Evening journal., 1890-01-17
A HUNT AT KIRKwoop.
II Exceeds the Biggs- Grinenburg Hunt at
Middletown Conoocted by the News.


Special Correspondence EVENING JOURNAL.
KIRKwooD, Del, Jan. 16.-John H.
Thornton, Republican assessor for Pen
cader hundred was out in our village
to-day looking after the welfare of his
party and his dusky companions. During
the morning you could observe him as
busy as bee in clover, bustling around
the railroad station and adjoining places,
conversing and instructing crowd of
negroes as to what they must do and say
when they presented themselves to the
collector to qualify and pay their taxes
what they were to do with their tax re
ceipts after said taxes had been paid.
The matter terminated in very inter
esting and laughable incident in the
shape of coon hunt, during which AS
SCISSOR Thornton proved that he had not
lost his well earned reputation as one of
the best coon hunters in Pencader hun
dred. In his younger days Mr. Thornton
could interest any one with his thrilling
adventures while after the coon in the
| woods of old Pencader. Old citizens
certify to the fact that John H Thornton,
with his famous coon dogs, enjoyed the
reputation of being the champion coon
hunter of the hundred.
William II. Bigger, collector for Pen
cader hundred, gave notice, according to
law, by putting mp posters in public
| places in his hundred. that he would sit
at the hotel in the village of Kirkwood
on Thursday, the 10th day Of January,
| 1890, for the purpose of receiving any
and all taxes due for the year 1889 90
| This morning, bright and early. Thornton
was on the scene, accompanied by Samuel
| Alrich, well TODD merchant, postmaster
and prominent Republican of the
Higgins persuasion, Of Pencader hun
bred, whom we expect, in the event
Of Republican success. will launch
himself on the party as an aspiring
candidate for the Legislature. While
Assessor Thornton did the coaching,
Samuel Alrieh carried and dispensed the
corruption swag to each and every one of
the dusky individuals that successfully
passed the muster Of Assessor Thornton
After Mr.. Negro had settled for his taxes
and procured receipt, IL was then the
painful duty of Assessor Thornton to
capture his dusky companion on his exit
from the hotel, demand his receipt and
return the same to Samuel Alrch as a
collateral security that he (Alrich) might
use as a voucher when he came TO explain
to the leaders of the G. o. P. how he had
| invested their cash, and moreover, to
hold said receipts until the day of cleo
tion so NJ Negro would be sure to vote
the way the henchman Of the G. o. p
dictated.
Everything went along smoothly until
a negro of the name of William williams
better known in this locality as
"Bungy." came along and was collared
by Thornton. He passed muster and was
sent to Alsich for his required collateral
to settle with the collector. After pay
ing his tax and while Thornton was
operating with another negro 'Bungy"
| gave him the slip, and several gentlemen
who were interested observers of the
transactions, (Which, by the way, were
done without much secrecy advised the
regro "BuDgy" to skip, promising
that If he could show them the receipt
tomorrow morning they would present
him with a pint Of good liquor. Now
this promise being Of some interest to
"Bungy," who is passionately fond OF
the aforesaid stimulant, he took the gen
tleman at his word and made tracks for
his home In double-Quck time.
All this was going on unknown to
: Thornton who was busily instructing
and qualifying other negroes. But As
SCISSOR Thorton had not by any means
forgotten about the receipt that the
negro Williams held in his possession and
which was settled for by good G. o. p
''fried fat, for when he came around the
hotel his first inquiry was for 'Bungy"
who had skipped for home Then an ex-
} citing, laughable and interesting hunt
ensued In which Assessor Thornton sus-
tanned his old time reputation as a
hunter. As he was minus his dogs on
this occasion, he used instead one OF his
dusky associates as a whipper-in.
Quickly taking in the situstien. he
loaded a negro named Stephen Clark,
(whe, by the way, has one stiff leg
and is probably pensionerl in his car
riage and instructed him TO drive
quickly to the farm of the late E. R.
Cam. where the negro Williams is EN-
ployed as a farm hand After the buggy
started Assessor Thornton vaulted the
feuee and speed across the stubkle field
with the agility Of deer. When he ar
rived at the barn, almost breathless, he
met Stephen Clark, Esq, coming up the
lane. The astute Stephen dismounted
from his vehicle and in company with
Assessor Thornton made q reconnoiter Of
the barn and adjacent buildings. Success
soon crowned their efforts. They had
freed the coon Williams and he was at
once ordered to hand over the much.
coveted and highly priced receipt. This
the negro Williams did very reluctantly
from the fact that he saw that the hope
Of the pint of good liquor had vanished.
After Assessor Thornton got possession
Of the receipt he soundly scolded
"Bungy' for the way he had acted He
then placed the document In his pocket
along with others OF which he had
already obtained possession, got in his
vehicle along with Stephen Clark, Esq
| and smile on his countenance that
would break French plate mirror, and
drove back to Kirkwood in hunt OF his
colleague, Alrich.
II is very evident that although oui
Republican brethren were Knocked out
on the mandamus racket. they are not by
any means discouraged, but will try 'tC
get there" all the same. We are pleased
to state that Assessor Thornton sustained
no serious injuries on the hunt Other
than when vaulting the four rallied fenc,
he busted his gallowses,
CURATOR.
Base Bali News.
Manager Barney Stevenson Of til,
Wilmington Base Ball Club will be il
this city tomorrow He has signet
I al rn MIA