The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-08-10
ORATOR SHUKKs's REVENGE.

ONAIOk SHUKKS'S REVENGE.
lie Was LOADED for ANYTHING. and
the First Game He Sighted was
Burglar.
1t was an incleme emit night, but the
gloomy-iooking man who stood in the
doorway OF the little Town Hall and
looked out at the pelting rain did not
blame it entirely on the weather.
The gloomy-looking man was Web
ster Shukks, leading citizen and prom
inent debater Of Bainbridge Township.
He had come to Spiketown, pursuant
to announcement, to deliver an address
on the "Crime Of 49," and only three
persons had turned out, one Of them
| being the ianitor OF the building. The
other two had heard the orator once or
twice already. It was decided TO post
pone the meeting. The lights were put
ont, and Mr.. Shukks, buttoning his
oyercoat about him, turned up his coll
lar. and, pulling his hat brim down all
around, went forth into the storm.
Oppressed by the burden OF an un.
spoken speech, he wandered aimlessly
about the little town for hours, re-
gardless of the rain that soaked his
garments and the mud that spattered
and stopped as he wendell his devious
and uncertain way through streets
whose broad sidewalks and we'll built
crossings were yet in the future. Bit
ter thoughts Of the apathy OF the
people he had come to enlighten
surged through his mind, and at times
he felt an almost irresistible impulse
to let them slide on to their ruin
without any further effort to save
them.
Finding himself at last opposite the
village hotel, where he had engaged
lodgings for the night, he went in.
Climbing the stairs softly. in order not
to disturb the slumbers of the other
guests, he proceeded to his ROOF.
Through the partly openC &C he
saw man slipping about VIII dim
lantern in his hand.
Webster Shukks grasped his heavy
cane firmly, slipped noiselessly inside,
shut the door behind him, and spoke
in a low tone:
't5top right where you are! If you
make a single movement I'll brain
you!
Taken by surprise, the intruder
threw up his hands.
''Now, you scoundrel," said the
statesman of cambridge Township,
With the same low, tense utterance, ''I
don't know WHO you are or where you
come from, but 1 know what you're
prowling about my room for. You are
here to steal!"
ELL" began the baf1ed burglar.
There is nothing you need say" in
corrupted Webster Shukks, with
,leam of vengeance in his eye "Open
your head again and I'll drive you
Town through the floor! Listen to
ne. We have met this evening, my
elbow citizens. to consider as calmly
IS we can the great crime committed
against the people Of this country in
he year 1873, at the bidding of 40
composed of few Lon
lon and New York bankers-s crime
10 dastardly; so tiendish, so monstrous
n it's conception and heartless in its
that humanity may well
tand appalled, at the, mere contempla-
ion of it. let us go back to the be- ,
aHning: In-17s2, my fellow citizens, :
congress passed mint and coinage
aw by which gold and silver, when =
ofned, were declared to be the pri- s
nary. money of the Republic. The :
nit Of value was the: silver dollar of s
III grains of pure, or 416 grains oil +
tandard silver. The legal ratio was a
eclared IN this act to be. until other
Use provided for, 15 to l. 1t was en-
cted that any person could take either
I the two metals to the mint and
ave them coined into money, free of
Il charge. In its sovereign capacity,
allow citizens, the founders of this
reat country laid down the broad
rinciple of the free coinage of sil-i
er-" .t
There was hoarse, gurgling sound,
i'd the helpless villain who had been
anding in corner of the room with
IS hands above his head, sank in q
zap to the floor. Nature had come &c,
8 relief. He had tainted. Chicago,
ecord.