il. CO. III
ne WAS not 100 search L. Snhpl ne NpulI
at least know the futility of trying to
shoot a spirit.
But somehow Watson's hypotheses
failed to make good The joke victim
not only had a revolver but il was load
ed and he shot il.
Watson heard a bullet go zinC-r. past
his ear. He abandoned then all effort tol
Ghost-like dignity and ran tOI
shelter himself behind a tombstone.
And he gave up Ghosting from that
day on.
When Senator Elihu Root was Young
man he Was a great CrOny of the late
Charles 4. Dana. one winter they had
a little time hanging on their hands and
desired to do something a bit skittish.
So what do you suppose?
They set TO work and studied the lee
landic language.
Their theory was that if they should |
ever make a stay in Iceland il might be |
embarrassing to drop into a !
shop or a hotel and he unable To make |
their wants known. |
Root can speak snatches Of Icelandic |
even yet.
Uncle Henry Baruhart. member Of Con- |
Cress from Indiana. stood beaming on
the gay scene at big formal White |
House reception little while ago.
Some party. isn't it, somebody suG- |
gested.
Yes. it's nice affair" admitted Uncle
Henry. but after all it's a good deal
like We have out in Rochester. Ind. and
points thereahouts. The main difference
s that this is reception ard we call EN-
sociables."
Copyright lsIi nv TrrvI e Kelly. All rights re
s,ucil