The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-09-10
A COOL RUFFiAN.
He Tells How He and His Compatriots Sup
port Their Families.

He Tells How He and His Compatriots Sup
port Their Families.
On my visit to Batoum in 1855 an in'
cident took place which will show how
law and order went on while the Turk
sits gurgling the smoke through his
water pipe. On the beach l came
across q fellow in a picturesque cos
tune, and with one of the most fiend-
ish faces it has ever been my chance to
gaze upon. 1t was Mephistophelian,
but then Mephistopheles was a gentle
man, and there was nothing of that
kind in this case. Pure malignity
could be traced in every line of
the visage / had before me. Being
slone, and not knowing a word of the
language, made signs to him that /
wanted to sketch, and he, like most
Fasteners have met, had no objec-
tions, and willingly stood for me. To
be made into picture seems to touch
whatever vanity there may be, and this
brute had touch of that in him.
Willis the sketching was going on, our
interrEeter came ashore with some
others at our party, and at my request
inquiries were begun as to who my
model might be. He stated that he
was Kurd, and had come down from
the mountains about some business.
He cracked, picked and ate walnuts
while the sketching and questioning
| went on. He had small gun which
rested on his arm. Talking to him
| about it, the interpreter chanced to ask
| why he had not sword or a dagger, to
which he replied that he did not require
them; it was not his way of doing
things. '.What thlngsp" was the natural
inquiry. t'Of killing people," "Oh,
you kill people, do youP" Eyes. !"
.How do you kill themP'' 81 stand
concealed behind rock on the road and
wait till travellers come up, and when
they are close shoot Them" "Whst
for do you shoot thempn s'To get
whatever they have upon them. y
"Then you rob all that you killp''
eyes" "How many have you killed in
your timer" "Thirteen men and three
Russians" Why he placed the Rus
slams in different classification was,
unfortunately, not cleared up. | re.
gretted afteward that this point was
left so, but at that moment such tritie
did not seem of much Importance ir
comparison to the astounding disclos
ures this piece of humanity was max
ing. All the time there was we'll
pleased simper on his face, while hi
nibbled away at the walnuts. Th'
simper, I supposed, resulted in the sat
isfaction he felt that his picture wa
being made. "Where are you going
when you leave BatoumP" "Whel
my business is finished Twill return t,
the mountains again. '.What will
you do thereP' ''Oh, please God,
hope to shoot the first traveller / see
and take whatever he has got"
will be easily understood that such a.
incident would fix itself on ones mind
The sketehing of the scoundrel and hi
remorseless face, all helped to engrav
the whole deep into the memory.
stood on the same spot last year, wher
had sketched this man, and the recol
lection helped to give force to the cor
trast. This brute's character mus
have been known in the place. He di
not seem to make any secret of hi
doings, and yet he walked about fire
and no one seem to think about hin
, The Kadi of Batoum, no doubt a goo
Turk, wonld sit smoking his chiboo
while this man walked about and n
} turned to the mountains, as was h
''way,h to continue his trade of mu
, der and robbery. Cor London NeW