Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18

elapsed, think of it without the tears OF
laughter coming to nv eyes. Seymour was
q man over six feet in height and with legs
the length of which were absurdly out OF
proportion to the rest of his body. He ap-
peared to be split up almost to his neck.
One of his most famous feats upon the
minstrel stage was to suddenly throw one OF
his feet about a mans neck and draw the
other fellow toward him.
BATrEp HIM IN THE LEGS.
"Upon this occasion Bryant, in obedience
to Gaylor's summons, had reached forth his
right hand when Seymour suddenly threw
his right leg across the table, caught his
friend and fellow-minstrel by the back Of
the neck, drew him toward him and hit him
souarely between the eyes. In another in
slant both men were on the top the table
amidst the soup dishes and were snarling
and biting and tearing at one another like
pair of bull dogs. I could only hold Lee in
his chair by main force. In the midst of
the contest the table upset and the poor En-
lishman was almost drowned in soup. While
Bryant and Seymour were making a mock
ery of struggling beneath the debris, Sey-
mour bv wetting the fingers of his hand
secured quantity of blacking from one of
his Shoes and with this gave himself the
semblance of black.
"When some appearance of order was OBJ
tanned truce was patched mp between the
combatants, and after Seymour's blackened
eve had been bandaged they were induced
to shake hands, whereupon the other men,
bers of the company who were in the secret
exclaimed admilingly, Once gentleman,
always a gentleman and declared that "a
true American gentleman can always be
told by his willingness to settle little diff
ference amicably.'
lice whispered to me in tremulous indig-
nation, This is most shameful, to which I
replied, 4 don't see how you say that.
There was no one killed Thereupon he
amended his remarks by saying, AT least it
was most unfortunate. am dreadfully
sorry it occurred
SHOOTING OVER THE TABLE.
''The table was got IN shape again and
things moved along smoothly and pleas
antly for some time, until Polk and Sothern
became engaged in apparently a very angry
and excited dispute about the merits of the
North and the South, in the midst Of which
Mr.. Sothern suddenly arose to his feet and,
drawing a revolver, fired it directly over
Folks head. Immediately q scene of the
widest excitement ensued. In less than 20
seconds 20 shots from revolvers had been
fred across the table. Polk, Gaylor, Nc
Cullough, Montague, Seymour, Bryant and
Sothern were not only firing blank cartridges
from revolvers, but were brandishing huge
knives over one another's heads Dickin-
son, Cooper and Brown had by this time
discovered the affair was joke and simply
added to the tumult.
''The terror of the Englishman was almost
pitiable. He begged to be allowed to go, but
L. g. Il, l. - A.
him that they would not let him depart.
There was upon the table at this particular
juncture a large dish of asparagus, covered
with drawn butter, and most of the combat
ants managed to get their hands into this
mess, and while thus besmesred they would
take turns in jumping around to where I
was holding Lee in place and, bringing
their palms down upon his shoulders, would
beg OF him to be seated and assure him that
the difficulty was simply a trifing one, and
that they would regret it to their dying day
should he leave them. So frequent were
these expressions of hospitality that Lee was
smeared from head to foot with drawn but
ter,
THE GREAT MCCULLOUGH.
"I shall never forget the spectacle that the
late lamented John Mccullough presented
upon that occasion. Having fired his re-
volver he drew long Roman sword from
his boot, and with one swirl cut off the neck
of a champagne bottle as il he were decapi-
tating foe, and then waving it threaten
ingly over the head of Lee and myself he
exclaimed: Why does not the gallant Flor
ence stand by his friends2 Where is his re-
volver tonight? 1 have travelled with him
through the West, and then he never went
without his arsenal, and scarcely q day
passed without his killing his man.
''In the midst of the fracas, Seymour, who
had temporarily disappeared, appeared in
the doorway sttIred in a white hat and
apron, which he had procured from the hotel
chef, and announced that the landlord de-
clared that the entire party must vacate the
room. He had not finished the speech
when everything on the table, including
even the large, heavy dishes, was hurled at
him; and it is really wonder that he es.
capped the shower unhurt. By this time
everyone in the room, and especially the
Englishman was lamentable sight to be-
hold. Each man was smeared and crushed
and tumbled and torn from head to foot.
'Lee could stand it no longer. He got on
his feet finally and managed to say that
while he had heard such scenes as he had
witnessed were enacted in the great cities of
America, he was astounded and disappoint-
ed to find that they were the custom among
gentlemen, and further said that he would
have to leave to keep dinner engagement.
put him in a carriage to conceal his dilap-
idated condition. When we came to settle
we found that our bill was 5000. The item
for breakage alone amounted to $50.
A CHALLENGE TO A DUEL.
sThe story had a sequel, in which the
tables were turned upon Sothern and my
self, although do not see why should be
punished Tor the sins of others. The morn
ing after the dinner Gaylor sent Lee q chal-
lenge to fight duel, the former naming
me as his best man. Lee was acquainted
with Judge Bowling, and handed him the
letter. The latter smelled q mouse and de-
termined to play trick upon Sothern and
myself
"a constable, armed with q warrant, issued
by Judge Dowling, took me from my bed
one morning before o'clock, and another
beastly hour and escorted us to the police
court. We asked not to be thrown into the
pen among the chronic drunkards and
thieves, and were placed in a private room,
with no one in charge OF us. We could have
run away, but did not. We waited there
without breakfast until o'clock, and then
asked impatiently when Judge Dowling
would give US hearing, the charge being
that OF conspiring to send challenge. We
were informed by the officer that Judge
Bowling was not sitting that week and that
Judge Hagen was on the bench, whersupon,
we walked back to our hotels"
LouIs.