davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Prominent IN Washington.

For many years Leo Wheat nIased a
prominent part an the social and u1usi-
cal life of Washington. Whenever 1t
was announced that he was to play the
organ in one of the great churches here
crowds ffocked to hear him. But in re-
cent years his downward course has sep
arated him from family anG friends
alike. In spite of the many efforts made
to keep him out of aarm's way he has
persisted in his course of living. Now
there is no one among the hundreds who
have once called ssia, friend willing TO
stretch out a hand t. release him from
surroundings which though he meets
them proudly and with the courage dis
played by the French nobility in the
hands of the "cannaille' are constant
source OF irritation to this man of gentle
birth.
Though none of his former friends
have put out hand to aid him since his
last fall from grace, Baltimore violin
ist has written the authorities asking
permission to take the famous old
musician into his home. How the re-
quest will be answered is not yet known
Mr. Wheat's wife and several of their
children are living in the old home at
Morgan Springs. Va, IN the beautiful
Shenandoah valley, For number of
years there has been no intercourse be-
tween them and Mr.. Wheat.
The descendant of Sir Joseph Wheat
In spite of rusty clothes, disheveled hair,
and scrubby face. Leo Wheat still shows
unmistakable signs of the blood of the
cavaliers of the South. He wears his
old slouch hat with d iauntY air. He
receives his visitors-and they are many
-courteously. and with much uncon-
Germ as to his surroundings as though
he were in his ancestral hall. His man
ners even to the meanest and most re-
pulsive of his forced associates are be-
yond reproach.
1T was in 1860 that I went to Leipzig,
said Mr.. Wheat in reply to a question
II was nineteen yearG old My God.
what wonderful town it was to the
young student of music. The atmos-
phere was charged with the essence Of
music. Almost every great master had
lived there at one time or another,
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
When Wheat Was Playing.

Somehow the tears they would come strayfng
Down my hot cheeks when Wheat was play
ing;
And yet I saw Gods glorious skies
Through all the Tnists that diInfned my eyes,
h lo.elies;t meadows life went Maying
When Wheat was playing.
The keys beneath his fingers thrilling,
With melody the world seemed filing,
I saw the birds in blossoms sweet
heard the hearts OF roses beat,
Unconseiously my soul seemed praying
When Wheat was Dlayingi
The blue OF skies. the gloom Of mountains.
The tinkle Of sweet silver fountains:
The wave of trees. the fash OF streams;
Life, wits it's darkness and its dreams
Loves tridinphs and the worlds betraying-
When Wheat was playing.
Beneath blown vines in youths bright bowers
heard the chime OF siIvery hours;
And in the tEiSS7ss.--, l.--ering late,
Love kissed his sweetheart at tie gate
And sweetest words her lips were saying
When Wheat was playing!
Idfe-deatIl, and love that lives forever.
And lips that meet and hearts that sever;
But earth IN music seemed TO roll,
Touched by the magic Of his SOUL
And yet. somehow the tears came straying
When Wheat was playing.
BY Frank L. Stanton
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
aBat" Starts West.

Bat" Masterson was born in Illinois
nfty years ago. He went West to the
psairfes as 3. mere boy, and worked as n
buffalo hunter for Beverly 6, Rice. For
this exciting sport he showed q natural
fitness. which experience ripersed into
wonderful skill. The animals were killed
in those days for their hides Master
sons stunt was thirty buffalos Il day. not
because he wasn't able TO kill more, but
because thirty hides a day was all he
and his man could handle
The lad became an unerriug shot. With
. buffalo gun and two-ounce bullet.
the best he asked for was a fair shot
1T 400 yards-ainlost quarter OF mile
-and the shot always went home in the
vital spot, abaft the shoulder.
Men ripen rapidly under these eondi-
kfons. By the time he was twenty Mas
t<rson had been marshal OF two or three
lively border towns. and had been reqli-
sitioned into service at Dodge City. Ford
county, Kan.
This was when Dodge City was
.sgood. Fort Dodge was only a few
miles away, and the town was the end
of the trail for the grazing country. The
soldiers OF The fort and the eowmen from
the plains used to meet IN the streets Of
The Washington times., 1905-02-19

