New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-06
REFORMED ON A WINDOW SILL.
A New and True Story of How a Rowdy
was Tanned.
From the St. Paul Press. I

A New and True Story of How a Rowd
was Tanned.
From the st. Paul Pressl
A st. Paul gentleman of undoubted vera
city tells the following anecdote, which
vouched for as true in every particular. i
has never before appeared in print. and tn
readers of the Press will, therefore, find j
not only an original but highly interestin.
little story:
A very funny incident occurred at small
! hotel in Michigan, a few weeks ago, which
having never been recorded in ink, anC
being too rich to lose, is hereby thrown ou
as a lunch to the lovers of fun and reform
Owing to an auction sale of considerable
| property, real and personal, the town during
day was lively with strangers, and the lead
ing hotel SO densely crowded with guests
that every room was filed to the fullest ex.
tent. One big, brawny fellow, who, when
| sober, was a. favorite with everybody, but
| who on this occasion had INDUCED in little
| more corn juice than he could conveniently
control, was SO boisterous and quarrelsome
| that his conduct became almost unendur-
| able. He forcibly kissed the pretty land
lady, pulled thessbar-tender's nose. and
| threatened if he was not allowed whole
bed to himselftto whip his weight in wild
| cats bfore morning.
Entering a room containing four beds
| with two persons in each-at about the
hour of midnight, he pulled both occupants
| from one bed, and threatened to punch <the
| eyes out of any dozen men who doubted his
science and superiority as shoulder
| hitter. No one dared express doubt on
| the subject, and few minutes afterward,
| when all was quiet and the light extin-
| guished, the door was suddenly heard to
| open and close with slam, and the calm
iron voice OF man, standing in the middle
of the room, exclaimed, Bill Kurdy, get
out OF that bed and don't you speak a
word or you're dead man! / am the City
Marshal Of Detroit, and I've been looking
for you all day. / know you, Bill Kurdy,
OF old; and by the great Eternal, if you so
much as open your mouth in whisper, Ill
send your soul to eternity as much quicker
than lightning as lightning is quicker'n
lame GOVT" and the sentence was punct-
uated by the Ominous click of Colts re-
volver
Every man in the room was wide awake
as if it had been MONDAY; and although
the dark was so intense that not even the
outlines of the intrepid officers form could
be seen, his presence was felt by all present;
his firm, untiinching voice, with its thrilling
corpse-ike accent, told but too plainly that
he had carefully weighed the job before
him, and was prepared ON the slightest
provocation TO snuff out the bullys life
with as little hesitation as he would ex-
tinguish candle.
The rowdy arose from the bed, trembling
in the knees like a frightened dog, and
after sufficient time had elapsed for him 10
don his neither garments. he was ordered in
the same resolute, death-defying voice to
'Mount the window sill"
In rough and tumble fight Bill Kurdy
was no coward. He could ia such moments
see his way out of trouble in the last ex-
tremity by screaming enough" but here
was experience of a different quality. The
man now TO contend with was his master
by the aid of law, of darkness, and the un-
rnistakable click of Colts revolver; and
he mounted the window sill with the do
cility OF a trained monkey.
: Now, remain where you are y exclaimed
the bloodthirsty marshal, land if you so
much as cross your legs, move your arms,
or open. your mouth, until the clock strikes
five, that moment you are dead manr'
kurdy took the seat indicated, and with
chatterjng teeth and swollen eyeballs,
staring into the inky blackness of night,
watched the gloomi1y passing hours until
the light Of morning began slowly to steal
IN at the windows, and reveal indistinct out
lines OF the various beds and their drowsy
occupants.
But no Detroit marshal was to be seen,
and the room was as quiet as the cobwebs
on contribution box. Thinking that there
was now an opportunity to redeem his repu-
bad whisky being nearly gone. Bill fercely
gazeG through the dim light, amid ex-
claimed:
Where's the man that's going to shoot
somebody p
Here J" came replyin angry tones from
the outside of the door. Here follow me
to the Office below, and learn after this to
never play the bully, unless you know the
company you are in"
kurdy repaired to the Office and from
there TO the barn, but no where could the
fighting officer be found. A few hours after
ward, while at breakfast, sitting opposite
Signor BlitZ. the world renowned ventrilo-
qulst, and Forbes, the successful manager
the man was honestly and persistently re-
counting his night of fright and misery,
when, expressing willingness to pay
hundred dollars to know how the marshal
left the room without being seen, he was
suddenly struck dumb with terror by hear
ing the click of a pistol at his ear and the
exclamation:
Mount that window SILL"
The joke was instantly seen and appre-
ciated by all present, and Kurdy had the
practical sense and good nature to Join in |
the laugh and exclaim:
: "Capn, amt SO bad as | look. I was
drunk last night, and made a fool of myself; |
and I'm glad you taught me lesson. But |
you by footing your party's bill at the |
hotel."
Bill kept his word; and as he mounted |
his horse short time afterward, he ex-
claimed. Gentlemen I've drank my last |
glass OF liquor, and you can put this down |
as the first case on record of drunkenness |
cured by yentrloquism."