Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-05-29
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 Good Turn, as the
Drummer Saw.
One day i'll Lcadville, Colo, had
just finished dinner, when stranger
spoke to me i'll the hotel. We chatted
for a mil = or two. and then the stran-
ger, whose name l afterward learned
was Harry Connor, Or Black Harry for
short, asked me if / was not selling
hardware. l told him was, and he said
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. I don't care what the
price is, so it suits me-" l finally con-
sented to show him what had
I never saw Il man examine knife
as he did one that he selected. l had
perhaps 40 different ones, but he gave
only a glance at the lot and picked out
the best one there in all instant Picking
it up, he weighed it in his hand, turned
it over and over, ran the edge of it
across the back of his thumb nail, as a
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
in the prettiest sort of knife play, as if
testing its weight and balance still more
carefully. Then, stepping over to
wooden bottomed chair, he drove the
blade squarely through the ~ inch
wood with powerful blow. Then he
threw it at a knot in the wooden parti-
tion that separated my room from the
next and left the knife sticking squarely
in the knot.
"That' IS a pretty good throw said.
"Do you think so?'' he answered in-
differently, and he stepped over to the
partition AID drew out the knife, still
smiling, and stepping back IL feet
threw it again.
This time he struck the exact spot
he had hit at first. l 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 rough circle on the wood
about the size of 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 in the target. Then he reversed
shc trick, throwing over hia right shoul-
der, and finally. planting himself care
fully i'll 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 all inch
deep in the wood.
II want that knife" he said, rather
peremptorily, land want it just $50
worth" And he pulled $50 greenback
out of his pocket and laid it on the ia
BILE l took the money. l thoughts man
who could use knife like that ought to
have good one.
l had started out in the evening to see
what was going on and had looked in at
three or four gambling hells before l
came to one where Black Harry sat play
ing faro. He sat with his left hand to-
ward the door, and as l sauntered up to
the table he smiled little and nodded,
but did not speak.
I noticed that he was watching the
door He did not turn his head, but his
eyes seemed to be everywhere at once,
and, though he was playing steadily,
and with fairly good luck, too, was
certain that he saw every motion that
anybody made anywhere in the room,
excepting OF course right behind him.
Presently noticed that he was watch
ing man who was just coming in. The
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
little, and then, evidently thinking that
Connor did not see him, stepped care
fully to his right till he was almost be-
hind where Connor sat. Still Connor
did not turn his head, but l could see
him watching the other as he stepped
slowly around until he was fairly out
of the range even of Connor's remark
able eyes. Then I saw Connor suddenly
look full at the dealer with question
as plainly expressed as it could have
been in words So naturally looked at
the dealer.
He gave no sign at first that I could
| see of even knowing that Connor was in
front of him, but went on dealing as If
there was nothing else in the world to
do. Then in an instant his eyes seemed
to blaze. When l saw the dealers sig
nal, looked back at Connor and in an
instant saw tragedy. The newcomer
was drawing revolver, and at the same
time Connor was turning his head and
throwing the knife had sold him. He
rose from his chair as he threw it, and
the strangers S revolver exploded, but the
bullet went wild, for he sank to the
floor as he fired, with the point of the
knife in his brain.
Gentlemen, said the dealer before
any one else could speak, Il say Black
Harry done just right. That white liv-
cred cur had sworn to kill him Oh sight
and was shootin from behind. And,
gentlemen, it's none of our business
what the quarrel was about"-a sue
cinct verdict in which those present
unanimously concurred.-New York
Sun.
In the royal family it is always the
uueey yh first kisses the wife after