The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1892-01-28
KNOCKING OUT A JsHU.
Resentment of the Insults of Big Stage
Driver by "A Little Dude

Resentment of the Insults of a Big Stage
Driver by "a Little Dude.
Colonel William Greene Sterrett, of
the Galveston-Dalla News, tells this
story:
"Once, good many years ago." he
said, Il was travelling in stage in
western Texas. 1t was long before the
snort of the locomotive was heard on
the prairies of that region, over which
the buffalo yet roamed. At one of the
stations a young Englishman and his
wife got in. He was little fellow and
dressed as typical Englishman-wha
we now call a dude. The driver was
big, raw boned six footer. He was a
noted fighter. He had never been whip
ped and was a regular terror He
seemed to take dislike to the little
Englishman from the start. Presently
he stopped the stage, got down, came
back and threw open the door.
Here, he said to the Englishman,
you come out of that and get up on the
seat with me. There amt room for YOU
in there The Englishman didn't move
Come out, tell you,' roared the driver.
The Englishman just sat still. If YOU
don't come out, I'll haul you out by the
legs shouted the Jehu. Then the rest
OF us expostulated with the driver.
/ was too tired to fight and couldn't get at
my gun, SO | just expostulated along
with the rest We told the driver there
was plenty of room inside; that the Eng
hshman was not crowding us, and that
II he (the driver) insulted or injured any
OF his passengers he would be discharged
by the stage company. The driver by
this time was wild. He swore he was
in command of that stage and that he
proposed to run it to suit himself, and if
that blankety blank cuss didn't come
out he'd pull him out.
"'All right said the Englishman, at
last. i will come out, and when I am
out will whip you soundly.'
He got out slowly. We all felt sorry
for him and sorrier for his wife, She
didn't seem scared or worried, though,
and all she said was:
Charley, don't let him scratch your
face
'Well, when the little Englishman
got out he took his coat off and handed
1t back into the stage. Then he started
toward the driver and the driver started
toward him. We heard a sound a good
deal like that made by hitting steer in
the head with an ak. Down in a heap
went the driver. He was up as quick as
flash. Down he went again. Actually
that little English dude knocked that
CT l,.ix II L:
dozen times. How it was done none of
us could tell. The big fellow would
rush at the little 'un with his arms go.
ing like fails. Suddenly the little fellow
would make dash, his right arm would
fly out, and down would go the driver.
After the dozenth round that driver
called. out:
Hold on, stranger-hold on! I'm
whipped and throw up my hands You
kin ride anywhere on this stage you darn
please, outside or inside or on the hosses.
You're the boss now; but he added,
glaring savagely at the rest of us, I kin
lick anybody else on this stage
"We didn't expostulate. The English
man climbed back into the stage as
quickly as he got off. His wife was sat
isfed, for 'Charley's' face wasn't even
scratched. At the next station the driver
explained that if he'd only have got hold
of the little fellow he'd have Rugged him
to death like bear; but, he exclaimed,
every time just as l was about to lay
hands on him the ground d fly up and
hit me on the back of the head
who was the little fellow? Oh, a
graduate of Cambridge, and the best
boxer of his time at the university" =
Washington Post.