Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-29
BENEDICT GORDON.
By REVERE RODGERS.
Written for the SUNDAY GLOBE ]
CHAPTER VIII.

~ AAN AAAAAN oh1R ~ MISS JetAAN bobbAA
the day following the murder of old Fred
erick Allwine, the women customers talked
long and loudly of the terrible affair It
was a toothsome morsel to these hard
worked and scantily fed women, who lived
among crime and misery night and day.
murder was by no means a rare oc-
curence in this shady" neighborhood,
where every other house was a rum mill, -
thiuly disguised under the guise of sea-
mems lodging house; but the murder of the
most prominent man in Georgetown was an
entirely different matter
1t was a delicious topic of conversation
Nothing else was thought of, or talked
about. the whole livelong day. Husbands
who were engaged in loading and unload
ing the incoming vessels sought and found
their wives in the excited congregation of
women and children who were crowded
about the door of Miss Bobbit's little shop.
Miss Bobbit, had purchased a copy of the
Georgetown Gazette a bi-weekly sheet that
had issued an extra on the strength of the
murder, but being possessed of a very re-
tiring form of education, she, in con-
junction with several other ladies, had by
means of certain judicious quantities of
bad gin, prevailed upon a certain odd
character, famliarly known as Captain
Bill, 3" 10 read the account from the paper
Captain Bill, - who, if report was to be
credited was at one time mate or captain of
an East Indiaman, but who, through fond
ness for strong liquors. had lost one place
after the other with a rapidity that was
startling. He was quite character about
the neighborhood, where he had finally
cast anchor when unable to follow his regu-
lar calling. He was a man apparently
ifty-6ve or sixty years Of age, with red
bloated face fat figure shabbily clothed
and a deep, husky voice; add to this a
curious uplifting of the eyebrows when in
conversation with anyone, and you will
have a faint mind-picture of Captain bill, F"
as he sat on an empty coal oil barrel, outside
of Miss jamie Bobbit's little store on the day
succeeding the murder, and read to the as
sembled crowd of deeply interested lis
teners.
Captain "Bilps" educational requirements
were a deep source Of wouderment and ad-
miration to the little community in which
he made his home. Hundreds Of the poor,
hard working, ignorant denizens located
about the wharf had said time and time
again that they only wished they had just
one half of Captain Bill's" education, ana
they would 'betch you that you wouldn't
see them doing that kind of work. No,
sirreel you'd d see them holding down better
jobs than them anyday."
If any one received, or wanted letter
written, it was Captain Bill" who ofici-
ated His writing was declared to be
beautiful by people who could not write
themselves and as he always made use of
the largest words in his rather extensive
vocabulary, he easily passed himself off
for a finely educated man among the poor,
hard working people of that poverty aud
crime-stricken neghborhood when he was
directly opposite, being just about able to
read and write legibly; but his drunken inn
pudence and the trick he had of rolling his
eyes in a melOdramatic manner when read
ing or couversing served him in kee eping
up the deception, and eating and drinking
at the expense of his credulous admirers
A drunken, sponging beggar was this same
Captain Bill" in every sense of the
phrase
''Cap'n Bills reading bout the Alexander
murder up in front of Miss jamie Bobbits
shop went up the cry in the neighborhood,
and soon all idle and unemployed persons
were making their way in that direction.
Every new arrival upon the scene was
asked if he or she wished to have the affair
IEdu 10 AHGult anu as AAEN WGIE LllGIE lot no
other purpose they of course readily ac-
quiesced; and the captain, never tiring of
new opportunity in which he could display
his superb" education, was only too de-
lighted to read the account over again
The editor of the Georgetown gazette at
this time was pompous, vain-glorious kind
of fellow, much after the style Of the
captain, only Of a much better social stand.
iytor To do hartor a cunt q
he had made use of all the high sounding
words in the office dictionary, consequently
the captain had troubles of his own in the
rendition of the sensational article, but he
galloped airily over the enormous words,
often pronouncing them entirely different
from the manner in which Mr. Webster, of
the unabridged, imagined that they should
be pronounced; but the captain didn't
know any better and neither did his ragged
audience as they listened in wondering adj
miration while the old topper massacred the
English language in his usual high falutin'
manner
The captain initiated the cries of old
Frederick Allwine, wnen the assassins were
engaged in throttling him. The murderer's
voices, he reproduced in awe inspiring
chest tones. II will rescue you. grand.
father2" popularity supposed to have been
cried by young Harold Allwine, the cap
tains mimicked in shrill head notes In
fact as the rum began to circulate in the
fellows bibulous body, his Imagination
correspondingly kept pace with that vile
liquid and he treated his listeners and
admirers to an entertainment that was long
remembered in that doubtful neighbor.
hood
A person Of an observing disposition,
would have noted the fact, that during the
many readings given by the captain, the
form Of Mother Rider moving silently
about and listening intently to what ever
was said upon the subject Her genteel
appearance as compared to the others
among the gossiping crowd, inspired de.