Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-04-25

sther. She was French eirl-possfbiy Creole-and was young and pretty. The night they met was her first night away from home. She could not have been more than twenty years of age, and Bill, who knew her, says he never saw more modest, timid or beautiful woman In his life.
 A man made an improper remark to aer and the girl cried out in her shame md modification. "Dad" sprang for ward, and, knocking down the man who aad his arms about her, stood to protect her from further insults. Tho man Irose and he and his friends attacked "Dad." and a desperate fight ensued rom which Reagan emerged victorious, | although suffering from knife wound. That night he married her, and the next lay they boarded steamer and went up the river. Dad" idolized her and she worshiped him. On the trip down, how 'ver, the parting came. They had 8 quarrel, and Dad" cast aspersions re- rarding her character before he made aer his wife. Authenticated, she ran | % the side of the boat and threw herself | into the river. Her body was found l floating down the stream. On the fourth finger of the left hand was plain gold ing, and it is this ring that "Dad," as ae fingered between life and death in | ihe hospital, twirled SO constantly.
 'The biggest game Dad was ever n." said old Bill Harding, twas in St. Louis in 1869, when the old fellow ,arried away SS5, ,000 In cash and checks md some 314 ,oOo in o U's and promis- ,ory notes. don't know all about that ,itting nor how he struck it so rich, but 1 do know that it was 50. A number of tho most prominent men in St, Louis were in tho game, one of them named Greene, believe, who was largely in- terested in the Granite Mountain Mines md very wealthy. Ono man, Smithers, I think, was his name, had paid Dad ,heck for S6,0oO, and then had gone to ihe bank early in tho morning, and | stopped payment on it. When Dad ,amc to cash it, of course 1t was no yood, and Dad was mad. He wont around to Smitherss office, and con- fronting him, tore tho check into a hundred pieces and threw them into his lace. Then reaching into his vest pocket he extracted five $1oO bills, and tossing them On to Smithers' desk, ex- ,laimed: Here, my poor man, take ;hese and buy dinner; and stalked out of tho offico. Smithers sent the bills pack the next day, and Dad gavo them % missionary society in St. Louis.''
 Back in the fifties Dad" made St. Joseph his headquarters. It was during tho gold fever in California, and of course tho city was filled with adventur- ous spirits. Tho ono hotel-that is, of my pretensions-was tho Pacific House, which isstill standing, and this is per aaps one of tho most famous hotels in tho land to-day. On tho second floor of ;ho Pacific Houso Dad" and partner, named Cummings Deacon" Cummings 10 was callcd-ran a gambling joint. Among Dads" patrons were two of the most famous characters of carly days tho Thompson brothers Colonel Broad Jus Thompson and ''Old Jeff'' Thomp- son, or tho Firc-Eating Tarantula, as he was often called. Jeff was the man who tore down tho stars and stripes from tho courthouse thore in '61, and when hedged in with his regiment by the Yankees wrote orders, liko Ma 9oleon, in blank verso and doggcrol.
 Colonel Broaddus and "Dad' were warm friends. Broaddus would borrow ! few dollars from some ono who didn't know him well, buy a drink for the crowd and then steer straight for Dads" rooms, where the chances were hc would loso every cent in a few min ltes. It was Broaddus who first sprung .he joke that has been attributed to Senator Vest, Senator Stewart and about every living statesman, and will be at sributed to future public characters probably. Broaddus had been sitting In game, lost all he had, and went down into the hotel office. His long beard was of a delicate ecru color, being saturated with tobacco-juice. A friend said to him:
 Colonel, how did you get all that to- 5acco-juico on your beard?"
 "By expectoration, sir; by expectora tion.'
 "And was it necessary to expeetorate in your whiskers?"
 'Yes, sir, it was."
 ''could you not have spit in the cuspa lores?'
 ''No, sir. I did not dare turn my head long enough in that game, sir"
 Dad" was Q very nervy man and strong as lion. In those days there was notorious character called "Plattt Purchase Pete." He was born ani raised in this section of Missouri and was typical Western terror. H. was a terror simply because ho had ab normally well-developed vocal organs and no one dared to dispute his right t. tho title of reigning terror of St. Joe un til he ran up against Dad" A game was in progress one night and "Platt Purchase Pete" walked into the room. and began to create disturbance. Th' players paid little attention to him, an this irritated Pete. Walking up t.
 "Dad," he reached down and, taking u