The chronicle=news., 1914-08-26

| was cStaDllSneu lneTe anu II ls a
great wonder that somebody was not
killed over 1t. The five scouts,
Johnny Ledford, w. II. Whitney,
Jack Spratt. Wallace Bennett and
Charlie Christy had been off on u
hard trip In the Canadian country
and had returned to Dodge where
they reported in to Andy Sheridan,
the commandant in charge of the
garrison. Had they stopped at this
juncture like nice little boys should
have done there would have been no
rumpus at all. But they were not
nice little kids and were rather row.
dy in their department. OF course
this kind of business does not &c
around anybody's army post.
They simply went on beautiful
tangarce and while squatting in
front of John A. Tappan's suttleI
store. thoroughly stepped in squirrel
whiskey and not caring much for
army discipline nohow. these worth!
scamps pulled their six guns and be-
gan shooting at old glory floating
SO proudly in ambient morning
breeze from the Flagstaff on the pa
rade ground. To complicate matter,
the officer OF the day, Lieutenant
Slough of the Third infantry, for
merly colonel of the first Colorado
volunteers. had the soldiers out OF
dress parade. In the exuberance O
all the excitement Johnny Ledcford
who had been Quantrell guerilla
and rebel from away back. took
shot at Slough as he paraded pom
pously up and down in front of the
line.
The bullet did not hit the officer
but passed cleanly between his am,
pie legs and quite naturally enough
made him jump sidewise. This was
little too much hilarity to suit tho
soldier boys who broke ranks anG
charged the Quantrell division of tn,
rebel army with the result that the
defilers Of the flag were all bundled
off to the dog house and not onl!
this but they were buckcd and
gagged as they ought to have been.
The next morning Major A. A
Arms, who seems to have had some
authority in the matter, sent fol
IChristy to come to headquarters and
make n clothing report or something
of that sort and he was by this sub.
terfuge allowed to take leg bail while
the other scouts were courtmartialet
and given long sentence In the
guardhousc with nothing to eat bu
bread and water. When their time
was up. Ledford. Whitney and Sprat'
were bob-tailed from the service an6
sent back to Missouri in disgrace foi
they were the QuantrelI ruffians o.
the old border days who had no bust
ness in the federal army anyhow
Shortly thereafter the boys at the
fort heard that the rascals had beer
arrested at Topeka for stealing a 10
of government horses and they go
theirs by going to the Leavenwortf
Dcnitent!ary for long scout behind
the bars.-Field and Farm.
The Impert'nent Itinerant: The
first protestant preacher in Colorado
was an old fellow named Hamilton.
who always went around singing:
The mistakes of my life have been
many, the sins of my life have been
MORE and nobody ever stopped to
question his veracity on this point
After the old chap had become aged
and gray and was too decrepit tc
lround the pulpit to bring down the
wrath CT God upon the frailties oi
human nature as it existed here in
the early day, the good reverend goi
| ,toc trNv, fvor hn Ar,,a 3on =
Bible Society to serve as travelling
colporteur and all he had to do there
after was to climb u3 hill and dow1
over the rough mountain trails AM
pcddle religious tracts around th
mining camps.
On one of these expeditions in tn
early sixties he toed into Brecken
the Blue. About the first person h
met on the street was the motherl
old lady, Mrs. Marshal Silverthorn
and going up to her he said meekly
My dear madam, can you tell m
where the sporting houses are?
The good old dame became furious
"What do you mean, you old pirat
you. by insulting me in this way?
she said.
"Oh, l certainly beg thousan
pardons, madam" he replied, dofi
ing his lid. but l only want t
know where they are SO that as
Christian gentleman I might g
around them" The gracious lad
felt like splitting in his eye but sh
stuck up her nose and passed o
without replying. That's what
get" mumbled the old clergyman
himself. for not knowing my bus
ness. The next man l meet I am e
Ing to confess to him that lie an
swear and steal and II he looks 6
me wonderinsly I will say: Il lie o
good bed when can get one;
swear by all that is good and holy
behave myself. steal away fro