The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-07-26
1T CAME IN THE WILD RIOT STARTED
BY THE CIRCUS MAN.

He BIded His Time, and when IL
Came the Mexicans Who Had Tor
tured Him Paid Dearly For Their
Unwarrnnted brutality.
"I'vo been mixed up in good many
Hey, Rubc, fights in the western states,
and Two got myself pretty badly clawed
apart In somo of them at that" said tho
settled down Capitol hill man who used
TO be boss tentman with circus, but the
worst Is minute Hey, Rubc, battle l
ever got tangled with happened in Mexico.
The battle was started to satiate the
vengoful spirit of one man, and tho neat
way with which he brought it off was
surely warning to grasshoppers. This
man was in my gang, He Joined the
show up in the northern part of Starr
county, Tex. He was inexperienced, but
no was worker, and ho didn't want to
do all the talking himself. His head was
done up in bandages when he Joined the
outfit and l asked him who had been
slugginghim.
"'Grcasers' he replied shortly, and, as
sort of hard, stccly light crept into his
eyes when he snapped out the word,
didn't press him for details.
"Wc had sort of u half baked Hey,
Rubc, fight down in the middle Of Starr
county-wo were working toward the
southland noticed that tho new man
didn't take any part in it.
"You'vo got to do your end of these
mix ups / told him. When you hear
tho "Hey, Rube," hoot, it's part of your
business to grab tho heaviest thing you
can swing and rap the first duck that
doesn't belong to the show with 1t. Hey,
Rube, "mcans all hands around, and every
man that draws wages from the show is
expected to give a club swinging exhibit
ton when that yell goes up.
"'I'm saving myself for u game that's
coming later on, the man told mo with
another of those flinty glares stealing into
his eyes. The shows bound for Camargo,
Mexico, isn't it?'
"I told him that Camargo, Mexico, was
on the date book; that it was probably the
last town the show would appear in be-
fore going into winter quarters.
"'That's what l understood when l
Joined the show, and that's why l took
the job, said the man quietly. You just
let me out of whatever scraps happen be-
tween here and Camargo, When we get
there I'll do what can to keep my end
up
"Then tho man opened up and told me
why he had it in for Camargo.
"A grcaser tried to pink mo with u
knife in the back couple of months ago
over in Camargo, he said Don't know
why. Never saw the gopher before. l
was too quick for him and planted ball
in his shoulder. Then about hundred OF
his pals hoped me, and they came near
kicking me inside out. That's what allied
my head when joined the show. When
they got through with me, the half lnJun
constables got hold of me and chained me
to the floor of dungeon. was there for
two weeks, on bread and water, when
got the steel out of one of my boots and
sawed myself loose. l broke out of the
dungeon and swan the Rio Grande to get
on American soil. While l was chained
one of the guards made it his business to
come into my dungeon every day and
punch my sore head oh, I'm going to
have some trouble in Camargo all right.
That's what joined the show for.
"Now, it was my business as one of the
responsible men of the show to peach on
| this fellow and have him fired before the
| show struck Camargo. But didn't. A
| lot of old pals of mine in the circus busi
ness had told me of tho way they had got
| the worst of it on many occasions Mt the
| hands of the Mexican authorities, and a'
l had along with me in my gang about
the toughest bunch of fifty and odd baC
scrappcrs that ever hit up dirt road ant
as, besides, felt that this quiet tentmar
had a genuine grievance, l just chewed
straw and walked away.
"a hugo crowd of half breeds turned on
for the show in Camargo. There was bu
one performance, the night show, and tn,
ranchers for about hundred miles arounC
| had galloped in to take in the show. Abou
three-quarters of the bunch of severa
thousand in the tent were gaudily bedeck
cd COW handlers. They all had knives il
full sight, but no guns. Mexican Gov
punchers rarely pack guns. They don
fight ON tho level, and knife isn't a leve
instrument to fight with.
"Before the flaps were pulled up for TIN
crowd 1 noticed my quiet tentman getting
stack of wagon poles nearly hundIe'
of them, piled together in a heap. als'
| noticed that none of the hands, either il
my gang OF in the other gangs-ther
were nearly 200 men all told connected
with the show-were doing much talking
They seemed to be on edge for something
that was going to happen.
"The last act of the concert following
the show was about over, and the grcaser
were leaving their seats, when my quie
tentman bopped on top of the pile Of pole
| 1. L. nd hn Ruhn
yelp-gave it like any bull of Bashan. ii
had put the whole gang of hands next, 10
they didn't waste second in taking u
the yelp all over the tent. Then they cam
a-rushing for the poles. Well, though
I'd keep out of that one. / made for til
shelter of ticket wagon and saw it a
from there. The quiet tentman serve
out all of his poles in less than two mil
utes, and then the hands began to breal
First the constables in their funny blu
uniforms and bare feet-20 of 'em-wel
batted into unconsciousness in less tim
than I'm telling it. The quiet tentma
looked like devil up in tho front of tn
scrapping. In spirit of complete def
ance he quickly dropped his pole and b.
gan to use his fists. He was six foot'
and built in proportion, and the way the
went down was a caution. Finally h
eye lit upon the prison guard who ha
beat him when he was chained and, !
acurious coincidence at the same m0men
the grcaser who had tried to stab hi
heaved in sight. The victim Of Camarl
dragged one to the other by the scruff
the neck, banged their heads together an
then stabbed them both to the heart wit
one of the guards knives That was Il
last ever saw of him, but he got ava
| 81, IL H., n,