Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-08
HOW BRAsHEAR BROKE HIS LEG.
The Strange Sights That we Saw i'm
hts Room in the Tbiru story.

his Room in the Tbira story.
From the Courier Journal
1t was Asa Brashear himself who told
the story. Asa, as every body in Louis
Vile knows, is not unacquainted with
cards. 1t is possible that he is better
acquainted with the Queen OF Clubs than
he is better acquainted with the Queen
of Sheba. 1t is probable that the blue
and gold of the King of Diamonds is
more familiar custome to him than the
picture of Solomon arrayed in all his
glory. 1t is also highly probable that
Asa is fond of a social glass or two.
But this is how he happened to tell the
story; Asa is lame of one leg, and we
asked him one day what was the matter
with the detective limb.
How did / happen to break my leg,
did you say2 Well, it was curious
thing, and I'll tell you about it. You see
Ia been drinking pretty hard for week
or so, and thought I'd lay off and get
over it. | live up in the. third story,
thirty feet or so from the ground, and my
window comes almost down to the floor.
It's mighty easy to fall out Of that win
dow, and there's brick pavement down
below which aim as soft as feather bed.
So you see fellow that'd fall down there
would be mighty apt to hurt himself l
fell down there once, and know how it
is myself.
ut was nearly dark when | went to my
reom that evenin', and | thought Id
sleep awhile and see if the trouble in my
head wouldn't stop 1t was a whizzing
sort O. feeling, and | didn't feel exactly
right about what | saw. In fact the last
drink took that day there was fly in
it. At least | thought so; but Jimmy,
who was behind the bar, looked sort o
funny when | asked him to take it out
Howsoever, / soon fell asleep, aud slept
| don't know how long; but | woke mp
rather suddenly, and, heard strange
kind of noise outside the door 1t was
awful dark, and the noise on the steps
sounded like a thousand men with felt
slippers on striking thousand rattan
canes on the steps, and all in military
line. All at once music struck up; but
it was faint.like, as if the band was ever
solar away. | told you it was dark as
pitch; but the door suddenly opened, and
blaze O. light came in that blinded me
so that | couldn't see any more than
when the door was shut. When | got
over the daze, | looked down on the
floor and there was long file of little
soldiers, not one of EN- higher my fin
ger. all a-merchin into the room, headed
by band Of music, and with the kurnel,
who wasn't bigger'n any o the rest Of
EN-. mounted on horse correspondent.
"Well. they marched into the room and
formed in files in front of my bed, aud
was looking at EN- all the time. When
they had all got fixed in proper ranks,
the fellow on the horse got down, and the
band stopped playing. After he touched
the floor the Kurnel commenced to grow
and before he stopped GROWN he was as
much as eight feet tall kept lookin
at him all the time, aud then he got up
on the bed and took screw from his
pocket and screwed it into the ceiling
Then he stepped down again and caught
one o them little soldiers by the nape o
the neck and tied a string around his
neck and stepped up on the bed. And
| was a lookin' at him all the time
Then he tied the other end of the string
short up on the screw and let 90 o the
little soldier The poer little feller
kicked around for wtile and grew
black in the face and then died, | s'pose;
at least he didn't make any more fuss
that night When the Kurnel saw he
was dead be got down again, and as soon
as be touched the floor he began to grow
smaller and smaller until he was no
bigger he was at first. Then he got on
his horse and the band commenced to
play, aud he shouted Forward march,
and the little soldiers commenced march
in out of the room.
Now there was one little soldier that
seemed to be watchin' me all the time,
and when the rest of EN- commenced
marchin' out he slipped back from one
6le to the other and so on till he had got
to the rear rank When the last of the
little soldiers but him had got out of the
door, this little chap he came runnin'
back to the he'd and says:
"'Asa, put down your leg
well put down my leg aud the lit
tie cuss climbed straddle my foot.