Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-15
LIFE m TENNESSEE.
what . Detained Drumuser saw OF
sample Colonel, sad hts hisnsesns
Iudisnatton.

what . Detained Drsmuser Saw OF
s.mule colonel, ann mis- Righsesns
a.--.,,o. 81 a..
Tsras Sittngs.
Not long since drummer who was
detained for q few days ~ town OF Le.
Lanon. Tenn, gave US an accoum OF
how he amused himself while he was
there. The lock Of bis gripssck needed re-
paira. The drummer was sitting benino
khe counter, when leading citizen en-
fexed with gun, which he threw
down on Ike counter with great mug
aWta do you mean by giving me
tbis 4 ind of 3 gun when go OUT ior
little shootingS" demanded the ieading
"WLy, coI6nel, that gun is the new
est patent breecb@oader,' replied the
gunsmith.
Then your powder IS no account"
mCOlUnel, loaded that gun myself,
end put in the best powder In the
"WeII. all know ia that l had to
shoot twice at Major McPelter before be
keeled over. Thst's the only time I've
fail, a TO bring down my man with the
first barrel ! killed my brother-in'
law. Judge Smith. and his nephew,
Sam :Rapdle, nj one sort at twenty
five wards. and neither Of them kicked,
and only three days ago i dropped q
hook agent in his tracks There must
he something wrong about that gun.
feel the disgrace keenly of
Having 90 sho0t Twice at one Man..
al don't understand it," replied the
tunmaker, meditatively as he examined
the weapon. at is the same gun BOD
White plugged the city mashal with
last week, aud Bob is not much OF
shot. He hadn't shot man for SIX
weeks before that, and was out OF prac-
tice, but he fetched his man all the
same"
81 dou't think you put i'll enough
powder. When l 20 to the inquest,
which will be in hall an hour," said the
colonel, looking at his watch, "lil
count the bullet holes in the majors
body. | am sure hit him the hrst
shot, but l think there wasn't powder
enough in the gun to drive the bullets
through his body"
81 wish you would count the Dullet
holes, because, you see, Colonel, you are
known IS q good shot, and II VIII look
like reflection on me and my guns
II is well calculated to inlure me with
my customers, who are the best people
in the town. / tell you what l wish
YOU would do, Colonel. l wish you
would give this gun another trial.
al would like to do 1t for my satis-
faction, but | can't remember just now
of anybody having insulted me lately.
I haven't got q living man to shoot.
Major McPelter was the last man upon
the list. | wish somebody would dis
pute my word. Perhaps you feel touched
by something may have said"
ooh, no, Colonel, you are right about
the gun RI srouded the gunsmith.
IL thought, perhaps, you found
Something Personal In MY Remarks
about the gun"
"Not bit of it,"
"Then pt rhaps you have some enemy
who has been exaSperating you. Ii So"
said the Colonel, putting u cartridge in
the gun, 81 vi try the gun before 60
to the inquest"
The gunsmith pondered over the
proposition and finally said:
III wish | hadn't shot the rival gun
smith over the way day before yester-
day. He would have come in handy
now if he hadn't died, poor fellow, just
when he did. l might insult Bill
Tompkins and shoot him, bat he gets
his ammunition here, and always pays
for it, so it don't look quite right to
shoot him down Of.hand."
The two men were very much puz-
zled how to find the victim. They sug-
gested several names, but there seemed
to be some good reason why each and
every one of them should not be sacri-
feed.
All at once the drummer saw the gun
smith wink at the Colonel, and point
with his thumb behind the counter in
his direction. Before the Colonel could
catch on, the terrified drummer slid out
through the side door and made good
his escape.
This Is the story the drummer told us,
and, from what we read in Tennessee
papers about shooting serapes, we be-
leve every wcrd OF it. If our cores
pendent is spared to come to Texas, his
life will be safer than it has been for a
long time