HIS ELOQUENCE WAS USE LESO
Colonel Morgan's Futile Attempt tj
Persuade Cleveland to Grant Par
don to a Murderer ,
Col. Franklin Pierce Morgan of
Washington and New York never
made but cue great speech, and the
story of it is pathetic. His audioneo
was Grover Cleveland, then president
of the United States, and his purpose
was to secure a pardon for a murderer
named O'Neil, in whom the colonel
had become interested. "I'll never for'
get that day," said the colonel in tell
ing about the incident. "I had told
Dan Lamont the day before that I
intended to ask Cleveland (o pardon
O'Neil, who was a creature of the
dark places at times, but a pretty
good fellow at that. Cleveland had
taken the precaution to send to the
department of justice and get the pa
pers in the case. I got up early the
next morning., had a massage and was
feeling tip-top. I got in to see Cleve
land and I spoke 20 minutes. Never
in my life, boforo or since, have I
been as eloquent as I was pleading
for that fellow O '".Neil. The end o
every sentence I uttered brushed the
edges off a cloud. I concluded my
argument, confident that I had swept
the president off his feet. 'Mr. Mor
gan,' he said, 'is that all you have to
say on behalf of your friend?' Mind
you, he said 'friend.' 'Yes, Mr. Presi
dent,' said 1; -I think that's all.' 'Mr.
Morgan,' hn replied, "never as long as
I am in tb-e White líense shall that
consummate; scounó rel consummate
scoundrel, mark you get out of the
penitentiary .' "What's the use of elo
quence, anyhow?" concluded, the colonel.
some
Monday Jor Moulton.
