The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-15
A BAD MAN FROM BoDIE.
re Brcais Intoa Quiet Gathering with
Results,

ZIG HreRNs lutOR Qutet tntuerlng WIN
Results.
There were half dozen pcaceable citizens
in C.street saloon last night taking their
toddies, and talking over the situation at
Chicago between drinks. Not one in the
crowd could be considered drinking man,
three of them being militia officers, two min
ing experts from Skowhegan, Me-, and the
other reformed preacher. The discussion
was at its height, and the r. p. was Just as
serting, at the same time throwing down the
toddy-spoon viciously, that he would be
eternally tortured if any man could make
him admit that third term was right, when
the door opened suddenly and a stranger en-.
tered with swagger. The stranger wore
his hat very much down over his left eye,
carried his lower jaw like the COW catcher of
n locomotive, bent his shoulders down, and
had the general appearance of a very bad
man. He slouched up to the bar, picked up
a glass containing the prospective drink of
one of the militia officers, drained the tum-
bier, and turned toward the ex-parson.
$50 yer won't admit that third terms
the true business Well, now, Pm tellin'
yer that it's my racket, and when Bowie Bill
pitches the card every scrub in camp has
jest got to follcr suit or trump"
With these Introductory remarks, the
stranger drew a bowie-knife and jabbed q
silver dollar that had been placed upon the
bar for drinks. Showing it toward the aston
ished compounder of cocktails, he said:
"That's good for eight drinks, barkeeper.
My friends here have had six of 'em, and ri
take the other two myself. I'm Chief of the
Bodie, and rip-snorter to fight and I've
come TO this camp to drink up all yer whisky
and raise hell"
The barkeeper took the dollar cautiously
from the point of the knife, and set out the
whisky bottle and two glasses, taking care
to keep at arms length from the counter.
The crowd seemed to lose all interest in poll
ties at once, and drew away from the Bad
Man of Bodie at once. Every man of the six
wanted to slide out quietly, and all started
ut the same moment to put their slide into
execution. zach one assumed an air of alb
| straction, rs though he had not been one of
the crowd, and moved toward the door, The
Bad Man checked the exodus by stepping
| out with his knife, and saying: "Now,
| there's some here that's Just dyin' ter ask al
ter drink ter Grants health, and we're all
willin' to do it, of course we are. Step up,
gentlemen. an take your medicine with ON
cadav 'rous friend.'
| The cadaverous party was the man who
was previously shouting against the third
term, but he walked up to the bar and laid
down his dollar with painful assumption
of hlarity and good humor, and all hands
| gulped down the third term with thei,
whisky, while the bad man smiled in the
most offensive manner, and carved his mi
tials on the rosewood bar with his knife il
letters four inchea long. The barkeepel
mildly protested against the vandalism
but the bad man informed him that h,
should consider himself honored to have hi
bar graced with the autograph of so dstin
yer may see me agin, and it will he bi;
attraction to yer house." he added, givinl
an extra flourish to a capital Il that eX
tended clear across the counter and nearl,
caught the barkeeper's hand. AS he did 8
a miner came down stairs from the far
game, and smiled when he took i'll the stu
alton. The miner walked up to the Bad Ma
from Bodie, caught his wrist with one ham
and his ear with the other and turned hin
around. Upon looking at the miner Bowl
Bill dropped his knife, drew in his unde
jaw, and became the picture of meeknesS a
= once. The miner led him to the door by til
ear and showed him ont, and one of til
militia officers, with rare presence of min
and reckless courage, aimed frantic kic
at his disappearing coat-tails, missing tn
mark by about a foot, and coming heavily I
the floor on his own back. The miner ea
planned that he knew the stranger i
Bodie as check guerrilla and broken-dow
barkeeper, who had acquired a reputatio
as a lighter by hanging around the ell
trance to DOCTORS office and licking I'll
patients as they came out-ITrgiaia (Nep
Chronicle,