Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-27
HIS PISTOL PLAY FELL FLAT.
An Election Day Episode in the New Town
of Valentino.

"When | was stationed at old Fort
KearDey." said the Colonel, II became
acquainted with two Englishmen in
Kearuey. Both were cockneys and had
great times mixing up their rs. One
was a real estate agent. the other a liv-
cry stable keeper. The real estate man
added sort of banking business to his
other work and gave himself the airs
and swing of gentleman-l mean in
tbs English sense. The livelyman was
a big-fisted brawler @nd IA bully. He
was always getting into fights and al
most always he got the best Of his an
tagOnist. In some indeinable way the
impression got around Valentine that
the banker was a coward. No one had
ever seen him put to the touch, and ne
was a peaceable man who was never in
any of the numerous rows which made
quiet almost unknown in Valentine.
Both these Englishmen went into the
politics of the county with great vigor.
Both were Republicans, and usually
both worked very hard for the success
of the ticket. But it happened that one
fall they split. The iiyerymHn WAS for
the regular ticket. hut the banker bOlted.
Each pulled every wire he knew how
to pull and the fight was hot. Things
got so lively that the talk drifted from
the chances of the candidates to the
prospects of a personal encounter be-
tween the two Engiishmen. The liv-
eryman boasted that if he caught the
banker he'd 'ammer ell hout of i'm
perhaps it suited the bankers pur-
pose to avoid the big-tisted liveryman,
who was certainly more than his eqnal
physically; perhaps il was just accident;
but at any rate they did not meet until
the morning of election day. The vot-
ing was brisk. and the polling place was
crowded The liveryman and the bank
CT were hustling for votes A. hard rs
they could. but il was not until about
10 o'clock that they met face 80 face.
The instant that they met hush fell
over the room. 1t was a. if every man
was holding his breath. Only few
could see what what was going on.
The others seemed To act from sym
pathy. As the Englishmen faced each
other. without a word the liveryman
drew from his pocket "A bright nickelled
revolver and levelied it at she banker.
The muZzle was close To the bankers
nose that il would have made him cross
eyed to look at it. The bankers gaze
was directly into the eyes of the livery
man. Every bit of color had left his
face. 1t was a. still ~ death in the
room. The men who were standing
nearest the Englishmen seemed par
alyzed. Not one lifted a hand To grab
the revolver. For an instant it was a
tableau. Then. in clear distinct voice,
with the cockuey accent more than ever
pronounced the banker said:
You damned miserable coward, you
daren't shoot
at was the cutting of the string that
held the puppets. In fraction OF a
second, before the liveryman could
move muscle, before he could fairly
realize what the banker had said to him.
dozen men had grabbed for his re-
volver. 1t was snatched out of his hand
and he was hustled out of the room
mighty quick. The banker took one OF
his friends by the arm and went out for
a drink, while the men who stayed at
the polling place revised their opinion
of his nerve"