The evening times., 1900-04-24
COL. JACK CHINN's KNIFE.
Reasons Why He Considers 1t the
Best Weapon of Defence.
lFrcm the Phlladelpbla 1imes-)


The newspaper accounts Of the unfOrtu-
nate affair in Frankfort, Ky, state that
when the assassin's bullet pierced the bOdy
OF the Gubernatorial aspirant, he fell into
the arms OF Jack Chinn, who was walking
By his side. That episode VIII impress
more deeply than ever in Chinn's mind the
belief which he has long held and which
be has frequently given open expression 10,
that, except under extraordinary eircdm-
stances, where attack OF defence must
necessarily be made from distance. a gun
or a pistol is the weapon of a coward, and
that knife is the true emblem Of gentle
manly courage. He is one Of the most pic
turesque products Of Kentucky life. and one
OF the best-knOwn characters on the Amer
iean turf He belongs TO a class OF men Ut
terly unknown and completely misunder-
stood in the East, who look upon the horse
race as the highest product Of civilization
and upon gambling fer high stakes as The
best form OF amusement true gentleman
can engage in He has owned horses and
run horses. run gambling houses and bet
in gambling houses ever since he vas a
young man In physique he is larger and
more powerful than James J. Jefries- He
has the shoulders Of an OK
While Chinn is respected by the entire
Kentucky contingent. he is feared with an
absolute dread by the meaner mortais who
gather about Taeetraeks. This is due TO
the fame he has achieved by the use CT a
knife. This may sound strange regarding
a man whose friendship is valued BY men
Of affairs, and requires some explanation
10 zIake II entirely clear TO the minds of
Eastern men
Jack Chinn has carved many misguided
gentlemen in the course Of his career. and
when they have escaped death il has gen
orally been said that he only wished 10
leave his autograph on them He never
placed steel into man, at least. that is
the narrator'S impression from the con-
versations ha6 with him, without the in
tention Of killing him. because with him
the use OF cold metal is not intended as q
joke and is only resorted TO when he
thinks that q life wager has been made
Nor does he use bOWie-knife but always
a weapon made from ideas Of his cwn,
and which some day will bear ais name
just as the famous American dagger has
handed down 10 posterity the eogEomen
OF that famous Kentucky gentleman who
carried his knife at the back Of his neck.
The narrator made the acquaintance Of
Chinn's steel blade under somewhat peer
liar circumstances, the narration Of which
viii fully explain his theory regard
ing weapons which has already been re-
ferred 10.
Chinn came to New York in the winter OF
1880. and for some time. in partnership
with George Morgan. his brOther-in-la'S
and a well-known bookmaker, conducted
a popular gambling saloon on Twenty
sixth Street, west OF Broadway. The
police however although be was willing
to submit to their blaekmailing extortions
obeyed the demands Of rival establish
ments and would not permit Chiun and
Morgan 20 turn their wheel After the
place closed the former returned 10 his
Kentucky stock farm. where once had graZed
the famous Leonatus the uninterrupted
winner OF more successive stakes than any
other horse whose hoofs have beaten on the
American turf IL was while he was still
a residenl of New York that the famous
doubly fatal encounter between Goodloe
and Swope occurred in the Lexington post
Office 1t Will be recalled that the hrst
named USED a knife and the latter a pis-
toll The sanguinary encounter took place
on a Saturday afternoon or evening. The
! following Sunday morning the narrator
was seated with Chinn in the cafe Of the
St. James Hotel. which was then located
al Twenty sixth Street and Broadway. in
New York city The gsn -leman from Har-
! rodsburg-that is the Kentucky town from
which Chinn hails-was talking about the
I affair, and his close intimacy with Good
/ loe, when he WAS handed a telegram.
| which. after he had opened and read. he
placed in my hands. Il contained simply
/ these words:
He used your knife :"
In response to an enc cdiring look. Chinn
said: You wonder what that means. ]
! will tell you. More than one year ago my
/ friend Colonel Goodloe and Swope had a
wordy encounter. ! told GOodlOe at that
| time that the other man would attempt 70
| kill him. and that he should be prepared
| for such an onslaugh. and that he owed
/ il to his family. he having large number
| of children, 10 arm himself He said that
\ he would do so. and that he would at once
/ provide himself with a pistol / laughed
/ at him You should know that GoodIoe
| had been palsied for number of years
/ and that his hands were continually trem-
1 bling l said 10 him: What can You &C
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 bow to use one
| Then I taught him. I had two knives
| made Their handles were of horn, with