The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-09-12

-N1NN4N-tNs oAAO uduICN bC4OIC Il 1IdSIS-
trate. The magistrate would listen tc
no excuse. He said it might be q great
invention. or it might not. but that he
was defying the law by not having a
man with a red flag in front OF his mo,
tor. Billy explained that it was impoS,
sible TO have the man there. because the
motor was going al the rate of - miles
an hour. and few men. unless they are
in extremely good condition. can cover
that distance in 60 minutes. The magiS,
trate retOTted that this made the case
ali the worse. for he was running at ten
times the legal speed. ThereuPon he
fined Billy - Shiilings and costs and
threatened TO send the inventor % prison
If ever he appeared before him again
Angry as Billy had been before. he now
becamcwiIj. lie said ne didL'tmind the
10 shiIllngs fine, or even the costs. but
the contempruousIangu OF the magts-
trate regarding his new motor car
proved the last straw on the motors
aluminium back. Billy left the magis-
rates presence without a stain on his
character. but al the same tine he svyOre
loudly that he would let the British en-
piTe know notwithstanding against a
full-boG.ed motor car that would 20 -
miles On hour at ordinary speed or ~
miles II il was hurried. FOR TWO OF
three weeks nobody saw anything OF
Billy. and when he did come u they
did no. recognize his motor car.
Then began his celebrated excursion
trips 10 Scotland. there and back for
threepence. He started up through
NiddleSeX by the same road on which
he had been arrested before. and when
the policemen cndeavored to stop him
they were compelled TO get an ambU-
lance and carry the officer to the nearest
hospital. No one who had seen the
motor car before would now have rtcOg-
nized II. for il was built ike an iron
clad. covered with triple-piaJrd nickel
steel Of his own invention. through
which 10 bullet coaid penetrate. and II
was >urIuounrcd by a coming tower.
IN which BILLY himself sat and guided
The m@vhine. On approaching a town
Billy would press q button and the ma:
chine would fire out accty!ene bombs
that simply paralized the whole neigh
borhOCd. People thought a cyclone was
coming and took 10 the woods. Various
Intellectual attempts We're made 10 stop
Billy in his breakiu" Of the law. but he
went clear through TO The north of Scot
land. SCATTERING a few hills in the High
lands with his bombs. merely to lct ,hem
know he was in the netghborhood.
When Billy had gotten a. f&rnorth as
the roads 20 he reyirtualed his machine.
turned il round and started for the
south again.
The telegraph. which was quicker
than an acetylene motor ear, warned
the authorities OF il approach. but
even though the ycomanry were called
out they could do absolutely nothing
70 stop Billy McCabe on his mad career.
The papers were now full Of accounts
of Billy day by day. and when he
reached London there was n large ard
enthusiastic crowd awaiting him. \
determined attempt was made by the
London police TO capture him. but Billy
kept everybody at a respectable dis
tance by playing n mild variety OF
a~cetylere bombs all round the neigh
borhood. While the crowd and the po-
lice were being amused in this way
Billy seized the opportunity OF collect
ing provisions FOR the return journey.
McCabe'S detractors have since alleged
that he stole the necessities Of life. bur
this is not true. He had to have food.
and the bomb display caused the shop
keepers to be away from home at the
time Billy called to reVlenish his trav-
cling larder. So Billy started north
again amidst general acclaim.
The liberal papers were making il
hot for the government on Billy's ac-
count. They said h. should be stopped
Al all risks. The prestige of the British
empire WAS ii stake. Here was a wild
Highlander who sci the law At defiance.
rs doubtless his ancestors had done be
fore him. and here was a supine gov
eminent with the largest majority Of
the century. Vet they were a. helpless
as an infant in arms. The French pa
pers said g~leetullv that here at last was
an English revolution confronting =
powerlesS government. In this they
were partly right. but it was a mechau-
icaI reyoIurion-S0 miles an hour at
that.
The authorities in Lancashire tele-
graphed to the home secretary and asked
for Instructions should Billy head for
the coal mine district. The home sec
rotary replied that they were 10 read
the riot act to him. and then not hes
TO shoot. But Billy himself did the
shooting. Before the sheriff. standing
a barrel beside the highway. got his
in shape for saving the first
word of the justly-ceiebrated act Ne
Cahe shot by and was in the next conn
ty before the troops had time TO draw
breath. let alone a sword or a gun.
There is little practical use in reading
the riot act or even part Of the latest
novel to a man going 50 miles al hour.
Between Penrith and Carlisle they |
another plan. but.it was equally
unsuccessful. They mounted a thin pc,
on the Derby winner of that
year. kindly lent for the occasion. and
-ave him the liot act to read as he ran.
but he lost sight of Billy in about ten
seconds. and did not have breath
enough left with the jolting to begin the
reading even.