Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-23
A CLOSE CALL
For "Bad Jimmy" C0nnertOn,
on Whom JamesRobinsOn,
the Bareback Rider,
Drew a Bead With
a Navy Six.

Alluding to the Connerton-Hag-
girty tragedy in Chicago, st. Paul
gentleman tells Pioneer Press re-
portor this story: II once wit
messed an exciting scene in which
this man Connerton-"Bad Jim
my'-igured in no enviable light
Along year or go after the Chicago
fire, Nixon's circus was located on
the West side. Playing an en-
gagement there at the time was
James Robinson, the worlds great
est bareback rider. I greatly
doubt if some of his feats of horse
manship have ever been excelled,
or even equalled. One evening,
along about midnight, 1 stepped in
to saloon and joined a party of
four or five friends in a glass of
beer. Among them was James
Robinson, to whom l was intro
duced. I had never met him be-
fore, personally, although I had
quite frequently Witnessed his per-
tormances in the ring. He was a1
most genial gentleman in converse
ton, and, as he had been all over
the world, his fund of apecdote
and stories of adventure were
practically ine1haustible. Our
party were seated at q small round
table. Across the room, by him.
self, was Bad Jimmy Connerton.
He soon learned that Robinson
was one of our party, and, doubt
less, from curiosity, seemed
desirous of breaking into our
set. All of his advances,
however, were repulsed. Conner
ton kept edging nearer and nearer
to Robinson's elbow, and. though
he did not interject any remarks
into the flow OF conversation, plain
ly showed that slight encourage
ment would induce him to do so.
I could see that Connerton's &C.
tions were annoying to Robinson,
and, in fact, the man really made
himself offensive. Finally he call
ed a waiter and ordered beer all
around tor the party. The waiter
responded promptly, and set down
the foaming glasses on the table.
No one offered to touch the amber
fluid. This action on our part was
intended as direct hint to Conner
ton that his company was not want
ed. But it did not produce the
desired effect. The Objectionable
parsonage still hung to our chairs.
Suddenly Robinson said to the
waiter:
"Who ordered this beer?"
"The waiter pointed to Conner
ton. Robinson reached back in
to his hip pocket, and, drawing a
heavy revolver theretrom, placed
the muzzle directly against Con-
nerton's stomach and said:
Now, d-n you, will you clear
out2"
cit was a thrilling scene, and
one particularly embarrassing to
the rest of the party. A long train
of consequences of a shot flashed
through my mind like lightning.
Placing my hand on Robinson's
arm / SAID:
For Gods sake, Robinson,
please don't do it,
"I think that I added something
more, and know that I looked ten
times more than l said, a look
that plainly conveyed to Robinson
the fact that he was about to place
his friends in most unpleasant
predicament. Then Robinson re-
placed his pistol and Connerton
broke our two tables and knocked
down all the chairs between him
and the door. Subsequently Rob-
inson explained to me just how he
had been worked up into passion
by the mans impertinence and how
he had decided to kill him. He
apologized for his conduct and said
that my words first called his at
tention to the injustice he was do
ing our party"