Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-11-11
BY PHILLIPS RUSSELL.

NE morning aICer MS reGuIA u
Brest, Jones suddenly entered
the courtyard Of a post.inr
~ where a man in American
dress was about to step int
a diligence bound for Paris. This mar
was Of large dimensions, about six feet
high and weighing perhaps 200 pounds
without warning Jones sprang at MIN
We have the word of Nathaniel Fan
ming, who was an officer under Jones
and at one time his secretary, thai. the
little captain was quicker than CHAIR
lightning-when reused he could strike
more blows and do more damage IN
second than any other man / ever saw
could do in q minute" It was so now
Jones fist caught the fat man on the
jaw and knocked him fiat. Jones tnen
seized the whip of the amazed driver
of the diligence and began to lash tne
PROSTATE man furiously about the oooy
at the same time kicking him with un-
mistakable signs OF rage and contempt
Passersby and servants ran up ano
caught Jones' hands as he reached for
one of the three pistols in his belt.
The fat man meantime covered his
face with his hands and bawled like a
calf. When pulled to his feet. he MADE
no attempt to fight back, but hastily
hid himself in the diligence. Jones
would make no explanation. and the
surrounding Frenchmen gave up the
matter as evidently being q private one
among those Americans, who beyond
doubt were given to dementia.
We learn the name of the fat man
from Jones himself. In his Journal ne
afterwards wrote that ito this DAY l
cannot understand, even II excuse my
self for it, why spared the reptile life
of Hezekiah Ford in the courtyard OF
the postum at Brest when ne was at
my mercy and had every justification
for it,"
Hezekiah Ford was one of the numer-
Gus secretaries surrounding Arthur Lee
of the American commission in Paris.
The injuries Lee inflicted upon Jones
are not now calculable, but there Is no
doubt that Jones' colossal disappoint-
ments and difficulties in France were
due largely to the manipulations OF
Lee and the men whom Jones, at flrst
ignorant of their skulduggery, referred
to as "spies and bandits In guise OF
private secretaries and seaport agents.
Meantime Jones had forgiven Lieut..
Simpson as having been 1.-The victim
of Arthur Lees harpies," and allowed
him to take the Ranger home, with its
crew of homesick. tirne-expired sailors.
Twenty-seven of them remained behind
to follow their captains fortunes.
Among them was Anthony jeremiah,
who craved one more battle. Jones was
pleased. He wrote: MY little red In
dian is not homesick. Maybe he had
no home to yearn for. But prefer to
explain his choice to stay with me on
other grounds
Jerry" in due time got his second
battle. No little red Indian had ever
fought in one like it before, and none
has since.
For one month Jones, by what means
he could, had to care for more than
200 prisoners, feed and clothe his loyal
seamen, repair his vessels and support
himself. Help then came from source
which not even his imaginative mind
could have foreseen.
AS soon as Jones gained the time to
go up to Paris he found himself the
center of an admiring circle. That an
English ship Of war should be defeated
by an inferior vessel was extraordinary
enough, but that 1t should be captured
and taken intact into port as prize
that was sensation indeed.
ZONES now began to meet influential
v people, chiefly at Franklin's home.
Among them was the Duke Of Char
tres, and, what was more important to
his later career-the Duchess. The
Duke of Charities was Frances Sailor
Prince" and as such had recently been
made an honorary high admiral.
The Duchess Of Charities was grand
daughter of the Admiral Count de Tou-
louise. and daughter of the Admiral the
Duke de Bourbon-P enthievre Having
sea traditions in her family history, it
was natural for her to become inter-
ested in the new naval hero from
America. She not only became John
Paul Jones firm ally at the court of
Louis XVI, but she lent him money
for the cause" and refused repayment
1t was well for Jones that he was
thus soothed by the attentions. of the
great, for during a period stretching
over several desolate months he was
compelled to endure that which his
electric temperament most hated-in-
activity. He relapsed into idle brood
ing at Brest.
After five months Of this wretched
existence, he resolved to carry his case
up to persons on high. His appeal to
the Duchess of Charities led to one of
his great moments.
On December II, 1778, he was sum-
moned to Versailles by the King, with
whom he spent an hour. Meantime he
had been inspecting at Lorient an old
but serviceable forty-gun ship in the
East India service named the Duras,
and had begged Franklin's friend, M.
lie Ray de Chaumont Of the marine
ministry, to obtain her for him. Chau-
mont had temporized, but events now
began to happen. On February 4, ITO,
M. de Sartine, minister Of marine. in
formed Jones that the King had ordered
the Duras to be placed under his COM
mand, that 1t was to be refltted for
him, and that he was to be permitted
crew.
In his transports at being released
from the inaction Of seven months,
Jones hurried with bounding steps TO
the Duchess of Charities.
Madame" cried the glowing Jones,
Il shall lay an English frigate at your
feet!"
And he did, too, in a manner that
will be related. John Paul Jones had
his little weaknesses, but failure to keep
promises was not among them.
Before proceeding with the arming OF
the Duras, Jones renamed her the Bon
Homme Richard, In compliment 10
Benjamin Franklin, in whose Poor
Richards Almanac he had read this
maxim: IF you would have your nusl-
ness done, go yourself; II not, send;
His new ship was not much better
than a tub, being well worn after
twelve years afloat as an armed trans
port. But he was in no position to be
finicky, and he at once set to work TO
alter her into fighting ship.
In April there arrived from America
beautiful new frigate named the
Alliance, and Jones asked that she be
added to his squadron.
Franklin Endorsed the project in a
letter which thrilled Jones to his sea-
boots. "The letter received from you
today" he replied, together with your
liberal and noble minded instructions.
would make coward brave. You have
called up every sentiment of public