The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-08-10

not see him Immediately. He was
angry, and intimated that he would go
in anyway, but smiled at him pleas
antly, and soothingly asked him to sit
down and read the morning paper un-
til the governor could find time to see
him. Finally he complied with my re-
quest, and as he sat down heard some
thing in his coat pocket strike the!
chair. Iquickly turned my face away,
so that he could not catch my eye to see
whether or not l had heard that sound.
Very quietly 1 called the colored man,
and told him to admit my friend. The
big crank before me never looked up.
Inside of five minutes he was in the
grasp of two policemen. 1t required
also the aid of two more men to control
him while he was searched. In his
coat pocket was 42-caliberrevolver. He
was an escaped lunatic from an asylum
in a western state, and was returned to
| that institution. So, you see, one can
not be too careful and too watchful in
observing cranks and theirpeculiarities
| of voice and manner. That fellow never
told what he wanted to see the gov
| ernor for, and we kept the matter quiet.
l called in all the newspaper men and
told them the story SO that no one OF
them could get scoop on the others,
and then requested them to keep the
matter out of print, and they did SO. !.
'In 1896, at Canton, we had many ex-
periences of peculiar nature. For e1
ample, there came from Cleveland ht-
tie German who insisted upon seeing
Maj. Mckinley, saying that he had a
/ letter from the major, and that the
major wanted to sed him. After con-
siderable parleying I induced him to
show me his letter. 1t was only stereo-
| typed sort of letter, saying: Your
communication is received and | am
lgratified with your kindly expressions.
Yours truly Well, thousands OF such
letters were written, merely as formal
tiles. But this little German citizen
considered those few lines, with Nc
Kinley's signature, as indicating that
Maj. Mckinley recognized him as one
of the political factors of the times,
He looked like an anarchist, but seemed
SO humble and harmless that con-
cluded to get rid of him by giving him
an audience. Consequently l let him
into the house, and went in with him
As soon as the major gave him his hand
the German dropped on his knees and
kissed the majors shoes, to show his
admiration. yanked him upon his
feet. The major thanked him for call.
ing and stepped back into his private
office, while l led the crank away
The next morning he was seen walking
the sidewalks around the house, ant
watching the windows. One of the de
tectives went to the hotel where th'
crank was registered, went to his room
and there found valise with revolver
a bottle of acid and a large dagger il
!, it. He confiscated that valise and thel
secured warrant for the arrest of thu
German on the ground that he was ,
, suspicious character. When the fellow
discovered how closely he had beel
watched, and that his valise had beel
examined and confiscated, he tremble,
j with fear. He was told that he coul,
go to Jail, OF go to Cleveland, if he woul'
! pre.mise never to return to Canton. HI
gavs that promise and was released.
: policeman went to the depot with hin
!. and told him that II he ever came bacl
: some detective would shoot him o.
: sight.
"Whatever became Of him / neve
{ knew. He was edectualIy scared ava
i from Canton, for We never saw hir
: again. SMITH .. TRy.