The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-04


the use of a knife rms may sound
strange regarding man whose friendship
is valued by men of, affairs, ana requires
some explanation to make IL entirely clear
to the minds of Eastern men.
Jack Chinn has carved many misguided
gentlemen in the course OF mis- career, and
when they have escaped death IL has gem
orally been said that he only wished to
leave his autograph on them. lie never
placed steel into a man, at least that IS
the narrator's impression from the con-
versations had with him, without the in
tentiOn of killing him, because with him
the use of cold metal is not intended as a
joke and is only resorted to when he
| thinks that a life wager has been made.
Nor does ne use bowie-knfe, but ALWAYS
a weapon made from ideas of his own
and which some day Will pear mis- name
| just as the famous American dagger has
handed down to posterity the cognomeu
| of that famous Kentucky gentleman who
carried his knife at the back or his neck
The narrator made the acquaintance of
Cninns steel blade under somewhat pc
culiar circumstances, the narration of
which will fully explain his theory regard
ing weapons, which has already been re-
ferred to.
Chinn came 20 New York in the winter
of 1890, and for some time, in partner
ship with George Morgan, his brother-in-
law and n well known bookmaker. con
Quoted popular gambling saloon on
Twenty-siXth street, west of Broadway.
| The police, however. although he was
willing to submit to their bllckmailing
eXtortons, obeyed the demands of rival es-
tablishments and would not permit Chinn
and Morgan to turn their wheel After
the place closed. the former returned to
his Kentucky stock farm, where once had
grazed the famous I.e0natus the unintur-
rupted winner of more successive stakes
than any other horse whose hoofs have
beaten on the American turf. II was
while he was still resident of New York
that the famous doubly fatal encounter
between Goodloe and Swope occurred in
the Lexington Postoffice. 1t VIII be re-
called that the first named used a knife
and the latter a pistol. The sanguinary
encounter took place on a Saturday after
noon or evening The following Sunday
morning the narrator was seated with
| Chinn in the cafe of the st. James Hotel
which was then located at Twenty-sixth
street and Broadway in New York city
The gentleman from Harrodsburg-that is
the Kentucky town from which Chinn
halls-was talking about the affair, and his
| close intimacy with Goodloe when he was
handed a telegram, which. after he had
| opened and read he placed in my hands
| 1t contained simply these words:
"He used your knife"
In response TO an inouiring look Chinn
| said. "You wonder what that means I
will tell Won More than one wear ago
nv friend. Col Goodloe. and Swope had
a wordv encounter l told GoodIoe at that
| time that the other man would attempt
| to kill him and that he should be pre-
pared for such an onslaught. and that he
owed it TO his family, he having large
number of children. to arm himself. He
| said that he would do so, and that he
would at once provide himself with a pis-
| toll l laughed at him You should know
| that GoodIoe had been nalsied for a Num-
Der of years. and that his hands are con-
| tinuallv trembling. | said TO him: What
can YOU do with a pistol? There can be
no certainty about your aim. You must
| carry a knife He rather shivered at the
suggestion, and said that he did not know
! how to use one Then | taught him
had two knives made. Their handles were
of horn with grooves cut in them to fit
| the hand in order that the CRASH could
! not slip. The blades which fitted into
! them exactlv-not extending beyond like
| the bowie nife-were fully one-eighth of
I an inch thick at the top narrowing to an
almost razor-like edge. The blade was
moved by a spring, which. when touched.
! not only sprung the weapon into place,
! but held it there. so that when plunged
! into a body il could NOT doubIe mn on The
| hand as an ordinary Denknife would. This
/ spring also served another purpose. Col
/ Bowie had to reach down his back to puli
! out his weapon. and then afterwards get
the blade into position. NV knife however
| cOuId he carried in the brooches Docket
and as the owner drew # nv toncbing
| the spring. the blade would throw itself
| into position even before the knife came
| in sight, and it's wielder would be ready
! for battle. | had two of these knives
| made and presented one to Col. Goodloe
! and taught him how TO use it, He said
| that with such a weapon he would have
! no show against a man armed with a re-
! volver
81 quickly showed him that he was mis-
| taken I handed him an emptv revolver
| and told him to try to place ID against nv
| breast and pull the trigger As he moved
| his right arm forward with the pistol. I
! grasped the cuff of his coat with the
| fingers of my left hand and, with the DOW
erful grip which I thus obtained, twisted
backward the hand holding the weapon in
| such way that he was powerless. Then
| with my right hand I sprang the knife
| from my breeches pocket and made a score
! or more of mock stabs into his defenseless
!