New-York tribune., 1905-03-26
STRUCK A BLOW AT LIBERTY.
Moccasin That Used to Bite Captain Joe Was
Killed by Envious Prohibitioners in Texas.

"a very entertaining trip had indeed. going on
the cars from Beaumont, Texas to Sour Lake, one
day." said John Gilbert. the travelling groceryran
through having the company part OF the way OF
TALL slim passenger with very wide trimmed gray
hat and long. white mustache
From the aroma of Texas grown perfecto that
clung to him he sat down in the seat in front OF
mine I imagined he had been for some time in
closed in the atmosphere OF the smoking car. Gaz-
ing out of the window a moment at the unsympa-
thetc prospect of gnaryrooted cypress trees. patr
archal in their long gray boards OF Spanish moss
and the ranks of bristlng palmetto palms at their
feet, he heaved sigh. and, turning to me, said
who boIdu IDS n W euttentv in his hand that always wins
success Two little iuces in the hand of man OF
courage, sub, have many times played mob with
with that philosophic burst OF confidence the
SCI turned to o the gn60w 60
that he had been in the smoking car. And up
II couldn't help but assure him that there was
truth enough in his horlely remark to give George
With enough to spare to Stir even the breast Of
Senator Joe Bailey M m with neT 70 ane @ sn sed
DO you know. sub, that these yeTe ProMbition
folks is strkin at the very o. pussona liberty.
i said t wouldn't surprise me a bit r,o-...o.
Greek pTeSnc sub The garden sPI6 o OF bad a
ad 4ieb g fs When It come to- pass that yo dassent
give yore neighbor or the wayfarn man re-
the law. and liable to land in jail. and they kept
And yet when Captain Joe Finley come joggin'
irto my house from up the creek day. with his
eyes bugin' suh and in n ragin fever and hollerin
that big moccasin snake had bit him. they didn't
have the heart to lay the law on me for unhidin'
my bottle and pourin half pint so into Cap
tain to antidote that snake pison. I'll say that
for EN-
e That doggone moccasin had been lurkin' up
around Captain Joes for more than a long while
and seems like nobody could git club onto It,
somehow. Guess maybe 1t wasn't more than two
days after Captain Joe runnin in to git cured
that snake bite, when If 1t didn't pounce out onto
him. sub and sock him another time!
In he come. and human natur' wasn't goin' to
see Linn curl into fits and die. Jest 'kaze the law
agin passin' out the bottle that had the anti
dote in IL, and l passed il out 10 Captain Joe and
sen. him home TeJocin' But the Prohibitoners
shook their heads.
"Tv ice ag'in Captain Joe got bit by that urkin
moccasn, and come dashin in to git cured. Then
Yesterday he in ag'in. / noticed that he
looked discouraged, and l says that snake is shore
keepin' Captain Joe busy. Prohbitoners was
standin round pretty thick.
'"Well. Cap I says, II see yore bit ag'in
Come, git yore antdote."
- ''iCunnel" says Captain Jcc. 'I amt bit and
there amt no use!'' and he most a-moanin'.
"'"No.' he says; They've done gone and killed
'Prohibitioners. suhr said the white mustached
passenger. 'Strikin' at the vsy roots o pussonal
liberty. sub, we're In Texas
''Frhe train stopped here. and II the station
whore the entertaining passenger got off, and was
sorry for the trip seemed uncommonly dull after
that."-(Chicago Inter Ocean.