Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-08-29
AN AMATEUR IN CRIME.

Tho Quagmire club was sitting |
dreamily over its coffee and cigars
1t was a feeble disjointed affair The |
Quagmires and had nearly seen its
course. Ten years ago it heralded it
self as the one choice and select club |
of the metropolis. No one was an
available member who could not point |
to a career of crime. Do some muir
derous deed, steep your hands in gore,
so long rs the courts Of justice gave
you free passport to liberty inn
mediately 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-
istence, when their lists were full to
Overlooking; when the club was the
talk OF the town. and when comrades,
good, boon and joyous comrades. We're
ready to throw open the doors and admit
a new member into the mysterious pre-
cincts, so long rs there was the hue
of blood on the applicants hands.
But the day Of the man Of blood
4 SDtEulll lltho5tAlt III ~ 5AlbAlAf hANEA q
while the bars were lowered and any
criminal OF any sort or description.
who had been freed Of the trammels
OF law was eligible to membership.
After another epoch the rule was
changed, and the most noted scandal
mougers the worst -bltcrs. the
yilest black-mailers, and the verie5t of
the shameless hordes OF little men
were given membership. Then, sud
denly spasm Of morality swept like
wave OF despair over The Quagmires
and the rules were again changed.
The bad men were posted and kicked
out and none 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 it was for the better.
Perhaps il was, but, strange TO relate.
The Quagmires dated their downfall
and the speedy dismembcrship from
the day they assumed purity, goodness.
and nicely. The finances dwindled
, and the club fell away. Bills were
not paid and the club owed much mon
ey. Then the club entire was kicked
from its paatial basis and found new
quarters in a loft over a beer saloon in
the BOwery where AT the present
. time we find it over its cigars and cof-
fee, consisting entirely OF three
solitary members.
major" said Pangborn. as he
tossed the ashes Of his cigar into a
, wooden sawdust holder. you are one
, OF the charter members. | believe"
! Yes; quite right | always pride
+ myself upon that fact am charter
, member OF The Quagmires.
You must have accomplished some
! fiendish crime in your day to have
| been so blest, . uttered the other gen
] tleman, mild-mannered man, who
dealt in hides in the swamp. was lead.
: er OF the class in Sunday schOol-one
a who never was known 10 utter an oath
or do any other thing which men con.
denim.
'.Slawson. you are right / was Z
!, crime-steeped villain in the old days
: but, / hope | have lived all those ole
!, days down" said the Major. He wa.
. quiet man with iron-gray whiskers
). nicely parted over tho chin. Their
q was livid scar running across his lef
4 cheek. and he had one arm, the lcf
arm. missing.
a Ibid 1t happen in the warp
II mo. PangbOrn, IL happened on tn
$ high sea, or rather just of IL. / an
J, not adverse to your curious question
e ing. and would fain bare my bosom t
n you: you see am frank"
IL Perfectly, Major said Slawson
y "Did you lose your arm while repoll
Y ing boarders in the South Seas?'
!, mo; my arm was bitten off by
- gorilla on the coast OF Africa. wa
u loading hold full OF blacks when
y received word that an Arab deale
~ wanted 10 see me about a future con
. signment Of blacks. ! went 10 fin
n. the dealer. but / met q gorilla and tn
n ugly beast chewed my arm of. Sc
this SCARF This Is one Of tho tracks {
lie his beastly nails. 1t was a touch-anC
90 affair with me for a few moment,
)" but ] put the better part OF Ion
en- knife into the creatures vitals Will
he was essaying TO crowd me to tn
IT, wall He was dead as nuts before
tainted. After / came 10 left tn
70 country and never went back ther
al again. Our good ship got foundere
an off Cuba, and to save our lives we ha
n. TO hoist the cargo overheard. W
a didn't give the poor blacks any mere,
al but hoisted them overheard one aft,
al the other. They begged for mercy
en- their way. and went down upon the
tie black knees, clasped their hands 4
al gether and rolled their eyes pleadingl
N, Over they went. What the sharl
oil failed to get the iron-jawed reefs gat
gh cred in. IL saved the ship, howeve
no and we sailed into Havana poorer b
On very much alive. That little tran
m no action got me membership in n
~ Quagmires."
he just then the door was quick
-. pushed open and a stranger stumbl