Dodge and shoot each other up. The
border gamblers made prey of both.
and the saloons and gambling houses
were a constant source of interest % the
student Of human nature in the rough.
Masterson's assignment was to re-
press disorder and regulate gambling.
Everybody carried a gun. and most of
them were dead shots. Tt was a oues-
ton of who got the drop. The situation
was further complicated by the pres
enee Of numerous Greasers and Black
Heart Indians, knowing no law and
with extremely rudimentary ideas Of
the rights OF life and property.
In the way OF business Masterson
naturally incurred the enrnity Of the
most disorderiy elements Of the COM
munity. His life was a thing much
sought after by day and by night He
represented law and order. The en-
forcement of the law has been his busi-
ness for the greater part OF his life.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Life of Musical Genius.
Filled With Sharp
Contrasts.
His Audiences Are Now
Composed of LoWly
Paupers.

TT is far cry from Marlborough
House in London to Bay View aims
house IN Baltimore. from intimacy
witt tf.e Prince OF Wales to the
ccmpanlonship OF uneouth, penni1ess ho-
Wheat. once Americas foremost music
ian. mas spanned this gulf In his three
score years OF life.
Clad in the worn, rough. garments of
the almshouse, whittier he was sent
by the order Of the Baltimore police
court two weeks ago. Leo Wheat finds
his greatest pleasure in playing little
organ at The daily services held there
He 1t was who once held great audiences
fast by mis- mastery playing, arousing
all the emotions by a magic touch: :
whose former ehun and collaboration was
Sir Arthur Sullivan. of "Pinafore's fame:
who amassed a huge fortune only to
Squarder 1t. Even today his genius
abides with him. and a the word that
he is to play burIy Irishmen and un-
kefn2t negroes crowd about the organ in
Bay View to listen. When he seats nirn-
self AT the meager box and passes his
fingers carelessly over the keys, har-
mony foods the house Of lost hone as
never before and the unfortunates forget
Tor moment the misery of their lot.
Leo Wheat Is the victim of an insati-
able, uncomfortable appetite. AS music
has been the guiding light Of his life
so this appetite has laid an ingratiatfng
finger upon the book of life and wfaer-
ever 1t has rested has come a dark blot
on what might have been a weIi-panned
page. Occasionally TO look upon the
wine when It is red may be permissible
but to gaze upon it until one is COM
pietely under its hypnotic spell is to
lose grasp upon everything else in the
world 1t is to join with Omar Khayyam
in his insidious doctrine. drink and be
merry, for tomorrow we die"-the doc
trine, by the way, OF a gutter.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
How sBat" Was Scared.

Once bat" Masterson was scared.
Tell K with bated breath. Just once
In the memory of man this phenomenon
occurred. A horse thief had been tear
ing things up In New Mexico. He had
gotten away with enough horses to start
q racing stable in Alexandria county.
but he counted without the redoubtabI BILE
Bat" Bat" chased said thief until
he was blue In the face, and he had
acquired q thirst YOU could cut with
a knife. He chased him out of New
Mexico. across Texas. Indian Territory.
Arkansas. and into Tennessee.
AS Bat was riding earelessly along
the road to Memphis with his shooting
irons handy, however he came abreast
Of a lonesome graveyard. 1t was night
and the. moon was lodging behind oc-
casfonals clouds. Now bat" had always
remarked that he had ample respect for
graveyards even though none of the
inhabitants are In a condition TO draw
a fine bead, but he had never been
afraid to pass the Ionesomest grave
yard in Kansas at any time of day or
night When he had almost passed this
particular yard and was thinking that
he would soon be in town and was
trying to decide what beverage to call
for first he saw coming toward him a
tall black figure.
Now tall. black figures as rule do
not stand one-two-tnree with Bat.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Famous for Encounters
With Desperadoes in
the West.

was little actress there. Effie Moore by
name. a delicate bit OF thing. and we
all pampered her some. but one day
there came to town a 'greaser," Tony
something or other, barber. He fell
IL. love with the girl, and he lavished
his pile upon her. he finally saw that
he was on a wrong trail-and what does
he do but show up at the hurdy- y-gurdy
one night a good deal the worse for
Mexican rum and apple whisky.
BAT" was seated in Nelly Prices box
From where he sat he had view of
the greaser's box.
Miss Effle was seen to enter the box,
and jokes were passed about the sad
affair of the greaser, All thought of
Fife and her companion was lost. when
bang. a shot rang out there was
scream from the box opposite, and the
Mexican fell dead at the girls feet. No
one saw ''Bat" draw the gun. Only the
fash was seen, but yvS1en the man was
picked up there was q hole in his neck
and q knife in his hand. Bat had
saved the girls life.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Was George Goulds Shadow.

