The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-08
In HOTEL CORRIDORS.


beggars," said q gentleman at the Ma
tional. cit has got so that a man, even
If he is inclined to be generous, is afraid
to give money to a beggar for fear that
he is encouraging a fraud The small
boy who begs is accused OF using the
money he receives to speculate in a crap
game, and it is a tradition that the poor,
starved tramp who asks for two bits
in order that he may purchase something
to eat, wastes the dishonorably acquired
wealth. by investing in alcohol 1t is
hard to refuse a cripple or man who
looks needy, but it is harder to give
and then learn that you have been work.
ed by a professional beggar or by
smooth confidence man. If every person
refused to give unless the request came
through the properly constituted charity
department, the fakes would soon go out
of business and the deserving poor would
receive more aid. remember an in
cident that occurred several years ago
that showed up two or these rake beg
CARS and forever queered them so far as
I am concerned. There was a couple,
a man and a woman, who went from
town to town, playing guitar and an
accordion They had a greasy card at
tached to the man which read. We are
blind Please help u.s. They would sit
on the curbing and make doleful noises
all day while charitably disposed people
would drop small coins in the dirty tin
cup which was placed beside them. The
couple had been annual visitors to the
town in which / lived for number OF
mated at least IS toward their support
Ny home was on the outskirts OF the
town and one afternoon was walking
by "a hedge fence, which bordered one
side of my land, when I suddenly came
upon the blind couple sitting in the
shade. They hadn't heard me approaching
and out of curiosity hid behind a. con-
venient tree and watched them. The spot
they had selected for a rest was seclud-
ed; people walking or driving past would
not be likely to notice Them The man
1ad a
ing it. The woman was reading an old
paper. l watched them long enough to
assure myself they were not blind ana
then turned and walked away. My first
impulse was to go up and give the man
a kick. but 1 am glad didn't, for 1t
might have resulted diSastrOusly- Ever
since then I have refrained from con-
tributing to street beggars-
There is a man living down in Chase
county who bore reputation for bravery
which he did not deserve" said cattle
man at the National. The reputation
was made quite accidentally and was
due to the perverse disposition of a mule
The mans name is not Brown, but that
is what / will call him. 1t was in an
early day before the railroad extended
that far west and all our supplies were
freighted in on wagons The country
was infested with horse thieves, as a
new country generally Is, and the people
had formed a vigilance committee whose
aim and object was TO capture ana hans
horse. One day a man rode into town
and informed one of the members OF the
committee that a gang OF horse thieves
had camped the night before ABOUT ~
miles northeast of town. He said they
were headed south and suggested that
if a party went out at once they couLu
hit the Territory trail about noon with
a fair chance of meeting the gang Wnlcn
numbered three men. He reported that
they had about 20 horses with them be
sides a team they We're driving TO the
t. haf mix m
could leave at once and the party was
soon organized consisting of the SherlH-
three other men and Brown Brown was
not at all anxious to go, but he had al
Indians and horse thieves, so when the
sheriff told him to come with
his party he could not very
that he could get to ride was mule
which the sheriff furnished, but any
thing that walked on four legs was good
enough for man who was as anxious
to get at the horsethieves as Brown pre-
tended to be. Brown kept up his brave
talk as the party rode out, but he had
well laid plan in his head that when the
thieves were sighted and the men start
ed for them, he would hold his mule
back and if any question was raised at
terward concerning his bravery ne could
lay his failure to be in the fight to the
sloWness of his steed- All the other men
were fairly well mounted so his plan |
seemed feasible, and he was glad that
he had been given the mule to ride. The |
thieves were located about noon just as
they expected, and, fortunately, the sher- |
ifs party had not been seen by them.
They got into a raVine and crawling to
the top of the hill located the camp
which was Just at the base of the hill. |
The sheriff then decided on his plan of
attack. Three of his men, including
Brown were to come up the trail behind
the camp while the other two were to
circle each on a side and close in. When |
the men who went around showed up the |
party in the rear was to ride upon the |
run. This was all right and just suited |
Brown who figured that he would be at |
least a hundred yards behind when the |
fight began, providing that the thieves
should fight But the mule had diff |
ferent notion. The two who were to ride |
to the side had not been gone five min |
utes before his muleship had a sudden |
inspiration. He took the bit and started |
toward the camp as fast as he could go. |
Brown tried to hold him, but it was |
and bore down on the camp on a dead |
run Brown saw that his only hope was |
to make a bluff. so he pulled his gun, |
gave a yell like an Indian and in an in |
slant was in the camp where the mule |
stopped suddenly. The thieves were ta- |
ken so by surprise that they surrender |
ed to Brown without any attempt at re- |
sistance. When the other fellows came |
up they were full of admiration for |
Browns display of nerve and it was the |
talk of the country for years afterward. |
oAhA tell AAS1H IL W DIS Tie AOOl
but accepted the laurels and gave the |
other fellows to understand that they I
were too slow for him. He told me the |
truth Of the matter years afterward but |
secured my promise not to repeat it, |
which promise l have partially observ- |
ed"
Did you ever see a blind man smoker" |
questioned one of the group of men who |
were sitting in front of the Copeland. II /
will venture a bet that none of you have. /
1t is very seldom that a blind man |
or fire. You can tell how that is if you |