The age-herald., 1899-09-10
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

AND ELSEWHERE There is an interesting weapon in the possession of P. Sid Jones, the well-known railroad man of Birmingham It is an old fashiQned 45-Colts army revolver, and was formerly owned and used for years by Dick Little. one of the most daring members or the Jesse James band of train robbers. brigands and murderers. It is a six-shoot- CT with an ivory mounted butt, on the steel work of which are the initials D. R., rude ly scratched. Little, with others of the James band, including Frank James, was captured after the raid on the United States paymaster at Mussel Shoals in 1882. Amongst the captors was the late Hector D. Lane, of Limestone county, then a United States deputy marshal, and subse- quently state commissioner of agriculture Little came to like Lane, and as an ev.- dence of good will gave him the revolver Lane gave the weapon to a friend and that friend gave it to MT. Jones. This gun ha; a history. I give it to you" Little said ta Lane, with the case and belt" More in- teresting than the revolver itself is the belt, for that was worn a long time by
 
 being a stouter man than his follower, Lit tie had to cut two or three inches out Of the belt and it shows now where it was roughly sewed together by the robber. Lit tie is described as a small man with long, black hair and black beard. He was one Of the toughest ruffians in the James band O. desperadoes. It is not known here whether he still lives, nor is it known whether he related to Lane any part of the revolver's history. Doubtless many men were slain with the weapon, but just how many will never be known, this noble knight Of theft and murder failed to cut notch on the barrel for every victim. Some day. perhaps. the readers of dime novels of the blood-curdling sort will establish museum for relics of ruffians. In that event, Mi Jones would be pleased to lend Dick Little's gun"
 "In the boom days said Eli P. Smith there was a reporter in Birmingham named Hughes, Whom everybody knew by sight, at any rate, since he was about the only man in town who haIoitually wore a glossy silk hat He was somewhat recl.- less and improvident. and at times was hard up for cash Iout his tal hat was always fresh-looking and glossy, and nc suffered himself to drink champagne when ever he felt desire to drink at all. These were two notable characteristics of the en- ergetic Hushes-fondness for tall hat and champagne One day he was going to Opeika or some other town in that direc- ton. The train was making good speed Hughes was attracted by something in a field, and he put his head out of he window to look. The wind blew the tall hat off. which didn't appear to disturb Hughes in the least. After while the conductor came through the ear and seeing Hughes bareheaded and seeing no hat on the seat or on the rack, asked him:
 Where Is your hat, Mr Hughes%
 "'Wind blew it off back there, was the answer
 "'Why didn't you let me know? I'd have stopped the train for you,' said the con ductor.
 "'Oh, I don't care a durn for the hat replied Hughes, but had ten cents worth of postage stamps under the sweatband which hate nightly to lose.
 
 "The general public does not know that this country is largely interested in the outcome of the present crisis in the South African republic, or Transvaa1, as it is called" said Birmingham man who was formerly interested in that country in d business way. "There are fully a thousand American citizens in and about Johannes burg, and many of them have extensive property interests in the gold district. Their property and even their lives are in- voved It is presumed that many of them will escape to British territory, and these are likely to volunteer to fight the Boers in event war breaks out. At least one Ameri- can took part in Jameson's notorious and foolhardy raid four years ago. His name was Thompson, and he was said to be tho most expert gold-mining engineer in the world. If I remember correctly he was fined by the Bocr government $40,0Oo. Jame- son and his principal officers, amongst whom was Sir John Willoughby, an Eng fish baronet of ancient lineage. were taken to England, where they were tried before an English jury, found guilty of violating a law which prohibits Englishmen from making war on friendly power, and sen- fenced to prison. Curiously enough, Chica- go is the market for nearly all the costly quartz mining machinery in the gold bear Ing QlStrlctS or OOulH AIflCd. NeIrly every stamp-mil there was shipped from Chicago, and such machinery is very ex- pensive. The Transvaal is so called be- cause it is beyond Vaal river"
 United States District Attorney William Vaughan, chairman of the state republi- can executive committee, leaves Birmin. ham this afternoon for Washington and New York. MT. Vaughans decision to 30 on this journey seems to nave i3een some what quickly formed, and it leads directly to the inference that he has been invited by leaders of his party, possibly by the president himself. It Is matter of com non knowledge that the district attorney stands well in the presidents personal re- gard, and he does with the leaders who are closest to Mr. Mckinley. Therefore. it is not improper to conclude that they de- sire information and rOttpsel of him re-