A story now told fol tee first time
reveals strange side of life in New
York city, and an unusua! chapter even
IN Mastersonss fevered iae It is moth
Ing more or less than taat he was sum
moned to New York to lie a shadow to
George Gould. ready at an instant's no.
tice to shoot quick Ard true in the
crowded streets. business houses, res
taurants, or theater& to protect the life
Of the millionaire from an insane crank
who was threatening his life.
There WAS one man in the country
who could be depended upon to do Just
this thing. That man was Bat" Mas
terson, and he was summoned to New
York. The occasian did not arise for
the use Of Masterson ready gun, but
Mr.. Gould was able to continue his
usual mode of life with the assurance
that his life was in safe keeping.
Masterson came to New York in the
fall of 1893 at the request of former
superintendent of Police Thomas
Byrnes. George Gould at that time
was receiving a number Of threatening
anonymous letters. At first Mr.. Gould
paid no attention to the letters. but
when they continued to reach him he
tried to have their writer traced in or
der TO put a stop to the annoyance. He
turned the letters over to handwriting
experts, who gave Mr.. Gould the start
ling information that his anonymous
correspondent was an insane and prob
ably dangerous man. Mr.. Gould decid-
ed that 1t would be well to have some
one look out for the writer. in the event
that he attempted TO put into execution
his oft-repeated threat to shoot the mil
Honaire on sight.
Mr.. Gould knew of no man whom he
could depend upon to take care of an
insane man bent upon murder, and con-
suited Superintendent Byrnes. Byrnes
told him that he needed a man who
wouldn't be afraid to 'shoot-up" Broad
way or Wall street, even when the
streets were crowded during The busiest
hours of the day, and who would hit
the man he shot at and not 1.,c,lnd or
kill some unfortunate indi"iaual who
happened to be IN pistol range. 1.-The
only such man I know of is Bat Mas
| terson," said Byrnes.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Stopped Prisoner From Window.

One day BAT was detailed to watch
gentleman who had gone afoul of the
sheriff in Denver. The man asked Bat
to let him have little private talk with
his wife. Bat was courteous for the
lady's sake, consented. and the gentle
man drew away a rod or two toward
the window. The window was three
quarters of a story from the street
In a moment when Bat" was lighting
his cigar the gentleman made a sudden
spring from the window into the street
and ran pel-mell.
THE gosh darned fool drawled
Bat That's the way he prizes friend
ship, hey?''
He leaned ou.. there was the crack of
a Colt gun, and Bat left the window.
ieisurely observing to DR.. Swift, Doc.
there's a fellow hurt down at the COR
ner, / guess he needs you
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Wheat Separates From His Wife.

Mr.. Wheat tells whimsical stoly OF
how he and his wife came to separate
My wife and / were separated eleven
years ago, said the musician, when
dedicated the organ at the First Colored
Baptist Church in Richmond, the largest
coIored@ congregation In the South. and
numbering among its members the old
dining room servants and Tnammies' of
the father OF my wife. Robert Allen.
They came to NE and asked me TO play
for them when they put their big organ
in. and I didn't have the heart to refuse.
Leo Wheat, said my wife to me, II You
play at that niger church I'll ever
speak to you again That was f. 2. Y.
pride, and I had some of II. too I was
going to play. but I thought she'd re-
lent
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Too Much Paaerewski and Supper.

Paderewski, according to Mr.. Wheat.
Is the greatest living pianist. They are
old friends. and it is largely due 10
a cenviviaI meeting between the two
when Paderewski was in Baltimore two
weeks ago that Leo Wheat is now at
Bay View. He went to a concert given
by the celebrated musician, and later
joined him at supper. aud stiI1 later
continued the supper by himself. The
result was that he slapped mans face
because he looked at him insultingly,
as he thought For this offense he was
arrested.
AS the bedraggIed old musician sat In
the police station he was recognized
by lover of music. and with the per-
mission of the lieutenant in charge was
led upstairs TO 3 musty old piano which
had the dust of years upon it. Tende rly,
as a mothers fondles her child. Leo
Wheat lifted the cover Of the ancient
instrument and delicateIy passed nfs
fingers over the keys. In second
melody echoed from the dingy walls OF
the police station At first ms Hngefs
strayed slowly and melancholy eut as
he played, gradually his spirit came
back and he tore off Dixie III way
that made The pulses OF MS audiences
heat fast. Downstairs negro prisoner
laughed out loud for pure JOY at the
Soon he wandered into his own Cradle
song. Among some of the compost
tions for which Leo Wheat is best
known are. southern Girls. Blue
Bell" ..Penitant's Prayer. Northern
Girls and dashing two-step called
the "Grand EIks March. =
At the ST. Louis Exposition last sum-
,ner Mr.. Wheat gave series of con-
certs which We're well patronlzed- He
l. now making plans to go On an extend
ed teur through Texas under the man
arership of Dan g. Gillette. who is an
old friend and manager of the Mutual
Life Insurance Company in the South
west.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
In IeadyiiIe.

