The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-07-18
AN AMATEUR In CRIME.


Tho Quaginirc club was sitting
dreamily over its coffee and cigars
IL was feeble. disjointed affair. The
Quagmires. and had nearly seen its
courEc. Ten years ago II hcralded IT,
self as the one choice and select club
OF the metropolis. No one was an
available member who could not point
10 career OF crime. DO some MUIR
derous deed, stocp your hands In gore.
go long as the courts OF justice gave
You free passport 20 liberty and inn
mcdiately the members OF The Quag-
mires would throw you signal and
draw you into the guild. But that was
ten years ago. That was when The
Quagmires were in the heyday OF ex-
istonce when their lists were full to
overlooking; when the club was the
talk OF the town. and when comrades.
good, boon and joyous comrades. were
ready to throw open the doors and admit
new member into the mysterious pre-
cincts. SO long as there was the hue
OF blood on the applicants hands.
But the day OF the man OF blood
speedily passed. rs IL should; after n
while the bar0 were lowered and any
criminal OF any sort or description.
who he'd boon freed OF tho trammels
Of law was eligible to membership.
After another epoch the rule was
changed. and the most noted scandal
inongers, the worst back-biters. the
vilest black -mailers. and the veriest of
the shameless hordes OF little men
were given membership. Then. sud-
denly "A spasm Of morality swept like
wave OF despair over The Quagmires
and the rules were again changed.
The bad men were posted aud kicked
out and mono but men OF the strictest
department and general good character
were allowed to join.
The club had refrigerated. so some
OF the hard old members said; but the
newer class said IL was for the better.
Perhaps IL was but. strange 90 relate.
The Qua?mirca dated their downfall
and the speedy dismembership from
the day they assumed purity. goodness
and nicely The finances dwindled
and the club fell away. Bills were
not paid aud tho club owed much mon
cy. Then the club entire was kicked
from It's palatial basis and found new
quarters In loft over beer saloon In
the Bowery where at the present
time we find IL over It's cigars and cof-
fee. and consisting entirely OF three
solitary members.
Major said Pangborn, as no
tossed the ashes OF his cigar into n
OF the charter mcmbcrs. holieve-n
Yes; quite right ] always pride
Uysolf upoa that fact. am charter
mcmbcr Of The Quagmiree.n
You must have accomplished some
flendish crime in your day % have
been so blest. uttered the other gen
tlcmal. mild-mannored man, who
dealt in hides in the swamp. was load
or OF the class in Sunday school-onc
who never was known to utter an oath
or do any other thing which men con
denim
''Slawson, you are right l was a
crime-stceped villain in the old days;
bur, hope have lived all those old
days down. said the Major. He was
quiet maa with iron-gray whiskers,
nicely parted over the chin. There
was livid scar running across his left
check, and he had one arm. the left
arm. missing.
did IL happen In the WARP"
mo, Pangborn. IL happened on the
high sea. or rather just of IL. | am
not adverse to your curious question
ing and would fain bare my bosom TO
you. you sec am frank"
Perfectly. Major" said Slawson
Ibid you lose your arm while repell-
ing bOagders In the South Scasg"
No; my arm was bitten of by a
gorilla on tho coast OF Africa. was
loading hold full OF blacks when
received word that an Arab dealer
wanted 20 SEQ mo about a future con-
sigumont of lsncks ! went 10 find
the dealer bat met gorilla and the
ugly beast chcwcd my arm OF. See
this scarp This Is one OF the trucks OF
his beastly nails. Ia was touch-nnd-
g0 affair with nae for few moments.
hui ! put the better part OF long
knife into he creatures vitals while
10 was cssuying 10 crowd me to the
wall. lie was dead a. nuts before |
tainted. After camo 10 | left the
country and mover went back there
again. Our good ship got founderod
of Cuba and 10 save our lives we had
20 hoist tho large c,er1oard. We
didn't give the poor blacks any mercy
5ut holstcd them overheard one after
shc other. Ilsoy bcgrad for mercy In