New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-26
RASTUS DlGGS GOT HIs|
WILL PESTER MA-MTr
NO MORE.
WheH He Carried His Persecyt,,,
Too Far She ShOyCed Surpr,.
ing Strength.
by Ellis Parker Butler,
Author OF Pigs Is Pizsp A.


Author Of Pigs Is Pigs" etc.
There IS no doubt that Rastus G. Dtzzst,o,.
the most prominent cOlored citizens AZ Ps,vvs-,
but he is a mean man. and We are slzd n -
that he received his Just deserts last Thurxaav
About six years ago Rastus married Anr.rr
Petaluma Johnson, noted all through this err-.-
for her large. level topped feet and all vert ,.
as a marriage bell until about two years ar. vs
old Mrs. johnson came 10 live with them. 4. -.
as his mOther-in-Iaw entered the house TIA -,
nature Of Rastus made itself conspicuous f,- III
did nothing but pick on her all day long Nrz =
Seica Petaluma johnson did all she could "a ~
tect her poor old mother. who was DEAF AZ =.
and every night that winter. after Rastus bad h,
cruel 10 her mother. she would put one a. \.
large. cold. light-brown feet IN the middle Of 4,
back until he had the shivers. and then she Nm,
give him shove and land him I'D against tss ~
on the other side OF the room In this vav shs =
erted a mild and restraining influence On. hs-
band. as a good wife should but when sss ~
about year ago. Rastus was perfectly INA
strained. and remarked that he had supro-si \
mother-in-law IN Incidence long enough. ana -
he was going 10 get some work out OF her.
His mother-in-law was a weak little woman m
no muscle at all, and so deaf she could not IN
anything. but RastUs had none of the ansr -
ingS OF a man, He let her know that she No
have 10 answer the dOOrbelI from that tina
although she was 50 feeble she could hardly tuuz
and the way he arranged il was meaunsss fsf
As she could not hear the bell. he riSssd q, \
shelf on hinges, with a catch al one end and a
fastened the wire from the doo-beU on 10 thu csts
Then he put 2i-p0und cannon bah on the 81
and every time any one pulled the doorbsl al
catch slipped and the shelf turned over and II
cannon ball fell six feet and a half % the n
and shook the house so that the windows ratfs
Mrs Johnson could not hear il but she could r.
the jar II she were near enough and when 81
felt the Jar she had 70 run 20 the door and JpGt|
And after she had opened the door she had to .
feeble she waS-and pu, the cannon ball os&
on the shelf. to be ready for the next tina
hard work for the poor OH thing. but she y
10 obey. because she was 50 feeble and Rastls va
a biz. strong man.
It gave Rastus a great deal Of pleasure TO sasi
around the house and pull the doOrbel. and thsi
run before Mrs. Johnson could reach the door
that she had her work for nothing. but the means
thins he did was 10 sIyly push her chair back unE
it WAS directly under the shelf. When the bell "a
pulled, then the cannon bail would IAN Immediate
on Mrs. JohnsOn's head. and she would know y
bell had been pulled. even 4 she was asleep at
time
Mrs. Johnson had a strong. durable head q
usually the cannon ball would bounce OF It vit1l
haruins her. but it was annoying 70 be aEaS4l
from sound sleep and once OF twice the cam
ball bounced into her lap and hurt her hands
was after one OF these times that she took 10 Wa
ing mittens. even In hot weather when miIIens
annoying and heat up the hands. but Rasras "a
cart lie seemed to have lost the finer insnnes
man. and when Mrs. Johnson had becoms 80 y
TO having the cannon ball aIisht on her head Z.
It did not awaken her. he went and bought p
pound one. This awakened her nearly every ~
but she did not say anything. because ne N's
stronS man and she was only feeble ola la'',
In few months The hfty-pound cannon
would not awaken Mrs johnson when II fsii 81
head. for II had fallen often IL had Gus :,
calluS to form on the top Of her head. ana y
would do when the cannon bail hit her On tas =
would be 20 start slightly IN her dreams p
tus went 10 town and bought hundrsd-p0uA~
non ball.
Even his most careless neighbors said Il sas
much. and that he was liable TO drive per =
entirely out OF sight between her shoulders -
or later. by repeated blows and that when ~
was lower than her shoulders the cannon
would be likely 20 strike OF her shoulder osDs ~
break one OF them. but nothing OF the -
pened. At that Rastus became ansry anu
town 20 get a 15O-pOund cannon ball. but a
not set one. Cannon balls were out o. 80
the only thing he could get was Ions. pOin''4
proiectile. such as the big modern guns - "a.
When Mrs. johnson saw this. even &c.
temper was rufled. II was one tninS -
smooth round cannon balls fall on her - Il
II was another to have the sharp emu = -, ~
prOiectile. loaded with dynamite. for az -
strike her head. point first For -. - Il
said nothing when RastuS banded ne 80
jectile. and she. almost uncOnscioNsiy' -, a.
raise the prOJectile 20 put il on the sa'.s "a
had become so used to doing this una. 80. q,
by reflex action. But suddenly the h!'sn -,
all came into her mind. and she drew tA' /. AS
back and threw Il through the Wsl~
on into the barn and killed the cow IA ii
Rastus stood amazed 20 see teeole Nv
handle a prOjectile OF that weight N -. rssrp
he had forgotten that a year or i ls1s4 ms
balls must have built up a fne lot o. - anssi
In her arms. and while he was stanul . mi NJ
Mrs. johnson reached out and seized hl ssroag
one swift cast of her hand threw - ella =
the hole IN the wall made by the p'sayty r.
passed on into the barn and into .ns s.1S out D
proiectIle had made On the COW. ana 10 .sssrns
other side OF the COW. and when .'o .ssr II 81
was sent for he could hardly ten ~ NJ, "A y
a eolored gentleman trying 90 veal ~ s,on 80
or a COW that had been shot thfoue
to sida hy human dark brown arrow .,u pliS
They had to pull Rastus out q IL -, 10 ~
derrick. but IL proved a Valueais 1~..,,bly 90
Since last Thursday he has been ApP'
gentle 70 his mother-in-lsN. ID
.tanXrirhtsti 1902. by ". IA. Ns>e