The suburban citizen., 1901-03-02
SAILORS AND KNIVES.
Rorwesiahs saId to he Most Addicted to
the Use OF Cold Steel.

Rorweeiafis saId to he Most Addicted to
the Use OF Cold Steel.
"I wonder why 1t ls,' said cotton
sampler who prides himself on his
close observation, "that the Italians
have acquired such a sinister reputa.
ton as knife fighters. The facts don't
bear it out have been knocking
around the wharves for a good many
years and have seen plenty OF fighting
among sailors, roustabouts and desper.
ate men of all kinds, colors and nation.
alities. and never but once did l see
an Italian use knife. Even then the
weapon was thrust into his hands by
companion, after he had started
bllthely into the melee with a stick.
GAS far as my observation goes, the
people most addicted to cold steel I'm
the settlement Of their little differences
are Norwegian sailors. The most for
midable knife wielder ever met in
my life belonged TO that class. He
was a big, yellow haired, rather mel
ancholy looking chap, who came here
on Liverpool tramp and invested
some small savings in lodging house
not far from the old fruit wharves.
got acquainted with him soon after he
set up in business and took quite a
fancy to the fellow. Like many sea-
faring men of his nationality, he was
passiOnately fond OF music, and
strange 10 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 barely read ana write.
sized him up as a gentle, simple-mind-
ed giant. and labored under that delu.
sion until it was rudely dispelled by
tragic episode of which l Glanced to
be an eye witness. Three drunken sea
men dropped into his place one even.
ing With the av0wed intention Of rails
ing a row, and one of them set the
ball rolling by kicking over the stove.
Instantly my Norwegian friend leaped
over a little c,unter, at the same time
drawing an eight-inch dirk from
somewhere In the back Of his neck
and went to work on the trio. The
fracas occupied possibly half a min
ute, at the end OF which time the
sailors had disappeared and every
thing in the room was more or less
spattered with gore. l never learned
how badly they were hurt, but there
certainly was some prOmiscuous cary
ing while the row lasted. Later on,
the lodging-house Keeper showed me
how he carried his knife. He kept it
in a sheath seWed to the inner side or
his vest, Just under the collar. 1t
seemed an outlandish place for Il
weapon, but he could draw it like
lightning and, as he remarked, 1t was
apt to be overlooked in search. He
also gave an exhibition at dirk throw
ing, at which some sailors become as
tonishingly proficient. He would hold
the blade open on his right palm, the
point to the left, and launch it through
the air with a sudden, indescribable
swoop. At dozen feet away he could
strike a circle six inches in diameter
with unfailing accuracy, but with all
it's dexterity there was something so
barbarously uncouth about the per-
formance that it made my blood run
cold to watch him. He got INTO several
knife fights afterward, and his fond
ness for that diversion eventually led
to his departure between suns. If he
were still here I think l would select
some other illustration for my re-
marks. New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.