Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1913 — FINED $10 FOR A WILD WEST STUNT [ARTICLE]

FINED $10 FOR A WILD WEST STUNT

Good Fellow When Sober Tries to Transform Free Wood’s Barbershop into Hitch Barn. I

Absent the sombrero, the chaps, the spurs and the revolver, but with all the bravado that is presumed to go with the western cowboy,,a man who has recently shown some in clination to vary from the narrow pathway of sobriety, Monday afternoon cut a caper that resulted in his arrest, his temporary incarceration In jail and his being fined $lO and costs for his short-lived fun. In deference to his relatives and at his own request, The Republican is omitting his name from the paper, and we sincerely hope that he will hereafter show the same respect for himself and the same consideration for his relatives and friends that we are showing by concealing his name. He is a first-class man when sober and numbers all of his acquaintances as friends,'but when he is drinking he assumes an entirely different role and becomes a veritable Mr. Hyde, as compared with the Dr. Jekyll of his sober periods. Monday afternoon, mounted on his riding horse, he- drove to the door of Free, Wood’s barbershop and asked if a friend was there. Being answered negatively, he said. “I believe I can ride in there. Setting action to his words he said “get up” to the horse the faithful animal went right through the narrow doorway. The driver’s legs must have been pushed upward and over the back of the horse, otherwise he might have been badly injured. Free Wood, the barber, was cutting a customer’s hair and had his back to the door as the man and his horse entered. He did not realize what was happening until the intoxicated man half fell from the horse over against him and the man he was worklng on;

At about that moment Marshal Mustard appeared # and placed the man under arrest, calling upon Constable Parks, who was in the barbershop, to help him. The man was taken to jail and Barber Wood had to suspend his tonsorial operations for a few moments while he played chambermaid and janitor, the horse having undertaken to keep pace with its driver by its rude and unbecoming conduct while in the shop. The man toop a nap after being placed in jail and it served to bring him back to his senses and before supper time he was taken before Squire Bruner, where he entered a,plea of guilty to intoxication and was assessed a fine of $lO and costs, something more than sl3. which he paid. He said he did not remember having driven into the barbershop and showed gfreat remorse when told what he had done. He made further amends by calling at the barbershop this Tuesday morning and apologizing to Mr. Wood and offering to settle any damages. Mr. Wood said that aside from scrubbing out there was no damage and the incident wis brought to ah amicable end. Tt should serve as a lesson to the man to guard his fault with renewed vigor and it is sincerely hoped that he does not again cut any capers as a result of his becoming intoxicated.