The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-04-26
DON'T FIGHT WITH KNIVES.
italians Are Not Generally Given to
the Use of Steel In Their
Rrayvlg.


81 wonder why it is" said cotton
sampler who prides himself on his
close observation, relates the New Or
leans Times-Democrat, shat the Ital-
ians have acquired such a sinister
reputation as knife fighters? The
facts don't bear it out. 1 have been
knocking around the wharves for a
good many years and have seen plen-
ty of fighting among sailors, rousta-
bouts and desperate men of all kinds,
colors and nationality, and never but
once did 1 see an Italian use knife.
Even then the weapon was thrust
into his hands by a companion after
he had started blithely into the melee
with a stick. as far as my observa-
ton goes, the people most addicted
to cold steel in the settlement of
their little differences are Norwe-
gian sailors. The most formidable
knife wielder 1 ever met in my life
belonged to that class. He was a
big, yellow-haired, rather melancholy
looking chap, who came here on
Liverpool tramp and invested some
small savings in a clearinghouse not
far from the old fruit wharves. l
got acquainted with him soon after
he set up in business and took quite
fancy to 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 was otherwise uneducated
and could hardly read and write.
sized him up as gentle, simple-mind-
ed giant, and labored under that de-
fusion until it was rudely dispelled
by a tragic episode of which I
CHANGED to be an eyewitness
Three drunken seamen dropped into
his place one evening with the avowed
intention of raising a row, and one
of them set the hall rolling by kick
ing over the stove. Instantly my
counter, at the same time drawing
an eight-inch dirk from somewhere
back of his neck, and went to work
on the trio. The fracas occupied
possibly half minute, at the end
of which time the sailors had disap-
peared and everything in the room
was more or less spattered with gore.
I 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 car
ried his knife. He kept it in sheath
sewed to the inner side OIL his vest,
just under the collar. 1t seemed an
outlandish place for a weapon, but
he could draw it like lightning, and,
as he remarked, it was apt to be over
looked in search. He also gave me
an exhibition of dirk throwing-at
which some sailors become astonish-
ingly proficient. He would hold the
blade open on his right palm, the
point to the left, and launch it
through the air with sudden, indie
scribable swoop. At dozen feet
away he could strike a circle six
inches in diameter with unfailing ac-
curacy, but with all it's dexterity
there was something so barbarously
uncouth about the performance that
it made my blood run cold to watch
him. He got into several other knife
fights afterward, and his fondness
for that diversion eventually led to
his departure between suns. If he
was still here I think would select
some other illustration for my re-
marks"