Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-07-13
IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
THE DRAMATIC EXIT OF OLD CAP
FROM LIES STAGE.

wild Death. and He Summoned "A
wild Audience to See Him DO His
FINAL wild Act.
"The longing for the center of the
stage exists not only In the centers of
civilization, said man who had gone
west. made his pile in mining AMI
come back to enjoy himself. You'll
find it up In the Rockies among the
hardest, toughest citizens that ever
handled pick or shot a bear The
meIodramatic instinct is mighty strong
in most men. and the glare of the cal
cium is eagerly sought after by many
who won't admit it. | knew an old
man out in Arizona some years ago
who was one of this kind. He WAS
about the most don't give darn cuss
| ever knew. He lived up in the noun
tains, about ten miles back of Tucson.
all by himself.
How he managed to live | never
knew, but he seemed contented. His
evil deeds never seemed to worry him
any, and the Lord knows his record
was black enough He had been
great gun fighter in his time. and even
in the days speak of 1t wouldn't do to
tread on his toes. He loved to tell of
his wild life and the frankness with
which he related his somewhat ques-
tioDable escapades made him an excel
lent entertainer If you didn't happen
to feel squeamish Squeamishness isn't
a common fault out that way. and
everybody knew and llksed Old Cap
that's what they called him except
the few who had been in trouble with
him at one time or another.
''Now, no one ever thought that Old
Cap was spectacular. He was the last
man on earth who would be thought
likely to want the center of the stage
for any of his stunts. But he did. and
the climax of his life was more pyro
technical than any mans | ever got
mixed up with. He certainly did go
out in blaze of glory. 1t all happen
ed about seven years ago. | was in
Tucson. A lot of us boys were sitting
around in front of a ginmill one after
noon, just talking about things in gen.
eral Our horses were tied In the yard
at the back. 1t was mighty fine day,
just warm enough for solid comfort
out of doors, and with the sky as clear
as absolute dryness could make it. 1t
was one of these days. you know,
when you throw your chest out and
congratulate yourself on being alive.
"As / was saying. we all sat on easy
wicker chairs, talking and whiting
reckon, when down the street came a
10-year-old boy riding Il broneho. We
recognized him as a yOungster who
lived a couple of miles this side of Old
Caps on the same trail. He rode right
up to where we. were sitting and rolled
off his horse, with his eyes a-popping
and his breath a-panting.
What's the matter, bubY asked
tall Texan, who was in the party.
"'Old Cap says t come right up t.
his place right off an fetch all TIL men
yer kin git. Tn Injuns is cominr
''The Indians were always liable to
bust loose and do something nobody
suspected. so we got our horses out in
a jiffy and started up the trail to save
Old Cap. There were about dozen of
us, and we had our Winchesters and six
shooters with us. When we got near
to Old Caps we slowed up bit and
began to look pretty sharp for Indians.
but not a sign of redskin could we
see.
wen be in time, boys said the
Texan, who was leading the band. Eff
we get to Old Caps cabin we kin stand
off a pretty smart lot
"Old Caps cabin was situated in
clearing off the trail around a bend,
with high rocks hiding it until you
came out in the open. We reached the
turn in safety and swept around it at
full gallop. There we saw, first of all,
the little cabin looking as snug as
usual, and then we noticed Old Cap
sitting astride keg about ten feet in
front of his door. His big, gray SOM
brero was cooked to one side, and the
red scarf about his neck gave him the
look of stage hero of the plains. He
had heard our horses hoofs beating
the rocky trail before we wheeled into
view, and he was ready for us. Wait
ing until we had come within 70 yards
of him, he lifted his hat and moved it
above his head with a hoarse, wild
yell. AS ! think of it now it sounded
like the cry of a mailman Then be
reached into his pocket and drew forth
a match. This he drew carefully across
a rock which was within reach of the
keg upon which he sat, and saving 1t
from the breeze until it was safely
lighted he opened his legs and dropped
it between them.
'There was yellow puff of smoke
tinged with flash of red. and then a
terrific roar. Old Caps body flew sky
ward, and when it came down it didn
look like a human beings. He had
been sitting on a keg of powder AMI
had deliberately blown himself up.
Funny thing for a man to do. wasn't
it? Old Cap apparently got tired of
life and decided to kill himself He
wanted an audience. So he sent the
AAto OaA ~ VI I'LL VIC liz gu W nut
he wanted. but 1t wasn't very sympa-
thetic one. Men don't go much on gush
out there, and the Texan was a little
sore about the trick we'd had played
on us. He helped to straighten out the
corpse. and then he sat down on
bowlder and gazed at it.
Well he said finally. he certainly
did give himself good send Off And
the rest Of the gang guffawed loud
enough to start the echoes down the
valley.
''But 1t was all pretty human when
you come to think of it Old Cap had
the center of the stage when the cur
tain dropped. and his audience then
proceeded to forget him" Chicago In
ter Ocean.
INJURED TO IL.
And didn't you almost go mad over
the solitude of that desert islandY'
oh mol You mnst ranaxrI,ar that I