At one time Bats footsteps led him to
nea1viIle. another toughest camp on
earth" There he fell in with Bat
Moriarity. another Trojan Of the un-
written epic of the West.
This Bat was long on diamonds, fur
oxercoats and 1s-carat gold watch chains,
and short on early education He struck
it Immensely rich and used TO run his
mines on a system of his own When
he wanted 70 find the time ON one Of
his gold watches he'd stroll into a
saloon and say:
Its that cooId an the SHOWS that
bright 1 can't ayther git out me watch
OF see it. Wud ye mind takin' 1t out
an tellin' me the timer
Once he shouted down the shaft of his
mine:
Hello, there, How many of yez is
below?''
.Fivei" came up the answer
well, the half of yez come up
Well, Bat MasteTson met Bat Mortar
ity. and the two Bats fitted forth into
the night At Wyman's dance hail, Wy
man himself-he called himself the
worst man on earth. this WTyman-in-
troduced these two leading citizens TO
John L. Sullivan. John l.. then az the
very apex OF his greatness, was in town
on a sparring tour.s The 10000 foot a1tf-
tude of LeadviIle had already affected
John l.. Even in those days the champ
was susceptible to altitude Even the
sea level of New York had seen known
to go to his head.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Downs John L.

John L. said something unpleasant
and almost profane about the climate
of Colorado. Everyone was charmed TO
hear the champion even notice the cli-
mate-aIi but Bat Masterson. In his
tantaiizing. courteous way. he asked
John L. to repeat the remark.
John L. said something which, being
expurgated, was to the effect that he
didn't chaw his cabbage twice. To en-
phasiZe his remark, and show that he
was really John L.. swung at Bat Mas
ferson the celebrated Sullivan swing
But Bat wasn't there. He had duck ed
And as John L. came back to his fight
ing pose Bat countered in the solar pIex-
US with the nozzle OF his forty-four
Clicking the hammer suggestiveIy with
his thumb, Bat inquired:
How about the climate of Colorado %
''Fine!" said John L.
And Bat Moriarity was moved to buy
all the altitude IN Wyman's place.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
That Dodge City Mix-up.

The most celebrated case in which
Masterson was involved was the killing
of the outlaw Wagner and his partner
at Dodge City. Masterson had removed
to Arizona, and the citizens of Dodge
notified him that Wagner had threaten
ed to XIII Ed Masterson, brother of
Bat" who had succeeded the latter as
marshal It happened. singuiarly
enough. that the fight was on when
Bat" stepped off the train at Dodge.
He had his six-shoeters working before
the train halted. Bat, with his brother
dying at his feet, killed both the lead
ers of the outlaw crowd and biotted
out the gang. Peace was re-establish-
ed in Dodge City and Bat went back
TO Arizona.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
The Ganky Age.

cannot do my hair upon my head, nor
down in eurls;
[ cannot go TO dances yet-nor play with
little girls:
I'm not allowed a novel. such as Sister
Sally reads
Nobody knows the awful life a person
like me leads.
Nobody knows the ir'soTn' ness of pass
ing through this stage
When girl is at the gawky and unin-
teresting age!
The cunning things used to say aren't
cunning any more;
No matter what / talk about, I seem to
be a bore.
My legs and arms and hands and feet
don't seem to be my own
ana every one | meet remarks: My ),
How Mat child has grown!'
/ feel just like an animal In some gilt
For am at the gawky and uninterest-
ing age.
They wonder how I'm turning OUT If
III be plain or pretty;
Then Brother Tom points at my legs
ana laughs-he thinks he's witty.
funny little lump.
AND sally cries, itOh do walk straight, !,
iie*e you have a hump
They. never guess I'm writing in life's
oook the saddest page
Because I'm at the gawky and uninter-
esting age.
Just wait till ! am twenty: 1 will have
a Dompadour,
And a dress that trails a yard behind
upon the parlor floor:
/ IL wear nigh heels, and pinch my waist.
and powder up my nose.
ii De a star, or chorus girl, or some
thing, I suppose
For they may laugh, but Just the same
I'm going on the stage,
When / have passed the .gawky and un-
interesting agei
New York Press.
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Saves an Actress.

