New-York tribune., 1900-12-12
THE PASSING THRONG.

Some business recently carried into West
Virginia" said b B. Longworth OF Pittsburg. at
the Hotel Manhattan yesterday
DRUNKEN "and while there I had a most in
MAYOR teresting experience Our party
MAKES A consisting Of two friends and my
PROBLEM self. had stopped for supper
OF the county seats. We wait
ing the platform Of the station for the train
that to carry on when mine host OF the
hotel. one OF the most prominent citizens OF the
town. came up in manifest trepidatiOn and asked
II we would give him the benefit Of our wide and
varied experience and advise him a local mat
ter. The Mayor OF the town. 1t seemed. had so
far forgotten the dignity OF the great Office which
view-that that day he had loaded himself to the
talked and commented on local matters and MS
corner. and had intersQersed his remarks on tne
aforesaid fellow citizens weak points with loud
performance was suddenly and abruptly terminated
by the sole and only member OF the local ponce
the local jail. The question referred to was
dupleS First. had the policeman an appointee or
the Mayor. any right 10 arrest the Mayor for dis
turbing the peace? Had he. in fact, any right 20
arrest the Mayor for any cause whatsoever with.
out a properly issued and authorized warrant?
Second: II the Mayor had been legally arrested
his A august dignity? This Iast query was tesrGy
and in shaking voice put 70 US by man whom
the Mayor. just prior to his Incarceration, had de-
nominated as handy legged. cross eyed son OF a
man seemed 70 take in the light of personal
arfront. We tempOrized by inquirins II they had
seemed a sufficient proportion. the population.
including live stock. could not have exceeded three
hundred
However there seemed to be good and sufficient
objections each and every lawyer" continued
the narrator. The entire pOpula-
JUDGES ton had by now gathered about US
GOT AWAY and reinforced the landlords ap-
QUICKLY peal that We give them the benefit
of our brains and experience. As
coming back over the line the next morn
ing we agreed hand them out decision as we
passed through. Once on the train, We delegated
the matter to the Oldest of our party The
next morning he wrote out decision for use IN
the case Of the Mayor As nearly as can remem-
Der IT, it ran as follows: The Mayor to make pub
lie confession. He then be forgiven by his fel-
low citizens for the good and sufficient reason that
the aforesaid fellow citizens had frequently been
.He had signed our three to it. and so
proud he OF this SOlOmOn-hke solution OF the
steps The other man and myself had been In the
mountains before. and knew that the average
mOuntaineers sense of hunOr was painfully lack
ing. We likewise knew that as dead Shot ne
/ could give the BOer cards and spades With these
facts in view. tried suppress the decision al
together but its puned-up author would not agree
so We COMPROMISED. 1t was agreed that the de-
cision was to be handed down after the train
we'll motion. We then relied on the citizens not
1t worked like charm. nut the roars OF an angry
pOpulace that reached our ears as We faded into
the wisest course. believe they tried TO head Us
off down the line by of the telegraph. but the
authorities wired TO regarded the matter sort
OF local option, ana refused 20 lnterIere rms Is
literally a true story. and / must confess that
would dearly 1--we TO know what happened to that
Mayor when tney 20 Try him. I shall 20
visit that town again / shall grow a beard and
otherwise diversity my eountenance.'