The Lamar register., 1918-05-08

A startling headline on the front
page stiffened her to scandallzed atten-
ton. Straight across the tops of two
columns 1t ran, a facetious caption:
WILLIAM wAGsTAFF Is A BEAR
Under that the subhead:
Husky Mining Man Tumbles Prices and
Brokars. Whips Four Men in Broad
Street Office. Slugs Another on
Change. His Mighty Fists Sub
due society's Finest. Finally
Lands in jail.
The body Of the article Hazel read
In what a sob sister would describe
as state Of mingled emotions.
William wagstan is a mining gentleman
from the northern wiids of British Column
bia- He Is q big man. a naturai-b born
fighter To prove this he inflicted black
eye and a split lip on Paul Lorimer, a
broken nose and sundry bruises on James
L. Brooks. Also Allen T. Bray and Ed
ward Quincy Parkinson suffered certain
contusions in tho melee The fracas oc-
CURED In the office of the Free Gold Min
Ing Company. 1854 Broad street at $50
this afternoon. While hammering the
brokers q police officer arrived on the
scene and Wagstan was duly escorted 10
the city bastile. Prior to the general en-
counter in the Broad street office waE-
stan walked into the Stock Exchange and
made statements about the Free Gold Min
ing Company which set all the brokers by
the ears Lorimer was on the floor. and
received his discoiored optic there.
A reporter was present when wagstar
walked on the floor of the Stock Fx-
change. He strode up to the post whore
Lorimer was transacting business.
''I serve notice on you right now" he
said loudly and angrily. that II you sell
another dollars worth Of Free Gold stock.
I'll put you out Of business"
Lorimer appeared to lose his temper
Some word was passed which further in
censed wagstaff He smote the broker
and the broker smote the floor. Wag-
stafY's punch would do credit to a cham
pIon pugilist. from the execution Il
wrought He Immediately left the Stock
Exchange and not long afterward Broad
street was electrified by sounds of combat
In the Free Gold office. II is conceded
that wagstaf had the situation and his
three opponents well In hand when the
cop arrived.
None of the men concerned would dis
cuss the matter. From the remarks drop
ped by wagstaff. however. II appears that
the policy of marketing Free Gold stock
was inaugurated without his knowledge or
consent
BE that as II may. all sorts OF rumors
are in circulation. and Free Gold stock.
which has been sold during the past weel,
as high as a dollar forty. found few taxi
ers at par when Change closed There
has been a considerable speculative move
ment in the stock. and the SPECTATORS
are beginning to wonder II there is
screw loose in the company affairs.
Wagstar's case will come up tomorrow
forenoon. charge of disturbing the
peace was placed against him He gave
a 81 knUa - Ea.nn aHEfN
When the hearing comes some of the
parties TO the afair may perchance di-
vulge what lay at the bottom Of the row.
Any fine within the power of the court
to the distinction of scientifically man
handling four of society's finest in one
afternoon. AS one bystander remarked in
the classic phraseology OF the street;
"Wagstars a bear!'
The brokers concerned might consider
this to have a double meaning
Hazel dropped the paper. mortified
and wrathful. The city jail seemed
the very Pit itself to her. And the
lurid publicity. the lifted eyebrows of
her friends. maddened her in prospect.
Plain street brawling, such as one
might expect from a cabman or a taxi
mahout. not from a man like her hus-
band. She involuntarily assigned the
blame to him. Not for the cause.-the
cause was of no Importance whatever
to her-but for the act itself. Their
best friendsl She could hardly realize
1t. Jimmie Brooks. jovial Jimmie, with
broken nose and sundry bruises
And Paul Lorimer distinguished Paul.
who had the courtly bearing which
was the despair of his fellows, and the
manner of a dozen generations of cul-
ture wherewith to charm the women
of his acquaintance. He with black
eye and split lip, So the paper
stated. 1t was vulgar. Brutal The
act Of Q cave man