The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-17
BARNES OF MONTANA.
An Occasion That Caused Grief and
Unmeasured Misery. 4
A REAL NICE LITTLE LESSON
c. A. Barnes Tells Reporter
Something That Will ins srucs
and Entertain Every .M
body Who Listens. 'tf
A REAL NICE LITTLE LESSON

MISSOURI, April lb.-'Were you ever
arrested in a strange town where you
had no friends and for something that
you knew nothing about?" was the
strange question that c. A. Barnes put
to Standard reporter this evening.
The reporter was obliged to confess
that his experience in being arrested
had never reached that stage, where
upon Mr.. Barnes continued and made
himself more clear. u
II had such an experience not long
ago and 1t is something that do not
care to go through again. 1t all came
out in good shape, but for a time
did not think Ii would and 1 did not
enjoy the experience. l was reminded
OF the incident by the presence here
of the attorney for the electric light
company. Mr.. Cummings. who was in
strumental in helping me out of my
trouble. He may have forgotten the
affair but / am sure that / never will.
1t was too much while 1t lasted.
1T ali happened this way: 1 was in
Chicago on my way home from New
York 1 had been at the Auditorium
for a day or two and was waiting for
a carriage to take me to the station
where L was to take the train for home.
l had paid my bill and was standing at
the clerks desk looking over a paper
when a couple of men came up and
looked over the register. They spent
SUITE llIilt dl IL dIlu DIT last L ncdi u Ont
of them say, That is the man. Then
1 was amazed to hear him ask the clerk
to see If Mr.. Barnes of Montana was in
his room. The clerk was friend OF
mine and he said ulat ne woulu in
quire. The strangers then took seats
near the desk to await the result of the
inquiry. / asked the clerk to get their
cards If possible and find out what they
wanted. They were too keen, however,
and as / spoke one of the men came
up to ME and asked If l was Mr..
Barnes. There was but one thing for
me to do and l did 1t. l said that l
was Mr.. Barnes.
Before ] could ask him what he
wanted he told me and the information
was not altogether Ito my liking. I am
the sheriff of Cook county, he said,
and have a little paper in my pocket
for you The cold chills ran up and
down my back and i was in a guam
dry. AT first / thought that he had
mistaken me for some one else, but he
had asked for me and had seemed to
know where / was from and where l
was going, so that it could not be a
case of mistaken identity. Then i
thought of everything that / had ever
done and wondered which one of my
adventures had brought me to this
predicament. /, could not think of a
thing that would have followed me to
1HlCdkO the IHOuSHh Tic
more bewildered l became. 1 could see
no way out of the scrape.
1T seemed an hour before the officer
said anything more. l had time I'd
think of my whole long life and of a
good dead that / had forgotten all
about. / never knew before how many
things had happened to me and never
want to see them all again in the same
space of time. 1t is more than my sys-
Gem will stand. AT length the officer
relieved my anxiety and told me what
he wanted me for. 1t was merely that
he had a paper in a legal matter tina.
he wanted to serve on some representa-
tive of our company. ThSt was all.
but IL was the most satisfactory state /.
ment that l ever listened to. 1t re-
lieved me of the greatest mental strain
that l ever endured. / thought that
he might have told me at once and not
allowed me to suffer so. The matter
was soon arranged for a time by my
agreeing to remain in the city until the
next morning when we would take up
the question again. j had to send word
that | would not be able to leave that
night and I went to bed. In the morn
ing | found Mr.. Cummings and the
matter was settled in a short time.
There was nothing to IL but 1t caused
me more worry than anything that
ever happened to me before and l hope
tiiat nothing will ever occur again that
will equal IL. That was why | asked
if you had ever had such an experience.
1 hope that you never will"