The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-17

CHRISTOPHER PETEs REVENGE.
A Tale Of Blood, Love, Murder and Dark
ness.

'One blow for vengeanceT
There was q ring of triumph in the
voice of Grasshopper Pete as he waved
aloft blood stained razor and shouted:
Zone blow for vengeance! Gingercake
Jack is done forl'
Then Gingercake Jack, with low,
curdling groan, crawled of in the dark
ness to die.
The scene of the tragedy was dark
room in the rear Of the Bloody Razor
dance hall, on Thompson street.
Grasshopper Pete was on the trail Of
mis- enemies, and he had drawn first
blood.
A year before the opening of this story
Grasshopper Pete was a light hearted,
innocent negro. He lived down in the
Mississippi swamps, on the banks of the
muddy Yazoo, and earned q 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 10 him. He
felt 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 Pete's 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 a blind eye. Gingercake
Jack and Snaky Dan Were at the oars.
"Whar you gwine, S'manthaf" shouted
Pete in alarm.
Use gwine off fur to marry Jim," Sa-
mantha answered.
What you gwine to marry dat one
eyed niger for:'
.'Kase he shoots craps an wins money.
You g'way from heah, niger; dis chile
amt no fool, l amt"
"Shoot II, catch Z, pull way, boys"
left far astern.
Pete's intended bride was gone like q
will-o'- the-wisp, but as the sound OF
hooking laughter came to his ears across
| the muddy waters of the Yazoo chill
shook him up and he swore to be re-
yenged.
He knew that Watermelon Jim. like
| all crap shooting negroes, would go from
bad to worse, and in time would reach
Thompson street.
In his lonely cabin, with only the chills
and fever to keep him company, Pete
bided his time.
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 in
the Bloody Razor dance hall on Thomp-
son street.
| Snaky Dan is the leader of the band.
| Gingercake Jack is in the back room
watching for the police, and Water
melon Jim is chairman Of the reception
committee.
The dance has been gay one. Seven
| teen times razors have flashed in the
brilliant gasoline light, seventeen revel-
ers have been dragged into the alley
covered with blood, and not a police
man has been seen.
! Suddenly there is a futter of excite
ment in the ballroom, a suppressed muir
muir of applause, as stranger is intro
| duced. He is announced as Blizzard
Bill, of New Orleans, who plays policy
and carries seven razors.
! Blizzard Bill is Grasehopper Pete in
| disguise, and he Is on the trail Of his
! enemies. BY chance he wansers into
/ the back room, where Gingercake Jack
is watching for the police. In the dark
ness he recognizes his enemy, and with
three blows of his razor lays Jack low.
Back to the dance hall goes Pete, and
waving his bloody razor above his head
| he shouts: "The world is mine! Let the
| dance 90 onr'
/ The dance goes on faster and more
| furious than before.
Swing dem cornersT shouts Snaky
! Dan.
He never shouts again. A razor crosses
| his jugular, and the subsequent proceed
ings interest him no more.
''See heah, Niger! hat for you stop
pin that fiddle for"
1t is Watermelon Jim who speaks this
time, and those are his last words.
Drawing three rszors, Pete springs at
! his hated rival. The members Of the
band tune up their fiddles, while Jins
remains are carried out into the alley
and tepderly laid in an ash barrel.
"At last you are mine" cries Pete. "a
he clasps Samantha in his arpns, and they
go out to mingIe with the darkness
| New York Evening Sun.