Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-28
CHRISTOPHER PETe's REVENGE.
A Tale Of Blood, Love, Murder and Dark
ness.

A dull thud and then silence.
"One blow for vengeancep
There was ring of triumph In the
voice of Grasshopper Pete as he waved
aloft blood stained razor and shouted:
zone blow for vengeancel Gingercake
Jack is done forT
Then Gingercake Jack, with low, |
curdling groan, crawled off in the dark |
ness to die.
The scene Of the tragedy was a dark
room in the rear Of the Bloody Razor
dance hall, on Thompson street.
Grasshopper Pete was on the trail of
his enemies, and he had drawn first
blood.
A year before the opening of this story
Grasshopper Pete was light hearted,
innocent negro. He lived down in the
Mississippi swamps, on the banks of the
muddy Yazoo, and earned a miserable
existence catching muskrats and mala-
ria
In an evil hour Pete fell in love. He
had often fallen in the river, but it was
the first time he had ever fallen in love,
and the sensation was new to him. He
felt a little shaky at first The doctor
said it was chills made him feel that
way, but Pete knew it was love.
Samantha Sowders was the black OBJ
ject of Petes affection. He adored her,
and for time she smiled on him.
One night Pete was on his way down
the river to the cabin of Samantha to
propose. His boat was drifting along
with the current, when he heard the
sound of voices and the dip of oars. Pete
pulled alongside the other boat, and
turned pale as summer moonlight when
he saw his loved Samantha nesting in
the arms of Watermelon Jim, yellow
negro with blind eye. Gingercake
Jack and Snal1y Dan were at the oars.
"Whar you gwine, SmanthaT shouted
Pete in alarm.
Use gwine off fur to marry JIM" Sa-
mantha answered.
"What you gwine to marry dat one
eyed niger forF"
"Kase he shoots craps an wins money.
You g'way from heah, Niger; dis chile
Amt no fool, amt"
"Shoot IL, catch 2, pull way, boys,
shouted Jim, and soon Pete's boat was
left far astern.
Pete's intended bride was gone like a
will-o'-the- wisp, but as the sound OF
hooking laughter came to his ears across
the muddy waters of the Yazoo chill
Y shook him up and he swore to be re
venged.
1 He knew that Watermelon Jim, lik,
r all crap shooting negroes, would go from
bad to worse, and in time would reacl
Thompson street.
In his lonely cabin, with only the chill
|, and fever to keep him company, Pet
G bided his time.
y A year is supposed to have elapsed
twelve months in which fate was run
. ming Grasshopper Pete's way.
A grand colored ball is in progress il
the Bloody Razor dance hall on Thomr
son street
a Snaky Dan is the leader Of the band
Gingercake Jack is in the back roor
watching for the police, and Water
melon Jim is chairman of the receptio
committee.
The dance has been q gay one. Sever
teen times razors have flashed in tn
q brilliant gasoline light, seventeen reve
Is ers have been dzugged into the ale
d covered with blood, and not polict
IS man has been seen.
d Suddenly there is futter OF excite
u ment in the ballroom, suppressed mul
r. muir of applause, as stranger is intrc
n duced. He is announced as Blizzar
= Bill, of New Orleans, who plays polio
l. and carries seven razors.
Blizzard Bill is Grasshopper Pete
+ disguise, and he is on the trail OF h
enemies. BY chance he wanaers int
70 the back room, where Gingercake JAG
70 is watching for the police. In the darl
* ness he recognizes his enemy, and wit
IN three blows of his razor lays Jack low.
! Back to the dance hall goes Pete an
Is waving his bloody razor above his hea
Sc he shouts: "The world il minei Let Il
g. dance go on"
The dance goes on faster and mo-
furious than before.
10 "Swing dem cornersl" shouts Small
Va Dan.
NJ He never shouts again. A razor cross
Ia his jugular, and the subsequent procee
IN ings interest him no more.
~ ''See heah, niggeri What for you sto
re pin that fiddle for"
ID II 10 Watermelon Jim who speaks tn
IN time, and those are his last words
n, Drawing three raxors, Pete springs
e' his hated rival. The members Of u