The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-14
THE BITTER BIT.
How Certain Letters Were Cap
tured.
How They Were Recaptured.
A Comedy from Barrett-nOt Law.
renee.

From what the ordinary American thinks
one would incline, after Bret Harte'a
Heather Chinee," to give the palm of cold
blooded hypocrisy to the Monaghan, but from
little event which happened beneath the
star-lit skies overhanging this Crescent City
last Saturday night, we are unqualifedly in
favor of rendering the medal for this quality
to denizen of this metropolis, and the reason
is this:
Desiring q change of climate as we'll AZ a
change of boardipg-house, an individual
quite generally known here by the name Of
John F. Barrett visited New Orleans some
time since. He came clad in the generous
fleece of the lamb, his overcoat being the
cynosure of all eyes, and for many months
remained with US. What he did, or wanted
to do, the journals of the day have told; but,
owing to circumstances and the peculiar stu
alton of affairs here of late, it became evil
dent that this Don Quixote desired. and, too,
desired extremely much, to have in his belt
the scalp OF his whilom friend and com.
patriot. Shannon.
Now, Shannon is an unctuous man; in fact,
volumes OF testimony could be produced going
to show that for Uriah Heep 'umblenes and
axle-grease oleaginess Shannon excelled; but
Barretts ire Was against him, and when that
ire is up Billy Bowlegs is nothing. B.rrett
wanted certain documents damaging with
dynamite effect the character of Shannon,
add so, with Monaghan shrewdness, he
rented room.
There is nothing peculiarly significant in
renting room, but when man takes room
near Canal street, for instance, at No. II
Rampant street, and then calls in the aid and
assistance of Matt Hogan, there is something
in the wind. This, and all this, Barrett did,
unhesitatingly, with an aforethought worthy
OF general. The citadel 10 be stormed was
Shannon's letters, themselves condemning the
man as having been guilty of several indis-
cretions, which, according to the general
opinion, unfit one for Office, especially one of
trust or emolument.
The genial glare of the gas lights from
Barrett's room made that section of r smpart
street effulgent. There was soft "spider
and the fly" brilliancy about them that made
even the private Waterman drawn towards
them; and less wary, Shannon, beguiled and
happy in the internal possession of several
straights, circled towards those nocturnal
i.lumnators. He was received with a grace
worthy of Fontainebleau, and when the re-
tired chamber of Barrett was reached, nought
but the quiet harmonies of home dwelt
there.
What was done or what was said, our space
will not admit of repetition, but when that
oriental siesta ended Shannon was minus of
several very important documents and these
two in black and white. or as we would say
now, civil rights witnesses of his past bold
face dereliction of duty.
They, the documents and letters, told tales
too terrible SO far as Shannon was concerned
for any but Shannon to hear, and when in
the exuberence of spirits, Barrett clasped
them to his bosom, the echo of the police
mans baton sounded upon one happy man
in this metropolis.
Barrett had what he was after. The fleece,
not exactly golden, but then one that in the
course of human events might turn out
golden, was in his possession, and Barrett
looked towards the sideboard, and Matt Hogan
and himself smiled CHASTITY, ominous SMILE
The work had been we'll done aud Matt was a
trump.
Notwithstanding the great advance in phy-
siognomy, we have yet to learn that its
advocates pretend that they can tell
from the expression of sleeping man the
strange workings of his mind. Certainly
they couldn't approximate Barrett's centen-
nlal jubilee that night after his successful
capture OF SHANNON q letters. He was in
small corner of Mohammeds paradise. The
next morning Barrett rose, as for some thirty
i've years he has been in the habit OF doing,
and, as it was last Sunday morning, be
shuckled over the canary envelopes and valu-
able contents until he lost his appetite for
breakfast. Noon came, and night followed,
md in the elysium delights Of possession
Barrett reveled.
Even Napoleon slept after the fatigues of
his greatest battles. So Barrett that Sunday
night sought the quiet spring mattress of his
couch for rest, after his charge into his enc
nys camp. Slumber is akin to death, and
Barretts must have been at least half
brother, for whilst his beautiful eyelids were
testing upon their neither mates, figure
night have been listening at his portals, and
before Zone might tell hundred" the
Shannon letters were - where? Barrett
wants to know.
Matt Hogan had assisted him in getting
hem; therefore this worthy citizen would not
% guilty of carrying them back to Shannon.
Perish the thought. A burglary is burglary,
out Barrett's case is one of heart-rending
character. To have for one day and then on
sunday night not to have is sad indeed.
shannon is now doubtless happy in the pos
eosion of his lost documents
"There are more things 'twixt heaven and
'arth Horatio, than is dreamt of in your phil
'sophy."
New Orleans St Tonis and Chilean ord