New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-25
u,pDcUTpS OF 4 fENTTChI MAN.

Mr. Ruck Singleton. OF IIollyburg, kentucky'
T. mt afraid TO say at this luncture 'na' Nv
considers himself "A macii-abus.d man. Nv ~
.rectfullv INQUIRIES if n plain, prlVa'e cu'"''.
has any rights left. anyhow! h"ih"' W
,cop,e AT IIolxburg sympathizr with MI o'"s'
ION while others do not on IN" whol', 'no"h"
tho law may. perhaps, have borne it''e "e''
iIy upon him we are lar from s'N i"s '''' "
oneht 70 be changed.
Il appears that for years MI ''"S'''"
s,rorolv addicted 10 the habit oil carrying =.
v,lv.r or. II you will. tofin9 gun lie "'''
r,, wcar this Implement of war as an orhah'"''
INIT for frequent and active use ii' '"N'" ~
hcus fellow citizens with II and then press INV
,ricycr Not much attention was pald 10 ."'S
,u after the last census and II ;vns 'ouh" 'h''
uo rival town Of IInwkins Bridge conSid'rab'y
.urno,scd IIollyhurg in population. Tbs cause"
fine thoughtful in the latter town I" 'ooN ''i'o
Ia. matter and il was soon d'cid'd 'n'' Wv
Il,clicocv and ingcnuou-ness WIN WHICH III
p,o,, SINGLETON handled the trigger had much Y"
do with tho falIngoI in I'll" number OF resi-
dcn,s lie was accordingly arrested ana hh''
,or carving concealed weapons. II" pah inc
fine but was again promptly taken mo CUSTODY
yhcn hc appeared on the street with MS PISTOL
and again fined. This went on mi MI Hi"ei'-
.,n could no longer stand the drain upon n''
r.o,,cos Iin accordingly gave mp tho practic"
Of carving n weapon. or. II you prefer Ro''S
hco,a Dut hc found this very unsatisfactory.
Ia ,yos ;nsul,cl right and left The very chill
l,.r IN the streets rcviled him. Even the dumb
,a.,. so..mc1 20 understand tho situation, and
or. morning n vagrant goat butt'd him OIL the
.i1o,,,lk and o,c up his hat This was the last
straw and the conclusion when III" animal
ipl
toms mind. That afternoon he went around 70
,,c no.,o(ice and rented lockbox. In this h"
,,,ccl hi. revolver handle toward the outside,
loaded. also cooked.
va Mood scarcely say that after this Mr.. SIN
ylc,on gradually won back the respect Of every
man I'm iIolyburg. Strangers and Others who
did not understand his habits. with whom he had
,ronblc. he wouM invite 10 the postoiicc under
somc prr,cxt gently open his box. take ont his
,reonon and use il discreetly but never ostcnta-
,iouslv With those who knew that he had got
his nostoflicc box fortified he had 10 employ diff
fcrcnt tactics but as there was no free delivery
AZ Uolybure every ono had 10 come 10 the post
Office sooner or later, so Mr.. Singleton had only
! 20 wait near his box and in time his opportunity
would come. The attempt TO fine him for carry
| ing his lctterbox key, on the plea that III ms
| hands il was n deadly weapon. failed All would
| probably have been well with him III now had
4 not been for his habit OF keeping the pistol
| in the box at full cock. This caused the post
| office employees to 90 about with the constant
fear that the thing would ago off, and Kill
some of them Finally, when the postmaster
was one day putting a letter in the box one
corner Of il touched the cXpcctant trigger, and
| the official lost two fingers. He wrote to his
| superior in Washington and asccrtained that ii
man had no right TO store property in his post
| office box. deputy marshal arrested Mr..
Singleton and he made to give mp his key
| People at IIollyburg again point the finger of
| sc,rn at him, and the large goat spoken OF be-
| fore Is observed to look at him with n super
| cilious expression ~ hc walks past Mr.. Single
| ION. as we imimatcd, asks loudly if there is any
| place left, this side Of the grave, for the plain
unassuinng and pcace-lOving private citizen.
| Mr. Singleton should remember one thing in
his trouble-thcrr has been a change OF admins
| tration and n new rule about the storage OF for
cign bodies in postoflice box may bc made. There
isn't. probably, much hope Of this, but he should
| AZ least wait and see before he carries ont his
| threat TO move to Texas.