The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-02-12

before witnesses-before aUitaesscs. I'll
be one of them myself, Get as many
OF the cabin passengers as you like out
here, to-day, and let the officers search
If he charges you with what the law
terms support, deny it, and call atten-
ton to the fact that you have given
information. By the way, l would give
written information and keep copy"
81 gave the man my word not to in
form on him and so can't do it to-day
but I'll tell him of it tonight ="
''And have him commit suicide or
give himself up first and incriminate
you? Nonsense. just release Yourself
from your promise. That's all. He'll
trust YOU"
Yes. poor wretch, I'm afraid he
will"
About ten o'clock that night | re-
solved to make another appeal to Rodger
Cupples to at least stand off and hear
the man talk. Cupples' stateroom, No.
SO, was in the forward part of the
steamer down long passage and of
short side passage. Mine was aft the
| cabin. The door of 96was partly open,
and inside an astonishing sight met my
| gaze.
There stood my stowaway.
He was evidently admiring himself in
/ the glass, and with brush was touching
up his face with dark paint here and
there. When he put on the woe-begone
look he was the stowaway; when he
painted up and chuckled to himself he
was Rodger Cupples, Esq.
The mOmont tho thipr dorunad ,,y,o,,
me | quietly withdrew and went up the
forward companion way. Soon Cup
pies came cautiously up and seeing the
way clear scudded along in the darkness
and hid in the aft wheelhouse / saw
the whole thing now. 1t was scheme
! to get me to make fool of myself some
fine day before the rest of the passen-
gers and have a standing joke on me. ]
walked forward. The first officer was
on duty.
81 have reason to believe,n I said,
''that there is stowaway in the aft
wheelhouse." Quicker than it takes me
to tell it detachment of sailors were sent
aft under the guidance of the third
mate. / went through the cabin and
said to the gentlemen who were playing
cards and reading:
There's a row up stairs of some
kind
We were all on deck before the crew
had surrounded the wheelhouse. There
was rattle of steamer folded chairs, a
pounce by the third mate, and out came
the unfortunate Cupples, dragged by the
| collar.
''Hold on; let go-this is mistake -
''It's mistake to both hold on and
let CO." said Stalker. of Indiana.
''Come out o. this" cried the mate,
jerking him forward.
With wrench the stowawav tore
himself free and made dash for the
companion way. A couple of sailors
instantly tripped him up.
''Let go of me, I'm cabin passen-
ger" cried Cupples,
'Bless me, " l cried in astonishment.
''This isn't you, Cupples? Why, I acted
on your own advice and that of revised
statutes No. Acknowledgements"
"Well, act on my advice again. -
cried the infuriated Cupples, "and GO
to the-hold.
However, he was in better humor the
next day and stood treat all round. We
found subsequently that Cupples was a
ment given for the benefit of the sailors
orphans few nights after he reciteda'
piece in costume that just melted the
ladies. 1t was voted a wonderfully
touching performance, and he called it
''The Stowaway. .n-''Luke ShGrpe," in
Detroit Free Press.