The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-06-20
WHAT A LITTLE
"K|DDOO' SAW
AN ECHO FROM FRISCO HORROR
Tragedy Witnessed by q Boy, Who
Doubtless Never VIII Cease
to Remember 1t.

i
of the fire was told me by south.
of Market-street "kiddo"--a typical
child of the slums, such a one as the
Frisco boy in Jack London's "Sea
Wolf" writes Harry G.. Carr, in
Golfers. But his square mug was
Irish, which gave him the swift sense
of the true drama. He was standing
on the back step of an express wagon
converted into a bus and rafting
down Mission street over the cob
blestones. He looked pensively into
a lumpy pile of twisted iron, brick
and ashes among the ruins, and l
heard him say softly: "Chee, but
| wouldn't want to drink no beer in
t'Frenchman's."
Our eyes met with an invitation
in one pair, and he said earnestly:
"Chee, but / seen some bum bust
ness in that place, mister! I'd been
up fer a couple Nv nights within sis
ter's baby that was dying. I just
laid m'self out on three chairs, when
bling! They knocked out from
under me on the floor"
He couldn't quite bring himself to
talk about it-whatever it was. Just
when thought he would, he only
added: me for the street,"
l asked him pointblank about the
Frenchman's, and he turned his
head and said sullenly: ooh, chez,
that was rotten doin's." Then sud
denly, his blue, hard eyes getting
big as he felt the drama coming to
him. he said, "Well, I'll tell you
about tn mug. First time / seen
him was down here by Frenchy's
place before they dynamited it the
second day Of the fire. 1t was near
night time, and he was skiddin'
along kind NV sidewise with a little
bag. He didn't look good tine. He
was just passin' one Of them sentry
guys when his gunship sung out:
Haiti The mug kind of skated
along like his brakes didn't work
good, but finally stopped.
" What you got in tn bag?' said
the soldier guy, kind If savage.
It's just meat says this gazebi.
I knew he was stringing the soldier;
but l guess he must have been one
of them COW county sentries. Any
how he was kind of easy. He was
just going to let the fellow pass, be-
ing as he said he had a family he
was takin' the meat to and all. 1t
didn't go with me. I guess some
thin gave the soldier bunch at
last, fer he says, just as the mug was
startin' on: Hold on; let's see that
bag. You don't need all that meat,
pal
II seen this fellow gettin' kind OF
white in his mug, and he kept NUT
tern that he had Big family. knew
he was scared good and plenty over
.somethin'. Well, that soldier skate
took the bag away from him. I seen
him give just one look into it. Then
he called to one of them officers, m
he says: Look in there, lieuten-
ant F."
The Irish boy turned ON me and
said sharply: "Chee, what d'y'
think was in that bag, pal? Fingers
with rings on 'em and earrings, and
I'm giving it to y straight; some of
them earrings had meat on 'em too.
The lieutenant, he turned white too,
and he says, kind of quiet-like. to
one Of them gun boys: Take this
man to some safe place and see that
he doesn't get away That's what
he said.
II knew there was somethin'
grand stewin' fer that lad. Just
thought I'd kind Of make 1t my job
to hang around.
kNcAI udy dDOuI buuup-tndl .
the first time ever seen this SUM-
rise business saw him again.
This same lieutenant guy and four
of them soldiers were leadin' this
mug out there by Frenchy's wall.
One of 'em was walkin' on ahead:
one was on each side and one was
behind. They stopped in front of
the wall, and one of the soldiers tied
tn guys arms down to his sides
with some kind of a strap he took
of. Chez. I knew it was all OF with
grand swing fer that lad. T. SOL
diers stepped back in q row. and t
lieutenant says: Have you got
anything to say?' kind Of speakin'
soft, just like that. TIL guy was
kind Of swayin' on his legs. and he
said he didn't. TIL lieutenant didn't
have no more conversation fer him.
He Just turned to tn soldiers and he
l