The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-12
THE RETURN OF
A FALSE PROPHET
The Rev. Pcleg Whitaker Appears.
Again at Greenhut's.
With a Friend.

Il herd as how that same preacher 4
made some stir in Arkansas City a spell
ago has went over to Greenville,H said Sam
Pearsall, after the usual group Of fire.
quenters had taken their accustomed seats
in old man Greenhut's saloon early In the
evening. They say he's ~a-pcundin' Soripter
over there g vigorous az he did here. n
then some. Pears he's done took this
here c'mmunity fr a sort o. clay pigeon 70
shoot at. Says we're wuss n Sodom an
Tomorrer."
Yes said old man Greenhut after a
considerable pause, yes, 1 reckon that
kind Of a spoutin' zap d find somepin'
to say agin the new Jerusalem after he'd
been throwed out through the pearly gates,
back'ards. l ~disremember the reverend
gazabo's name, but I reckon you mean
him that got up a law and order committee
for to make laws an order the citizens
here for to not do things
'That's him, = said Pearsall.
well" said the old man, 'all's | ON
say is t you mought call II onfort'nit, him
leavin' Arkansas City rs soon n he did.
Pears like We mought "a found some
pleasant recreation, long o. him stayin'
a spell, Z he hadn't went away as quick
as he did.
But mebbe it's better the way 'hs. We
couldn't "a did justice to him, short O.
KILN him.
'Mebbe he's right though, when he
talks about Sodom an Tomorrer. They
was two cities over In Europe eomewherea
what was rubbed often the map count
o. there not bein' ten righteous men into
49, ITA-lt~t a. ALAA AnI~- -Ap
oughter kind o. look out fr floods In Ar
kansas City. There amt more n about
six Of Us, meets here reg'lar.
There amt no use, though, p'tendin' L
preachers Is the on'y fools they 10. I've
knowed men I hadn't never been preachers
t was just as heady an full o. wind as any
on 'em. The greet thing 10 TO be able for
to tell 'em.
when it's RELY necessary for TO know
about a man. whether he's RELY q fool or
not. like this zap 't's went to Greenville.
all's to do Is 10 find out what kind OF a game
o'poker he plays. Pears like the good Lord
done established the game o. draw poker
fr the enlightenment o. mankind az well
as fr moral trainin'. II a man Is a reel,
nat'ral horned fool he'll show It playin'
draw quicker n any other way. An II
he amt n fool he'll either play & rip stavin'
good game. he won't play ut ALL
sReck'nin that away said Jake Winter
bottom, 'this here preacher Teller amt no
fool after all's said N done. Pears he's
been a-fooIin' congregations up an down
the river fr nigh o year, but there's them
Z knows him fr a crossroads tin horn I'm
up in the ozarks. His reel name IL Sim
Adams. They say he plays O rip snortin'
good game but he will cheat. an when he's
caught, like he has been oncet or twicet, |
he runs away. stead o. hghttn' like q reel
man would"
How'd you hear all thisi' demanded old
man Greenhut. ~savagely.
Matt Hopkins was tellin' me- said Win
terbottom. 1He useter work on ono o.
them st. Francis River boats, an he knowed
him up the valley
How come you didn't let on while he
was maxim all that trouble heref'
IL never knowed IL till he'd gone. Pears
Matt seen him leavin', him bein' on one boat
an Adams on another. But I've sent word
TO Greenville. / reckon he won't be there
long. More'n likely wen hear o. him
playin' on the boats, though. II he gets run
out o. Greenville, like he will. Only he
won't call hisself the Reverend Peleg Whit
taker no mo- II he goes back to playia'
cards.
'That's the name. Peleg Whitaker
said old man Greenhut. and the Others
nodded. The conversation became general
and there were many surmises ais 10 when
the gambler would be heard from, mingled
with unkind references to his brief career
In Arkansas City. No one. however, sup
posed that he would return to 0roenhut'a
saloon after trying, as he had, TO close II
up. yet that is exactly what happened
same night.
IL wac near the hour when the old man
usually closed UP II nothing special was
going on. when the door opened and two