The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-06
The Potato King Of Banquet
- ths Rscord-Herald.l


From the Record Herald
He appeared at Manila soon after
"LJncIe George had destroyed the Span
ish feet In appearance he was the
beau ideal of the soldier. STANDING
sometime over six feet in height he
was as straight as ramrud. and his
blonde nustaches had the droop that
only comes after long service with the
union Jack So FAR as most OF US knew
he held some mysterious commission a.
military expert
We soon discovered that Capt. Buffer
which was the name he went by. was
good soldier and was well ACQUAINTED
with all there Is to know about tactics
and the rules of strategy Wherever
there was fighting the captain was In
the middle Of the ring and ir soon was
demonstrated that he had forgotten al
least what it was to be afraid
About a year after ho5tilitles began
Capt Buffer came out into the open AS
an alleged correspondent Of the Associ-
ated Press. And he certainly had the
best ~ opportunities to get q Hrsr hama
account Of what was going on He al
ways was there or thereabouts when
anything was doing
When I came back from the islands
two years ago. Capt. Buffer had disap-
peared- Nobody knew where he had
gone or what had become Of him. And
as he had always had the manner of an
English duke in disguise cur curiosity
was excited.
The other day on train going to New
York I met an old comrade In the Phil
ippines He was ON his way to an east
ern post and. for prudential reasons. his
lbs were sealed SO far as the public IS
concerned But he talked to me under
the rose. and I may tell what he told
me ABOUT Capt. Buffer in the same way
Z heard the story OF Cant Buffer be-
FORE h. left the English service and I'us
Iree to confess i sounds to me like
pipe dream Capt. Buffer. ir seems is
connected with one of the titled English
=
Ira her ma lestTs f0otz1Ia rds which
means good deal TIA a social wav he
transferred 70 the Eleventh BengaIs ann
saw service in India Maanwhfla he had
married an English Eirl much younger
-naa himself and had gone OUT TO India
Only 81 year after he went t0 Sir1Ia
ne alscovered-I don't know how-that
ms wife was ia love with Young Of
ncer iu his own regiment And this is
the part Of the story I don't suppose
any body viii believe-I'ru free to admit
didn't think such an uuseIfsh man
existed myself. One night Capt Buffer
ana some Of the officers of his mess
were playing cards OF a. sudden one
or them jumped uu-
Somebody around this table IS
cneaung. he cried out All of won hold
your nanas till I find out who L is
Capt Buffer looked across the table
ar tH= Young officer with whom his wife
was infatuated. He saw in his face car-
tain evidence that he was the c-rflt.-
man PresurushI- he fbo,reb- 49,. ----s -
the Investigation went m l-f LIE
would be made clear and he would ~
4lsiills7ed from the army in disgrace
mat oI course. would break the heart
or tle VIE OF Cant Buffer And Cant
e-.Aet ga not hesitate. He rose t. his
Icy a44 swept all the cards into a pile
~ --t.--
So Buffer was dismissed ia 5fs-r.-,
ioir ne - - ~. .a,1 srrly and came OUT to
- - ~ .ne Islands You know how
i -7'tn a hundred times In the
49, ~ sne philippine war. and
- AIow also Row strangely he disap-
sals ~, v en-. never heard from or Of
nag been sent up into the interior
70 L41oA 20 settle 81 serious Quarrel he.
er cs-ts IL, -. % tilnes ot natives p.
~ -itll. was 10 command of the er-
psl-tl9l. consisting Of two comps MES
s-o-sts " '.. 4 -Ja nn1ent Of Igorrote
Llotoie seemed TO center and had =
- ~ 9----,,sl. - leAa natives declined
the ncrafe t-iSs . ~ me. silsy naa sent for