The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1893-07-15
OILED HIS INNER SELF
DAMAGING ossTlNAcY OF A cuARs
He Undertook to Prove to Workman
That a Rich Brown Fluid in "a Pat
emit stopper Bottle Was Beer.

Tt would be cruel to tell the name of
the guard. He has suffered enough.
He is one of the "specials" stationed
in the palace of mechanic arts. Since
putting on the gorgeous blue of the
Columbian guard he had swelled to such
an alarming extent with pride and
authority that, unless a remedy was
soon found, it was feared he would
burst and be carried away in a collar
box.
The remedy was found yesterday and
the discovery was one of accident. One
of the men employed in setting up the
machinery in a well-known exhibitors
space came down through the main aisle
of machinery hall holding in his hand a
'patent stopper beer bottle filled with
rich brown liquid. AS the workman
passed the guard he held it closely to
his side, seeking to hide it, as the Young
man in blue thought. There is a rule
against bringing malt or spirltoSSA
liquors into the grounds or buildings,
the regulation referring especially to
workmen employed in the park. The
guard knew the rule. Business since
the smoking order had been rescinded
had not been brisk with him Here was
an opportunity to distinguish himself
and demonstrate his watchfulness.
"Hi, there" he shouted The work
man came to a stop, the bottle being
ostentatiously concealed behind his
apron. what are you bringing beer
into machinery hail for?"
81 amt got any beer" replied the
workman.
Don't tell me any such stuff. You've
got bottle under your apron"
''No haven't" and the culprit as if
by accident let portion of the bottle
drop into sight. The guard made grab
for it and held it up before the seeming
ly confused workman.
"IH just take you to the station
house," declared the officer. "What
did you mean by telling me you had no
beer?"
1T amt beer. It's-it's-ginger ale?"
The prisoner was lying. That was
evident to the guard. AT the same time
he did not want to be placed in tia
position of disobeying Colonel Rice's
order against making trivial arrests.
He knew by the color of the liquid it
was not ginger ate. A brilliant thought
came to him. He would test the beer
and thus have a "cinch" on the evil
dence. But here a difficulty was en-
countered, While the rule prohibiting
employees from bring intoxicants into
the grounds is a strict one, there is a
much severer regulation against guards
tasting the stuff while on duty What
if his sergeant should see him with a
bottle of beer to his lips2 10 meet this
obstacle the guard led his prisoner to a
secluded part of the building behind a
big packing case, and after looking fear
fully around hastily uncorked the bottle
and sent huge swallow of the contents
down his throat.
The result was unexpected so far as
the blue coat was concerned. With a
howl of anguish he dropped the bottle.
Both eyes started from his head and his
face turned to ashen paleness as he
danced about the floor shrieking II am
poisoned" Finally he sunk down with
moan and the men attracted by hfSA
cries carried him to a bench and LAID :
him down. He lay writhing in evident
pain for a few minutes and then grew
quiet. On the edge of the human circle
about him the guard beheld the face of
his prisoner. Reckoning him to his
side the guard feebly said: 81 am diving
and you are my murderer. What was
that stuff in the bottled"
Lard oil and naphtha," replied the
workman.
The dying guard was removed to
the hospital, while the workmen were
laughing their heartiest. In an hour
the stricken officer was back at his post.
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