The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-15
JACK AND BILL CATCH IT.
They Try To Break Up y Circus and Bs
come Wiser and BETTER Men.

They Try tn Break Up n Circus and BE-
come wiser and BETTER Men.
Lafayette, NY, Letter.
Lafayette Is n struggling little town OF
about 100 inhabitants, situated twenty
miles from the nearest railroad. II is i'm
portant to the country around because a
circus stops here every year. These
circuses are not OF the Barnum kind, but
small affairs, travelling through the back
districts on agons and keeping away
from the railroads. Nevertheless the ar
rival of one Of them is "a great event mt
Lafayette, and several thousand people
always collect to see the sights, some of
them walking thirty miles.
Bill and Jack Johnson have long been
the terrors OF this region. Every back
woods district in the Southwest has its
bully, and theJ johnson boys for years pos
sessed that undisputed distinction within
n region embraced by n radius of ten
tall and heavy. Jack vas small and light
but fully as dangerous AS his brother.
Neither had ever killed a man, but they
had wounded innumerable persons. and
averaged four or five fights apiece, each
week. They frequently stampeded the
small towns, riding through the streets
at full speed, firing right and left.
A few weeks ago a circus, tempted by
the warm weather, came up from the south
and made a trip through the southern
part OF the state, u Lafayette was one
Of the towns visi ted. The novelty Of a
ceptable TO the people, and the crowd In
attendance at the performances was UNI
usually large.
During the afternoon the show was in
full blast, when Bill and Jack Johnson ar
rived. They Ralloped into town, and
sl.sx. x...l a. .xn ..i - .a...a a..I .l.l
dren, and OF men, too. Both were well
loaded with whiskey, and after rubbing
their pistols across the noses of
half "A dozen men they went Ia
the circus. After looking at the ami
mails and the gymnastic performances
they wandered into the side show. For a
while they contented themselves with gaz.
ing at the C~ircassian girl, the fat woman.
the sword swallower and the armless man
who fired a repeating rifle with his toes,
but they soon grew tired OF such tame
! sport. Bill and lack wanted "a fight.
None of the spectators would fight them.
An idea then occurred to Jack. They
would clean out the side show.
Lets break up the darned thing" he
said Ia Bill, 'and a " some fun. You
take the fellow who swallows the knife
n Ill sail into the one who shoots the
gun with his toes"
Bill at once agreed to the proposition,
n leaping over the ropes which separ-
ated the spectators from the performers,
they rushed upon their victims. The
row raised the cry of fight and made
for the door; but the circus performers
were perfectly composed, The sword
swallower tossed his sword To one side.
picked az one of the heavy pins to which
the tent ropes are fastened, and saluted
Bill with a blow which nearly broke his
skull. The man with the repeating rifle,
who was supposed tn have no limbs but
the lower Ones, pulled two arms from be-
meath his vest, reversed his gun and
clnbbed Jack over the head.
Then the side show people sailed in.
The fat woman kicked Bill in the side.
while the sword swallowei pummelled
him about the head. The Circassian girl
tore out whole handfuls of Jacks hair,
while the armless man rapidly beat his
c~ountenance out of shape. In five min
utes all was quiet in the tent. The people
timidly ventured back. The circus per-
attire. Bill and Jack We're lying
senscless on the ground. They were
taken out, and IL was found that
Bills leg was broken. So was his
nose. Both eyes were closed, and his
head and body were covered with gaslles.
Jack had both arms broken, and his
bruises were not less numerous than
Bills.
That night the attendance al both cir
cuses was the largest ever known. Tho
applause was tremendous. No attempt
was made To arrest anybody. Recently
Jack, whose broken arms healed rapidly,
joined the Baptist church. Bill will do
likewise as soon as his fractured leg is
mendcd. Both are SCARED for life, and
announce their determination to live as
good citizens and Christians,