Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-11-07

no AM BILLINGS was city mar
shal," said the ranger, and after
my first exciting introduction
to him we met many times and be-
came quite intimate. | stayed for some
time in his city and was the recipient
OF many fayors at his hands. He SEEM
ed to take quite liking to me and
whenever he went out to have a good
time he would look me up and per-
suade me to accompany i'm. Fearful
of mourning his enmity, l would go
with him. and his ideas of a good time
did not agree with mine at all He
would invite me, for instance, TO take a
carriage ride with him and after driv-
ing through the side streets and stop
ping at all the outlying saloons for a
drink, he would direct the driven to
drive as fast as possible through the
principal thoroughfares Of the city.
Pulling his gun from his pocket. he
would stand up in his carriage. firing
first on one side and the non the other,
each shot almost invariably putting a
round hole through a gas street lamp
and extinguishing the light. Remark
able as the statement is, he rarely If
ever missed putting out the light.
When all the lights were out he
would drive to the police station and
ask them to book him and the next
morning he would show up at the po-
lice magistrates Office and pay such fine
as the justice saw fit to impose. That
was all there was to it. The people
were used to it and everybody was sat
isfied Sam had conceived violent
fancy for one of the Wesley sisters,
nj Iilyo's NaripfipS
and used to visit them at the theatre
and at the hotel where they were stop
ping On these visits he would insist on
my accompanying him in order, as
supposed, that | would engage the 9TH
er sister in conversation while he paid
his attentions to Ida, the one favored
by him. Pixies place had a gallery
running around the entire auditorium
and containing a number of private
boxes. where the women OF the stage
used to come and assist in the sale OF
drinks at kl0ndike prices to the haDlt-
ues of the place. One night while he
and l were engaged in conversation with
Ida and her sister, Pike, the manager,
came into the box and ordered the girls
to the stage. This did not suit Sam,
who remarked in his pleasantest man
ner that the ladies were engaged with
us at present and thtat he stage could
wait or that they could put on some
thing else, but thatthe girls could not
leave. The manager went away grumb-
ling and soon after the sisters took
their leave, saying that they did not
dare run the risk of rispleasing Pike.
Sam said nothing, but, walking to the
open part of the gallery he quickly
fired six shots at the ceiling, at the same
time throwing a chair through the
large glass chandelier hanging from the
center of the auditorium. Pandemo'
MUM followed, the audience either
rushing wildly through the door or
jumping through the window. sam
bidding me follow him, ran out through
the stage entrance and quickly around
to the front of the house, where, in his
capacity as city marshal, he demanded
of the proprietor what the row was
about. Subsequently he appeared al
the police court. where he was fined
as was also yours truly, both fines being
paid by the gentlemanly marshal"