The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-02
PEPPER OF KENTUCKY.
z,ao OWN ACCOUNT OF AN INTER-
NATIONAL EPISODE.

xUnsn a London Hotel Clerk Sighted
u,,, because He Was an American
nidnt shoot, but Got an Apology.
From the Eeso York sun
r., lanes Pepper, the millionaire Ken
-, who won an international reputa-
80, fortnight ago by the very vigorous
"a nv which be extorted al apology
clerk of the Hotel Metropole in Lon
Tho was reported to have spoken dis
-.,-inglv of all Americans, was a con-
l-1;,,,ons figure ia the corridor of the
g lanes hotel yesterday afternoon. Lots
- Nav Workers who had read the cable
stories of the colonePs interview with
a. clark crowded about him all day long,
ord kept him busy drinking his own
,aaltb during a considerable part of the
ofrarnoou The colonel Is a slx-ro otter, big
-t.os,ad with a rudy com plexl on and
$3.50 MACK mustache. He is about 40 or
~ Tesrs old, and bubbling over with good
- His "trip abroad was a wedding
- Inst before his departure he married
~ Kan. a widow He had made some
- extended soiourn in Paris, before ne
rrossei the channel and took quarters at
tbe Hotel Metropole, where tae episode
occnrred that made him conspicuous In
London.
Scores of New Workers besieged the col
o,aI yesterday with inquiries ABOUT the en-
co,nter with the clerk, and, after he had
bsen shaved, the colonel came into the cor
r,dor. wearing a high SILK hat, check
--ousers of the English pattern, and q cuta-
way coat, and, dropping into one of the
cushioned settees, he deposited his tall hat
n, tine seat beside him aud told all about it.
The colonel had been stopping in London
with his wife and Mr.. Hart, an American
importer of champagne, and the latter's
vile Thev had just ret Irned from the the
ser and the ladies OF the party mad walked
syer to the elevator, which the colonel said
vas a 60 slow machine, anyhow"
vhan the explosive interview with
ae unfortunate clerk took place. The
dark at this time was standing at the
Grthest end of counter that the colonel
~timated was about fifteen feet long. He
Vslked I'D aud asked the clerk for the key
d his door. The clerk was chatting with
nan who the colonel assumed was an
TnrlishmaD, and paid no attention what
Avar 10 his request. When he repeated it
tbe clerk turned toward him impatiently,
and said: I'm serving another gentleman"
When the colonel expressed dissatisfaction
The clerk said, in an off-hand way: when
let through I'll attend to you"
This reply, Col. Pepper said yesterday
was so unlike anything that he had expert
epced on the continent that his anger was
reused instantly. Come here a moment"
hesaid in determined tone to the clerk !;
0Iwant to speak to you" The clerk cut
short his confab with the supposed English
man and stepped over to the Kentuckian.
Before he was aware of the colonePS purpose
the latter leaned over the counter, seized
both lapels Of his coat and shook him with
ali his might.
The colonel said the clerk concluded that
be had made a mistake, and reached for
the key aud handed it to the American.
The latter went up stairs to his room, with
the intention of retiring for the night and
dismssing the incident from bis mind, when
be was overtaken on the stairs by another
guest who told him that he ought To go
down stairs and thrash the clerk, for the
reason that the latter had spoken in very
dsrespectful way about him. He asked
what lad been said, and the guest told him
that the clerk had declared:
That man Is Only an American, anyhow,
and they are always in hurry. made up
my mind TO keep him waiting for once, any
way.n
The colonel hurried down stairs, and call
ing the clerk over repeated to him what the
guest had reported to him.
You have been misinformed,' the clerk
said, 81 never used such language"
Then the humor of the situation forced
itself upon the colonel'S mind and he re-
solved upon practical joke. He knitted
his brow into a terrible scowl and again
sized the clerk by the shoulders.
Il want you to take Lack everything you
have said about Americans" he cried, "and
beg my pardon for what you have said
about me. If you don't III blow your head
off,"
The colonel says that the clerk, believing
that he was one of the fire-eaters of { 9
south that he had heard good deal of oalk
o. became thoroughly frightened and alb
1ectly apologized.
The colonel said yesterday the story that
ne had drawn a blunderbuss or some other
deadly weapon upon the unfortunate cler k
was due doubtless to the overactive imagi-
nation Of some American friends who had
" the incident at the hotel Office
life 40 --A'