The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-03-30
DON'T FIGHT WITH KNIVES.
Italians Are Net Generally Given 80
the use of steel In Their
Bra~iz.


81 wonder why If Is" said n cotton
sampler who prides himself on his
close observation. relates the New Or
leans Democrat. that the Ital-
ians have acquired such sinister
reputation rs knife fighters2 The
facts don't bear IL out | have been
knocking around the wharyes for n
good many years and have seen plcn-
" Of fighting among sailors. rousta-
bouts aud desperate men of all kinds.
eolors aud nationality. and never but
once did / see an 1tahan use knife.
Even then the weapon was thrust
into his hands by companion after
he had started hlithely into the melee
with a stick. As far as my obserya-
ton goes. the people most addicted
10 cold steel IN the settlement of
their little differences nre Norwe-
gian sailors. The most formidable
knife wielder | ever met in my life
belonged To that class. lie was a
big, yellow haired. rather melancholy
looking chap, who came here on
Liverpool tramp and invested some
small savings in a lodging-honse not
far from the old fruit wharYes.
got acquainted with him soon after
he set up in business and took quite
a fancy 10 the fellow. Like many sea
faring men of his nationality. he was
passionately fond of music, and.
strange To say, he had heard nearly
all the great singers and was familiar
with most of the famous operas. al
though he wns otherwise nneducated
and could hardly read and write. |
sized him up as gentle, simple mind.
ed giant, and labered under that de.
lusion until 10 was rudely dispeiled
by tragic episode of which !
chaneed to be an eyewitness.
Three drunken seamen dropped into
his place one evening with the ayowed
intention OF raising a row. and onn
of them set the ball rolling by kick
ing over the stove. Instantly my
Norwegian friend leaped over little
counter. at the same time drawing
an eight-inch dirk from somewhere
back of his neck, and went to work
on the trio. The fracns occupied
possibly half minute, at the end
of which time the sailors Ind disap-
peared and everything In the room
was more or less spattered with gore.
/ never learned how badly they were
| hurt, but there was certainly some
pretty promiscuous carving while the
row lasted. Later on the lodging
house keeper showed me how he ear
ried his knife. lie kept II In sheath
sewed To the inner side OF his vest,
just under the collar. II seemed an
outlandish place for weapon. but
he could draw IL like lightning, and,
rs he remarked, II was apt to be over
looked in search. He also gave me
IN exhibition of dirk throwing-at
which some sailors become astonish-
ingly proficient. He would hold the
| blade open on his right paiin, the
point TO the left, and launch il
through the mir with n sudden, inde-
scribahie swoop. At dozen feet
away he could strike circle six
inches In diameter with nnfailinR ac-
curaey, but with all it's dexterity
there was something so barbarousiy
uncouth about the performance that
IL made my blood run cold To watch
him. lie got into several other knife
| fights afterward, and his fondness
| for that diversion eventually led TO
| his departure between suns. II he
was still here ! think / would select
some other illustration for my re-
| marks"