The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-20
NOT A WINGED MESSENGER.
How a Magistrates Office Boy Made
New Departure in Valor.


One of the characters well known in mag
isterial circles is the young olive-colored
messenger and law student in Justice No
hna's office, known as Willie, who reads,
dozes, dimes OH cold lunches, affects
long linen buster that comes to his heels
parts his hair in the middle and is on the
whole one OF the comeliest young darkies in
Savanna. He is not winged Mercury by
any means, and if he had been placed TO
guard the golden apples in the Hesperian
garden, he is such devotee of Morpheus
that Momus would have found in him a
fruitful subject
His urbanity and genial disposition are
proverblal, so that if he lack speed as mes
senger, the concousness that he will come
up smiling IN the end has led TO his reten-
ton, and that, coupled with his trust
worthiness in these days, when so many
boys Of his age have itching palms, makes
him valuable acquisition 10 his employer;
but Willie is no more valorous than Fal-
staff, and as a result of his timidity the
younger DULLES of the Old Fort, Ysmacraw
and Frogtown, who NOV very wide
swath in the crop of disorder harvested in
those localities nightly, have struck more
terror to the soul of Willie when he has
been compelled to go on errands in their
domains, than the harsh cry of William"
from the irate justice, who drops the mel
ltiuous willie" when the latter is I'M
usually hard to arouse from slumber that
would do credit TO the seven sleepers or
Rip Van Wrinkle
10 such an extent has Willie been terror
lied by the young rufiians about town, who
envy his beauty and long duster, that ne set
his wits to work to put stop to their war
fare upon him, and last week, while clean
ing up the basement of the Justices Office,
he came across an old pepper box, ancient
enough, from all appearances, to have done
duty in the war of the crusaders. Here was
fortunate find, but still more fortunate, it
was loaded with five cartridges. If man
is thrice armed who hath his quarrel Just,
thought he, what will be the result with a
tive-barreled pistol. With chuckle over
his good luck he dropped the avenging
weapon in one of the deep pockets of his
linen ulster and bided his time.
In Chatham square that night a young
negro assaulted him and was surprised to
find that Willie didn't retreat as had been
his custom. The young ruffian drew a
knife and Willie went down into his pocket
aud brought out the old rusty pistol and
opened fire. Four times the sharp ring of
the old rusty weapon rasped the night air,
and still the foe advanced. A fifth time
Willie essayed to fire, but there was no re-
port, and then finding his weapon was In
league with the enemy, he fled ingloriouSly
from the field, stimulated by the feeling
that he who fights and runs away, may
live to run another day.
Later on Willie lay in his long duster in
the barracks 1t was a barren outlook be-
fore him. His old pistol had been loaded
with blank cartridges, and ne had to flee
the field and as consequence Willie was
not bonded out and had to lodge all night in
durance vile. On Saturday morning the lud-
crousness of the case must have struck the
mayor, for he sent WiIlie's assailant to the
chain gang and let the young magisterial
messenger of with areprimand. and he
was doing i'll the entry Saturday in his
long-tailed buster as if nothing had ever
disturbed his proverbial good humor and
mastery inactivity.