The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-01

he ever had in his life ne once had with
stranger, and to this day he does not
know what the fight was about: neither
did he ever learn the name Of his vigor-
Gus enemy.
''This eventful fght," he said, stock
place number of years ago" He was
walking up the steps OF the Cincinnati
postoffice, and was alone Going up be
saw coming down . tall, powerful man,
accompanied by . small understood
chap. Mr.. Halstead said that as he adj
vsnced towards them he saw that they
were very much interested in his per-
sonal appearance The tall and more
powerful Of the two men coming toward
him was making insulting remarks. As
ne passed Mr.. Halstead on the way down
his criticisms were OF sucR a per-
soual nature that the editor. who
had tried TO keep his self control,
concluded that it was easier to fight
! he swung around on one heel in the
/ good old Cincinnati style aud struck the
/ Ohio citizen who did not like his ap-
pearance back Of the ear. Coming
! down with the full weight of his pow
erful figure upon the descending body
I of his enemy, the weight sent the fallen
/ one clear out over the curb into the mid
/ die OF the street where his head bounded
| over a few cobble stones before he came
to a rest He was knocked far enough
/ away for q moment for Mr.. Hslstead to
I turn to the smaller man. He found him
with his hands in his pockets coming
/ toward him. He knew that this was
not a good sign in a fight, and so he
made rush for the little man before he
would have a chance to draw a weapon.
As the gigantic editor came seward him
afame with wrath and boiling over with
the sense of muscular power, the little
man performed a feat which / have
never heard recorded in any known his
tory of athletic feats. He ran .t top
speed backwards up the steps without
STUN bling, ever keeping his eyes upon
his advancing friend, Mr.. Halspead
says that he ran backwards up these
steps SO much faster than he could run
forwards that he gave him up and turn
ed to meet the citizen whom he had
Knocked below, and who was now COM
Ing up the steps in good courage and
good pluck, ready to destroy Mr.. Hal
stead.
Then" said Mr.. Halstead, "a fight
began, the equal of which have never
personally known. l had the advantage
of being on the upper side. We ex-
changed some terrific blows. He hit me
a number of times on nv arms. Each
blow was so powerful that it temporari-
ly removed the flesh, and the blow went
through clear to the bone. You have
no idea how it hurts to be hit on the
bone of your arm in that way,
These blows were delivered accord
known at that time" Mr.. Hal
stead obtained the second knock
down, although before arriving at this
glorious result he received four or five
body blows; had one side of his back
scratched well up and had generally
disarranged his dress. As his opponent
went down a second time, the little maa
who had been lodging around behind
them again ran up the stairs back
wards.
As the man who had been sent to tho
gutter twice arose deliberately TO come
up for another bout Mr.. Halstead's
partner came around the corner. He
was an absent minded individual who
walked the streets in those days twirling
a pen-knife in his hands. He came rum
ming with his knife in his hand, but be-
fore he got close enough to come to the
rescue Mr.. Halstead's opponent was
ack in front of hin. The Field Mar
shall said that he was nearly spent at
this stage Of the game. He said he had
just quarter of one lung left to breathe
with. The perspiration ran down his
body in streams, and at times there was
acute pains in his spine that he nearly
screamed. His partner cried out as he
came down, coming a word which Mr..
Halstead had never heard before or
since, exclaiming "Get out, you
scurf." Whether it was the sound OF
this unusual epithet or not, the opponent
was taken off his guard and Nr. Hal.
stead's huge fist struck him under the
nose. The thumb Of the fist went by into
his right eye and the knuckle of the
left finger went into the other eye He
again fell into the street. Then he
arose, shook himself and started of on
dead run, as if he was thoroughly sat-
isfied with che mornings work. Mr..
Halstead was helped to his Office but it
WAS several days before be recovered
from the shock. But he never had the
satisfaction of knowing what the row