Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-11
KENTUCKY BANDITS.
Hsw UsrssI They Are Compared with the
Csmie-Opera kiad.

How Unreal khcF hs COMPARES Win the
Genie Opera kiad.
louisville Ky.) Commercially
81 never was so frightened in my
life," said Miss May Fielding, the prima
donna of the Carleton Opera Company,
yesterday, referring to the collision the
company had with the Rewan-ccunty
bandits at Msrehead last Thursday,
when Mr.. w. L. Carleton, the baritone,
came near being shot.
What did the bandits look like?"
inquired Commercial reporter.
Well, Low, that's the funniest part
Of the whole business, don't you know"
said Miss Fielding, taking long breath.
"They were not bandits. I'm per-
fectly familiar with bandits. Why,
I've seen Mr.. Carleton play Fra Dlav-
ole ever so many times, and have
known at lsast q dozen men who sang
Devilshoof in THE Bohemian Girl"
Why, | would know q bandit with my
eyes shut in the dark. Just before we
got to Morehead the train people had
been telling us about the Rowan-county
despersdoes. but we did not expect to
see any Of them. When the train
stopped three great tall thin
men came into the coach with long pis-
tolls on their shoulders"
Pistols on their shoulders " echoed
the reporter.
~ presume they were pistols" e1-
planned Miss Fielding, with . look Of
intense surprise and inquiry. They
had triggers and barrels just like pis-
tolls"
"Riaes, guess" explained the re-
porter.
"They might have been riaes-that's
So" said Miss Fielding, with a smile Of
delight. perhaps they were rifles.
I'm not familiar with anything but
these young pistols with which they
shoot at three-sheet-poster cuts in the
tsrgetgalleries. Anyhow" she con-
tinued, nerrily, 81 thought the mon
were trsppers, you know, going out to
hunt; SO asked ono Of them il he
found many rabbits"
RABBITS = he said. with frown
like a railroad tunnel. Rabbits, wo-
man and he seemed to get madden at
every second. Great God rabbits
don't go; I'm huntin' for men,
"Great goodness said, frightened
to death, we can't spare any but one
or two chorus-singers. You can take
your choice, sir You see, was afraid
he would change his mind aud 60 to
hunting women. | started to 20 back
to my seat, when just then another one
Of the men leaped to his feet in the
aisle and, pointing his gun toward me,
shouted:
$50 Stop there
"0f course | stopped. never was
80 scared in my life. | said to the
man:
"0h, III stop, sir; you needn't be
afraid OF ne; didn't mean anything.
sir
so amt talkin' to you he said, and
then / saw he was looking over my
shoulder aud turned and saw Mr..
Carleton coming in the door from the
SmOking-car. 1t seems that Nr. Garlic
ton had q bottle Of buttsrmik in his
hip-pOclets and was trying to pull it
out. couldn't see what harm there
was in bottle Of buttsrmilk, but Cap
tain Sam. Gaines, OF Frankfort, told me
that bottle filled with buttermilk was
enough to arouse Rowan-county men to
atremendous pitch ofdesperation. Some
how they regard it as dead waste Of
bottle. While the men were occupied
with Nr. Carleton ] asked one Of the
braksmen who they were, and he said
they were the Rowan-county bandits.
But don't believe = word of it. They
didn't have any ribbons in their hats
and there was not . glimpse OF silk
tights anywhere. They didn't have
even a guitar, and they didn't look like
they had been shaved for a month
Why, if Mr. Carleton looked like those
men when he sang Fra Davolo |
wouldn't 90 on with him. After it was
all over j went up to one Of them and
asked him if he was q real bandit and
If he could sing Fra Diavolo.' He
looked at me moment in the most us-
gentlemanly manner and growled out:
60 No, marin, amt no bandit. I'm
a wolf from the head waters Of Bitter
Crick, whar the higher you 60 the Bit
terer the water and the hungrier the
wolves. | don't sing; | howl when
it's my night
II knew at first that they were not
bandits" concluded Miss Fielding, with
q look Of absolute conviction, "be-
cause I've seen so many bandits, you
know. l don't know what they were.
They were not wolves either, and it
was easy enough to see the man was
lying about that. l don't know what
they were, but I'm real glad they let
rs off,