Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-07
QUElLEO THE PANIC.
How Merry Man Acted in Theater Ex
element.

| Il was IN Rochester Monday eve
ming" said travelling man to Utica
| Observer reporter, land attended one
of the theaters. Between the acts
some fool in the gallery yelled fight
| and another fool in the dress-circle at
once yelled fire. There was an in
slant panic. and had it not been for a
dozen cool-headed men and the fact
that the orchestra kept right along
! playing there would have been a terri
J BILE scene. AS it was several ladies
! tainted and men and women rushed
i over the back of the seats to the door
as though they were daft.
But there was one incident that !
shall never forget as long as | live.
stepped upon his seat and drew re-
voIver from his pocket. In voice
that could be heard for some distance
around him he said:
There is no fire, and / shall be
| tempted to shoot the first man that
| tries to rush out of here aud possibly
trample upon women and children.
| mean just what | say, and when the
excitement cools down if anybody will
| point out the miscreant that raised the
cry of lire | will give the gentleman
$50 for his trouble. and agree to whip
the scoundrel who raised the false
alarm within five minutes or forfeit
another fifty
Then be stood there as quietly as il
nothing had disturbed him, and the
people who heard him knew by his
| looks that he meant business and
| mix In jout hn 81
| for you!' called a half-dozen voices
| and the people in that section sat very
quietly during the several minutes Of
terrible excitement that prevailed all
over the crowded house. When order
had been restored the gentleman re-
| sumed his seat and en- ioyed the play"
| A BEAT" That Beat Them All.
Il had bad time with O dead beat
recently" said clerk at Il well-known
hotel. He was drummer for soar
| house in this State. and | had reason
| to believe him all right; in fact he had
always acted squarely before. an,i
| when he walked in here and registered
and dropped his case OF samples on Tie
| floor | didn't think of ask ing him foI
money in advance. After he had been
| shown his room he came to the office
| and asked me to loan him 81, saying
he was short and could not get any
money until the next day. | cheer
! fully let him have the money. He went
| out and in a couple of hours sent tc
me for 50 more. That refused. For
three days my friend did not show up.
and at last removed his things from
his room and stored them, and charged
him the time the room had been at his
disposal.
IL about week | got letter
from him, saying he had been sick,
and asking me to forward the case OF
samples when he would remit the
amount he owed. | wrote that
wanted the money first. The answer
came that | should have it the momen,
the samples were received, and as the
| samples were worth practically moth
ing as collateral. and I still had faith
IN the fellow. | expressed the things.
Here few days ago had the pleasure
Of seeing those samples brought back
10 me by the express man with Is
cents charges on them, which | had to
pay. The confOunded scalawag had
deliberately sat up Il job on me to
make me go down in lny pocket again.
after beating me out of 50 in cash and
a three days bill. For clear, cold,
crystalline gall that particular dead
beat will always he enshrined in nv
memory as the king of kings. "-Cta-
, cl7a7aGti Times