Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-16

as a state of mingled emotions.
William Wagstaff is q mining gentleman
from the northern wilds Of British Column
bla. He is a big man., a natural-born
fighter. To prove this he inflicted a black
eye and a split lip on Paul Lorimer, a
broken nose and sundry bruises on James
l.. Brooks. Also Allen 7. Bray and Ed
ward Quincy Parkinson suffered certain
Commissions in the melee. The fracas oc-
Cured in the office of the Free Gold Min
ing Company. 1864 Broad street. at $3.50
this afternoon. While hammering the
brokers 4 police officer arrived On the
scene and Wagstaff was duly escorted to
the city bastile. Prior to the general en-
counter in the Broad street office Wag-
staff walked into the Stock Exchange, and
made statements about the Free Gold Min
ing Company which set all the brokers by
the ears. I.orimer was on the floor, and
received his discolored optic there.
A reporter was present when Wasstaff
walked on the floor of the Stock Ex-
change. He strobe up to the post where
Lorimer was transacting business.
ct serve notice on you right now" he
said loudly and angrily. that if YOU sell
another dollars worth of Free Gold stock,
I'll put you out of business"
Lorimcr 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-
staff's punch would do credit to a cham
pion pugiiist, from the execution it
wrought. He Immediately left the Stock
EXCHANGE. and not long afterwar! Broad
street was electrified by sounds of colnbat
in the Free Gold Office. 1t is conceded
that Wagstaff had the situation and his
three opponents we'll in hand when the
cop arrived.
None of the men concerned would dis
cuss the matter. From the~rcmarks drop
ned by Wagstaff, however. it appears THAI
the policy of marketing Free Gold stock
was inaugurated without his knowledge or
consent.
Be that as it may. all sorts of rumorB
are in circulation, and Free Gold stock,
which has been sold during the past week
as high as a dollar forty, found few talk
ers at par when Change closed. There
has been a considerable speculative move
'1ent in the stock, and the spectators
are beginning to wonder if there is a
screw loose in the company affairs
Wagstaff's case will come up tomorrow
forenoon. A charge of disturbing the
peace was placed against him. He gave
a cash bond and was at once released.
When the hearing comes some of the
parties to the affair may perchance d.
vulge what lay at the bottom of the row.
Any fine within the power of the court
to impose is a mere bagatelle. compared
to the distinction Of scientifically man
handling four of society's finest in one
afternoon. AS one bystander remarked in
the classic phraseoiosy of the street:
"Wagstaff's a bear!'
The brokers concerned might consider
this to ave 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. niaddened her in prospect.
Plain street brawling. such as one
might expect from q cabnan 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 friends! She could hardly realize
it. Jimmie Brooks, jovial Jimmie. with
q 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 Gull
ture w%herewith to charm the women
of his acquaintance. He with a black
eye and a split lipl So the paper
stated. 1t was vulgar. Brutal! The
act of a cave man.
She was on the verge of tears.
And just at that moment the door