The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-05-29
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOingS at the Ma
tiOnal Capital
GOV. STEELE. OF OKLAHOMA.

some OF the veterans got TO taking OF tue recent
appointment OF Col. George w. Steele, of lndi-
ana. Representative in Congress, to the first
GOrernorship Of the new Territory of Okla
homa and the general expression was TO the
effect that President Harrison had done pretty
good thing in selecting the Colonel for the place
The chat about the Colonel became reminis-
cent and one of the party told the following:
i" When Steele was Regimental Quartermaster
Of the l4th U. S. Inf, under Gen. Charles III.
Smith, at salt Lake City, Capt. McCauley, the
Depot Qusrtermaster at Ogden, went East on
sick leave in 1875, and Gen. Crook detailed
Steele for the duty at Ogden.
All the supplies for troops in Utah, and for
Fort Boise in Idaho were received there, and
the duty required good deal of hard work. 1t
was necessary for the officer jR charge to have
considerable amount of funds on hand, and the
fact becoming known to the general public, a
couple of bad citizens put up job to clean out
the Quartermaster's public funds
One evening, just about twilight, when
very few people were about, Col. Steele sat
alone IN his Office, when the two tough citizens
walked in and hlandly explained that they had
called TO take charge of ali the money on hand;
ut the same time displaying a considerable
arsenal of dangerous weapons with which to
make good their demand.
" IL didn't need any reflection to take In the
situation, hut the Colonel was equal to the &C.
casion. Well. boys said be, If you are on
that lay you're too late by q hours. for my
clerk lit out somewhere last night with every
thing be could lay his hands on, aud besides
that carried or the key Of the safe, so that
must wait until man gets here from Denver
before can even get at my books and papers
The Agents looked at him and at each
other in dumbiounded way and their Jaws
dropped, bat Col. Steele apparently took no
notice Of that, and laughing at their surprise,
suggested that they should all walk over TO the
hotel and take drink together.
a. s1,ok ~.
ngreed 10 the proposition, and there was just
where they got themselves into trouble. for
when the Colonel walked quietly over To the
side Of the room 10 change his coat, he grabbed
pair Of army reyolvcrs from a belt hanging
under the coat, and whirling quickly covered
both men and demanded hands up
He had the drop the hands went up as
ordered, and be marched both men out on the
street and turned them over 10 the City Mar
shall"
Another story was TO the effect that when he
went home TO Indiana in 1855, after the I01st
Ind. was mastered out, he took considerable
interest ~ politics, and IN the Fall Of that year
started ont 10 make Republican speeches in be-
hail Of an ex-soldier friend who was a candi-
date for a County Office
All OF the northeastern section Of Indiana was
thickly infested with the type OF Copperheads
that were worse haters of the Union troops
than the rebel troops during the war, and their
hatred Of any man that had worn the Union
blue was expressed by denouncing him as
d. blue bellied Yankee" I" Lincoln
pup and other choice names, strongly &C.
mented in profanity.
In one town where that COpperbead element
was IN the maiOriiy, the ring-leader Of them was
bgrly blacksmith, who WAS also the bully and
terror Of the whole neighborhood. This per-
son, when Col Steele was announced 10 speak
there, saw O. TO declare that no - blue bel
lied sOn Of q gun could make a speech In that
Town, and that IL he tried it be, the autocrat
would pelt him out Of the school-house with
rotten apples
The declaration or war reached the cars Of
the young Colonel, and friends advised him 20
omit that town from bis list OF speaking places
Steele IS one Of those sparc-looking but sinewy
men whose nuscularity sometimes proves 50
deceptive 10 builies and he concluded 10 fill
his engagement and take the chances.
ia due time he went 10 Waybaek" where
be was met by the little committee in charge
a the meeting. and took occasion 10 have the
bully pointed out 70 him. That evening the
little school -hOuse was crowded in authorization
o. the promised iun, and the terror was there
d. the middle Of crowd Of admiring chums
10 due time Col. Steele took the stand and
beginning By stating that be had heard If
Threatened violence. gave those present dis
tlDcty 20 understand that threats did not
bother him, and be would speak in spite of
DULLES lie Was so c0nfouDdcdly sarcastic 10
lbs language aud manner that the bully was
enraRed aHd, jumping 20 bis feet he took a
halfdeczypd apple from his wcll-flled pockets
and flung i straight 81 Col Stcele's head.
Then came an astonishing episode for the
bully. for with aquick step 10 one side the Colo
mel caught The apple and threw il back with 50
true an aim that il took the ruffian square in
the nose and eyes aud tumbled him bacl, oyer
q bench onto the floor.
An average American audience admires
eulekness aud nerve, aud IN this instance the
sudden and gnomiuiOus overthrow Of the
bully raised shout Of laughter that com
pieied hIs humiliation, and when be was
hoped 10 ms feet by hs friends he meekly
submitted 20 be led outside, with bleeding nose
and b.ln4ed eyes, whiie the crowd remained 10
hear and applaud the Colonel. Steele after.
ward explained that after entering the room
lie never took his eyes OF from his antagonist:
ana catching the apple was easy, for IN his col.
lege days be had been the crack pitcher Of the
bal club
II these incidents are indicative Of the char
acter Of f5c man. il is evident that President
Harrison las made very wise selection
DEsEcEATIos OF THE FLAG PROHIBITED.
a Lin was reported from the House Juaiciarv
Committee Izst week, which will make the use
81 the American flag for advertising or such
Ike purposes a misdemeanor. The bill In
substance. provides that any person or persons
who shall use the national flag either bv priut-
Tug, raining. oE fixing on said flag or otherwise
attaching 10 the same any advertisement for
public display or private gain, shall be guilty
o. LDlsdcmganor, and on conviction thereof
n tue District Court Of the United States shaIl
De lined ~ any sum not exceeding so or I'm
pris0nment not less than 30 days or both. al
tho discretion Of the court.
PRIVATE PENSION Bills APPROVED.
The President has approved the acts granting
pensions % Frank TraynoT, Dorothea ID Yates
David 4. Lippy. Emily T. Pottle. Mary A. HoI
land, Cara ". Owen, Ann T. HusgIaann Ira r.
Smith, John IcCOol, Augustine Mclaughlin.
Sarah Hamilton, Margaret 7. Minteer John
Magic Betsy j. AewLall, w. s. Yohe Charles
T. Piaiz \. o. Edwards Mary j. EOttage Lncv
3. ". Norman, William 4. Merriwetbcr Eliza.
beth Heekler, H. q. Church, Mary c. Upton.
Isabella .. Simple Elizabeth Ogden. Barbara
SchnapIlAger, George Dodge, Rozanna Finch.
w. H. f0ppingcr Hannah Ward, John Dchart'
Chloe Cooper. Alexander Thompson, Barbara
LangstaG, Irene ID. Swan, Julia 4. Phillips.
Charles keenan, Joseph Perkins, Mary Il. Std.
ger Douglas Smith, Eliza Marcy, Fanny w
midget Samantha Williams Catherine Sam,
Henry BiumenIeid, Allen Coons Mary Welsh,
Harriet ]. White aud Napoleon B. Mckay.
FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
For the first time IN the history of the TIo,s.
judiciary Committee majority Of the members
last week agreed 10 a favorable report unon a
JOINT resolution introduced by Representative
Baker, o. New York; providing for q Constjtu-
tionsl amendmenttO grant the right of suffrage
to women Twice before a minority Of tic