Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-12
LIBRARY GETS DATA
ON HOOS|ER POET
Weird Traits of Riley Shown
in Material Presented
by Harry S. New.

The firm belief of James Whitcomb
Riley in the potency of spirits is an in
teresting characteristic of the Hoosier
poet revealed in biographical material
which has been presented to the Library
Of Congress.
These unusual and sometimes weird
mental traits of Riley were an essen
tial part of his personality, according
TO Harry s. New, former Postmaster
General, who has turned over to the
Library mass of letters, manuscripts
and clippings with a bearing upon the
poets life.
BY this means it is hoped to picture
Riley for posterity in an interesting
and accurate light. An article on the
subject by Representative Ludlow OF
the seventh Indiana district was re-
leased today.
Mr.. New, Representative Ludlow
pointed out, played an important part
IN getting recognition for Riley when
the latter was young and almost I'M
heard Of. 1t was Mr.. News paper the
Indianapolis Journal, which published
Riley's first poems and lent assistance
to the struggling young writer.
win Be Kept in Permanent Form.
In a letter to the librarian Mr.. New
ture OF the real Riley and to preserve
some OF the peculiar faiths and super
stitions of the man." The material
given by Mr.. New will be kept in per-
nnanent form for the inspection OF pres
ent and future generations.
Representative Ludlow pointed out
that these biographical data contain at
least three anecdotes bordering on the
occulh Two of them illustrate the
hat cNfalc cpnaF1fPd nv
death from the body return to earth
and perform definite actions. One deals
with the supposed earthly performances
of Eugene Field after his demise ana
the other with supposed post-mortem
acts of Robert Louis Stevenson, both
former friends of Riley.
The other story, Representative Lud-
low pointed out, tells how the under
taker was locked out Of Riley's death
chamber under mysterious circum-
stances on the night of the poets death.
Mr.. New obtained the story from what
he regards as an unimpeachable source
Door Locked MysteriOusly.
'Many of Riley's intimates," Mr.. New
writes. had heard him at various times
sneak shudderingly of his adherence OF
The ministrations of the undertaken
after his death. 1t so happened that
the night Riley passed away the I'M
dertakers, after attending to the pre-
linninaries. quit the room for some nee
essary articles, leaving the body unat-
tended. On their return, two or three
hours later, to complete their Offices great
was their surprise to find the door lock-
ed-not only fastened, but locked. and
from the inside All efforts to open 1t
were futile, and it was necessary 70
place a stepladder to the wall outside
and send man in through the WIN
dow of the chamber on the second hoor
In which the mortal part of Riley lay
ENTIRELY alone. How did the door be-
come locked? Who closed 1t? Was 1T
an interference of the description above
related that he might balk and huster
the unwelcome undertaken? Who
knows. One mans explanation is as
good as another's, and have none OF
my own to offer"
In a covering letter deposited in the
Library of Congress with this material
Mr.. New says:
aThe stories of the interference after
death of Eugene Field and Robert Louis
Stevenson were events in which Riley
figured and were related to me by Riley
himself and believed by him as i'm
plicitly as any man ever believed in a
positive occurrence. The incident OF
the locked door shutting out the under
taker was related to me by Mrs. Charles
IL. f1UlSbeIi, III WktOSC lAOiliG GeAAO5 AANCN
the last years of his life and where he
died and in which the incident there
fore occurred: by Harry D, Tutewiler,
the officiating undertaken. and also by
the nurses and servants who were pres
ent at the time"
The stories told by Mr.. New have
been related by him on one or two for
iAer occasions, but are. not known to
the general public In introducing his
subNct. Mr.. New says:
"K%sy not only believed that the sodl
lives Mter death but he was perfectly
convinCNd that the spirits of departed
friends Aevisit earth at will and par
ticipate in all sorts of mundane activi-
ties. Illustrative of this, wildly re-
call a couple of stories that he told me
during a visit paid him at his Locker
bic street home one afternoon after he
had In some measure regained hk
health following his first stroke OF pa
ralysis.
'At the time of the death of Eugene