Bat" used TO have a place called the
Crescent, at Denver. It was the best in
town. Then he owned the Jockey Club.
In Lorimer street. He never drank any
thing hard; seltzer was his favortte.
He was looked upon as square and
was always found upon the side of law
and order.
He loved rattiesnakes more than sure
thing gamblers. and he acted accord
ingIy.
The affair at Nelly Prices gives the
range OF Bat" clean through. There
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Su.ivaB Pays Him a Visit.

My beautiful home at Morgans
Springs, I bought III 1877. And there ii
was three years later that 1 was SO for
tunate as TO entertain Arthur Sullivan.
He said to me While on the place. Leo.
:his Is more like England than anything
else | have ever seen outside the tsnus
little island.
And why shouldn't it be- / replied.
Aren't we descended from the English
and didn't I import those very sheep
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
A Good sBadn MAJ.

Like most bad" men BAT" Masterson
is good This does not mean that there
are wings sprouting from his shoulders
NOT that he can qualify as a gospel
shark But he has many sterling viz
1ures, among which honesty and courage
are prominent He has killed MANY men
never unfairly and either in seff-defenee
OF When 1t was necessary to get in the
NTst shot TO keep from losing his own
iife Many stories have been circulated
ABOUT the number Of notches in his pet
gun. each one representing a life. but
as Is conservatively estimated that he
mas Killed twenty-eight white men. No
body knows how many Indians and s,,ch
1sk nave fallen before his IA Tt is safe
TO say that where Bat: Masterson is
known he does not have TO fire.
Bat Mastersen is not a. big mar. He
Is rather short and stocky, though in the
oid days he vas more slender and sin
envy He has a pleasant, good natured
face. II it's true that the eyes are the
pest mirror OF the mans self as many
declare, surely Bat Masterson's are
no exception to the rule They are
frank and open, but colo and calm. His
Is hard eye for q seoundreI to meet. Al
though he is decidedly a noticing, man
ne appears 10 move his eyes slowly and
deliberately. Those blue eyes of his do
net fit and fash all around q thing. bl,t
IN a calm glance he takes in all fhe de-
tails at once. His voice is low and his
Hhoie deneanor denotes modesty
The Washington times., 1905-02-19
Greatest Adept at the
Art Of Gun Play in
the Country.
, Ew YORK has adopted peac.

n ssn n..,....s a.. .ss''ss .ss
gun fighter in the country, is
coming TO the metropolis as United
States deputy marshal. He was re-
Gently selected for this Office by Marshal
Henkeli. The action is somewhat similar
TO that of Congress when IL passed a
$50. 600 Appropriation bill for national
defenses and called it peace meas
ure. shortly after the blowing up OF
the battleship Maine.
In the West, the turbulent days when
Bat and his gun were In demand to keep
the peace are gone. AS a rule things are
as quiet West of the Mississippi as q
Sunday afternoon in a New England
Village. In recent years Bat has amused
himself with little business, some
gambling ventures. and a good deal of
sport At last the East has become too
bad to do without him. Bat has been
summoned to deal gently but firmly with
the unruIy foreign element. the malta.
and the lawless millionaires of New
York
Probably no other man alive has had
so varied and exciting a career as Will
liam Barela Masterson, known to the
world by that sweet name Bat" Buff
faio hunter, eow-puncher, Indian fighter.
officer OF the law manager Of prize
lights. guardian of a n1iiIionaire's p-ec-
aous life, and newspaper correspondent
are among the long list OF his voeauons.
IN each and every one he has been a
success He has the respect of ali the
men With whom he has come in con-
tact. President Roosevelt is said n he
an admirer of this square. piair. man.
with quick hand and sure eve. More
over. it is reported. that Bat .ves his
present appointment to the President
himself. who strongly recommended him
for the place.