St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-19
CURED BY n REVOLVER.
Col. McKenty's Experience With
Dudes and Editors.

Col. McKenty and myself frequently
were together. and aided each other in
making sales of dirt" as he would de-
scribe real estate, and on one occasion
we went to st. Anthony on business
there was no Minneapolis at that time.
We stopped at the ST. Charles h tel. On
sitting down to dinner, the colonel,
quick and impetuous, drew his char
close to the table, drew his loaded re-
volver from his pocket and placed it on
the table with thump; looking thence
up and down and across the table, he
quietly waited for his food, while the
guests who saw his movements looked
at him and me with great aStonlshment
and diStruSt. l afterwards learned from
him his reasons for thus disporting him-
self were, that on two or three
previous occasions he had been
insulted in some way by guests
at the same table; naturally eXcitable
and nervous, he was a m III OF extreme
senSitiveness, and of course, would eX-
cite the notice of strangers; but. always
a gentleman, he could not brook any in
suit OF slight offered him, no matter
from what source it came. AS in this
instance, set of young fellows, clerks,
etc., had noticed hMh at the table, and
they tried to make him angry by inu-
endo and side remarks about himself.
He caught on to their impudence and
folly, and took the pistol remedy to cure
the evil: and cure it he did, for always
after they treated him with the utmost
Difference and reSpect-sOme of them
changing their places at table, if near
him, whenever he visited the st. Charles
hoStelry.
On this occasion, after dinner we re-
paired to our room, accompanied by
Col. James II. GOodhue, who then
owned and edited the st. Paul Pioneer
newspaper. Col. McKenty sat on one
side of the bed, Col. Goodhue occupied
chair near the window, and l stood
to one side, leaning against a mantel.
All at once McKenty drew pistol from
his pocket. and, addressing Goodhue,
said: Col. Go0dhue, you publish a
very good paper, sir; good paper, sir;
but they say you are a blackmaller; you
write things IN your paper. sir, about
men. so that you can levy Dlackmall on
them, sir! Col. Goodhue, don't you
ever put my name in your paper; you
| can't blackmail me, sir! If you do,
! sir! by God, sir! l'll shoot you, sir! yes
sill, shoot you. sir! When | shoot, sir, l
shoot hard, sirr" and just as the last
expression came from his lips. he care
lessly raised his pistol at arms length
to demonstrate that he was shooter,
pointing it towards the window,
when it went off. accidentally, the ball
passing over Goodhue's head and
through the window. Of course. it was
evidently an accidental discharge of a
carelessly handled pistol. but Col. Good
hue, with his characteristic GOODNESS,
arose to leave, eXclaiming as he left:
81 believe Phi get out of this; it is get.
ting too hot for me here" And he did
leave, while McKenty looked the
picture of establishment, mingled with
shame. He afterwards declared to me
that it was purely accidental, and re-
GREETED much the occurrence, but reit-
Grated his intention to carry out the
threat made to GoOdhue if he ever did
publish his name in his paper. 1t is
| pleasant, however, to remember that
nothing ever occurred between those
gentlemen to mar the friendship exist
ing between them up to the close of the
| life Of Col. Goodhue.