Smyrna times., 1897-06-02
HE WANTED A KNIFE.
HOW "BLAcK HARRY" TESTED THE
DRUMMER'S SAMPLE.

He Displayed Marvellous Skill In Throw
ing the Knife, and His Ability In That
Direction Did Him a Good Turn, as the
Drummer Saw.
One day in Leadville, Colo, had
Just finished dinner, when a stranger
spoke to me in the hotel. We chatted
for minute or two. and then the stran-
ger, whose name 1 afterward learned
was Harry Connor, or Black Harry for
short, asked me if l was not selling
hardware told him was, and he said
he wanted to buy knife. 1 said had
some knives with me, but only as sam
Piles. and that, of course, I never sold
samples. "Well," he said, "that's the
reason came to you. HUNTED the town
over this morning to find knife, and
couldn't find one that was worth carry
ing. l thought probably you might have
one or two good ones, and that you
would sell one. 1 don't care what the
price is, so it suits me-" I finally con-
sented to show him what had.
1 never saw a man examine a knife
rs he did one that he selected. 1 had
perhaps 40 different ones, but he gave
only glance at the lot and picked out
the best one there in an instant. Picking
it up, he weighed it in his hand, turned
it over and over, ran the edge of it
across the back of mis- thumb nail, as
barber tries razor, flicked the point
with his nail, scrutinized every frac-
tional part of the blade and hilt, and
then, grasping it firmly, swung his arm
i'll the prettiest sort of knife play, as if
testing it's weight and balance still more
carefully. Then, stepping over to
wooden bottOmed chair, he drove the
blade squarely through the IL inch
wood with powerful blow. Then he
threw it at n knot in the wooden parti-
tion that separated my room from the
next and left the knife sticking squarely
in the knot.
That's pretty good throw" said
'Do you think SOP" he answered in
differently, and he stepped over to the
partition and drew out the knife, still
smiling, and stepping back ~ feet
threw it again.
This time he struck the exact spot
he had hit at first. I could see but one
mark after he had drawn the knife out
the second time. "Oh, that's nothing"
he said, and with the point of the knife
he scratched a rough circle ON the wood
about the size of a mans hand Step
| ping back to where he stood before, he
| turned his back to the target, and then,
looking at it over his right shoulder, he
threw the knife over his left, sticking
| it fairly i'll the target. Then he reversed
| the trick, throwing over his right shoul-
der, and finally. planting himself care
! fully in the same place, he looked quick
| ly over his shoulder, and then, turning
his face directly away, he threw the
knife over his head, striking the same
target and leaving the knife an inch
deep in the wood.
II want that knife, :" he said, rather
| peremptorily, land want it Just $50
worth. " And he pulled a $50 greenback
out Of his pocket and laid it ON the ta-
bic. l took the money. / thought man
who could use knife like that ought to
have good one.
1 had started out in the evening to see
what was going on and had looked in at
three on four gambling hells before ]
came to one where Black Harry sat play
ing faro. lie sat with his left hand to.
ward the door, and as l sauntered up tC
the table he smiled little and nodded,
but did not speak.
noticed that he was watching the
door. He did not turn his head, but his
eyes seemed to be everywhere at once
and, though lie was playing steadily
and with fairly good luck, too, l wa.
certain that he saw every motion thai
anybody made anywhere in the room
excepting of course right behind him.
Presently noticed that he was watch
ing man who was just coming i'll. ThC
newcomer was a stout built ugly look
ing fellow, who looked carefully around
as he entered and who almost immedi
ately saw Black Harry. He started I
little, and then, evidently thinking tha
Connor did not see him, stepped care
fully to his right till he was almost be
hind where COnnOr sat. Still Como
did not turn his head, but 1 could SCI
him watching the other as he steppet
/ slowly around until he was fairly ou
of the range even of Connor's remark
able eyes. Then l saw Connor suddenl,
look full at the dealer with a question
as plainly expressed as it could hav
been i'll words. So naturally looked a
! the dealer.
, He gave no sign at first that 1 coul,
see Of even knowing that Connor was il
front of him, but went on dealing as j
D there was nothing else in the world t
= do. Then in an instant his eyes seeme
to blaze. When l saw the dealers sig
nal, looked back at ConnOr and in a
instant saw tragedy. The newcome
was drawing revolver, and at the sam
q time COnnor was turning his head an
throwing the knife had sold him. n
q rose from his chair as he threw it, an
r the stranger s revolver exploded, but til
bullet went wild, for he sank to th
8 floor as he fired, with the point Of tn
q knife i'll his brain.
+ Gentlemen, said the dealer befol
any one else could speak, Il say Blac
: Harry done just right. That white III
cred cur had sworn to kill him ON sigl
and was shcotin from behind. AnC
I gentlemen, it's none Of our busine
n what the quarrel was about"-a SUI
cinct verdict in which those presel
n unanimously concurred. New Yol
( Sun.