The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-07-11
A BORDER cHARAcTER

some twenty years ago there came from Caldwell a border town policeman who became a jailer of the county. Willis c. Metcalf. He was a rather uncouth specimen, clad in the garb of the frontier, and displaying the swag- ger and bravado of the Border Queen official, who imagined he must be a bad man" generally. But there was one sphere in which Metcalf was fault less. He had liking for military life. He joined the local militia company and was model soldier. In his daiy life he was uncouth and sloyenly, but whenever he donned his uniform he be- came model of neatness and was punetiliously polite and gentlemanly.
 He became first lieutenant of the com pany and no officer ever made better record.
 Metcalf found himself surrounded by such an unpleasant odor after going out of office, that it was difficult for him to secure employment: so he moved to Wichita. There he was employed more or less regularly by the sheriff, and he Joined Battery A of the State militia, anu SpOlA UeCdtles captain.
 He occupied this position in 1893 when LeWelling sent his battery to Topeka for the purpose Of dislodging the Re publican House of Representatives from Representative Hall. Metcalfs battery. obeying orders, planted their cannon on the State House grounds in position to command the Copeland Hotel and the XUasf apFYsn,,oa fr fba Cfot. rTo,,., rr,ts5, orders were to fire-and shoot to kill unless the Republican forces obeyed certain orders given by Gen. Artz of unsavory memory.
 l When the cannon were in position an order was given to fire blank charge to test the guns. It was then discovered that the firing pins had been removed from the cannon. The cry of treason was raiseds and the entire battery was drawn up in line and every officer and man. in Battery A was searched for tht missing firing pins. But they were not found. A few moments before the first order was given to fire the blank charge Metcalf quietly approached ths editor of the Mail, who was on the ground through the Legislative war, l and, handing him the missing firing I pins, requested that they be kept "unti I the storm is oyer"
 l Later in 1893 Metcalf secured employ nlent as a Columbian guard at thu l worlds Fair at Chicago, and, we be l lieve, never returned to Kansas. While I engaged at Chicago he became ac l quainted with some congenial spiriti .l from Brazil, and the next we knew ot
 him he was sailing from New Orleans for Brazil with company of men sailing as ordinary citizens; but wheI they arrived in Brazil they were to con T stitute company, under the commant
 of Metcalt. in the Brazilian revolution
 ary army. We have never learned tn "details of his career in Brazil
 q The next we heard of Metcalf he wa
 either chief or assistant chief at Santi l ago de Cuba, but learned no details l first lieutenant in the Porto Rican Pro
 visional guards at San Juan. Then h, | dropped out of sight again.
 I About year ago Probate Judge ]. I l Sowwalter who was Metcalf's lieuten
 ant-colonel in. 1893, discovered that ou
 whilom policeman-jailer had becom .l Capt. Willis c. Metcalf, of the Coas
 Artillery stationed at some point on tn l Atlantic coast, finally located for If
 in a position exactly suited to his taste
 and propensities. Wellington tMo. I Moil