Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-12

through.
Morning came and found the
Colonel asleep in his chair. A COM
motion outside caused him to move
restlessly. What was it he heard?
Excited and angry cries, sharp
voice haranguing a mob, an uproar
as of men enraged? His faculties
were blunted by his vigil of the
night. He could not reason from
point to point and draw proper in
ferences. With stertorous sigh he
changed his position in the chair and
slept on.
A few moments more and the out
side stairs echoed with wild clatter
of ascending feet. The door was
burst open and the Colonel started
forward, aroused and apprehensive.
Lemuel Billins was before him,
flushed with excitement and trem-
ulous with fear.
"Run, COLONEL" gasped Bilkins;"
for heavens sake, run!"
The Colonels pudgy face went
white in flash.
'What's the matter. Lemuel?" he
demanded, starting to his feet.
"Herbert's in town-he tried to
talk to the people-they accused him
of maxim those Jimtown fellows vote
for Harmony-they were goin' for
him hammer and tongs when
| when"
Bilkins, clutching at the desk for
support, halted to catch his breath
"When what?" asked the Colonel
in husky whisper. Speak out, mani"
when Sampson jumped up beside
Herbert and gave Chris Waffle a pa
per to read to the crowd" Bilkins
drew sleeve across his dripping
forehead. at was an agreement be-
tween you and the Harmony people,
| and"
The Colonel fell over against the
partition with hollow groan. Now
he knew what had become of that
document, and where his $50 had
gone!
AT that instant clamorous shouts,
drawing nearer and nearer, were
heard without; swift feet assembled
the stairs, and suddenly there came
q roar:
Lynch him!"
"Ride him out of town."
Sack the office-pull it down
| about his ears!'
"There they comet" burst out Bill
kins. Hurry, Colonel! There's lots
! of trouble, lots of It'll" He took down
the Colonel's hat and cane in fever
ish haste. $50 down the back stairs
and run for your life, Colonel" he
implored, while stay here and
keep them off"
"Hold 'em off, Lem" cried the
Colonel, taking his hat and cane.
''Do your duty, boy!"
Thereupon the great man started
for the rear exit.
He proceeded with more haste,
however, than was consistent with
safety. Missing the top step of the
fight, he tried to regain his balance
by catching the next one, but in vain.
Down he fell, head over heels.
When he recovered himself, he
found that he was sitting on the
damp earth, his position in no wise
suggestive of dignity. His head had
/, been forced through the crown Of
his hat and he was endeavoring, in
a wild way, to get view of his sur
roundings, when Christopher Waffle,
Bill Comfort, McQuilkin, Glimmer
and Sampson pounced upon him.
"Stand off" commanded the
Colonel. shaking his cane, to which
he still adhered with life-and-death
tenacity. "I'll have the law on you!
Egad, I'll call you out!'
This was the great mans last de.
fiance.
Caught" cried Comfort, laying
hold of him and dragging him to-
ward the street.
While tke people in the street were
celebrating on the fate Keever
should suffer at their hands, there
was borne to their ears a crash of
glass and form containing chase
full of type for the delayed issue of
the Blizzard came tumbling to the
ground. This was followed by docu-
ments, copy and old papers, which
were caught by the wind and scat
tered broadcast. Then there were
sounds of hammering and heavy falls
that shook the building to it's very
foundations, while type cases and
type, rollers, brushes, cans of ink
and I've and every conceivable thing
known to pioneer newspaper Office
came raining down from every door
and window.
Pinney came out on the steps of
the Emporium with rope, which he
waved wildly above his head.
"Hang him!" he shouted, frenzied.
ly. Hang the scoundrel!"
Guy appeared at the druggists
side as if by magic and snatched the
rope from his hands.
NO" cried Guy, sternly. Nothing
of that kind"
"a rail, rail!" yelled Sampson,
seasing mad dance around his for
mer employer for the purpose of Of
fering suggestion. ride the gen
tleman out of town."
| In lieu of rail, excited hands pro-
cured length of "four-by-four,"