Show mow ISOW KNEW THAT TEAT JOHN JOEN WAS DEAD Many tales are told of Soapy Smith mith said sl-Id a man who recently returned returned re- re turned from the Klondike You know he ie was th the gambler that a citizens citizenS' citizens citizens' committee ordered to leave Dawson t and nd when he refused and showed fight as as shot hot full of holes Well I knew knew- in Denver and I want want to say that t lie was about as tough a proposition as asI ask k- k 1 I have ever known but at the same time me he was an exceedingly agreeable man an to spend an evening with He was possessed of some culture and witty itty and nd could sing sing- singa a good song recite classical classical clas clas- f Cal poetry and tell a story well Aside from this he was liberal with the money monsy money mon- mon I ey ey- he robbed the unsuspecting of and andone one ne lne of his mottoes was wasA A sucker has no SW right to have money when good pe people need it One da day I was sitting in the Coroners Coroner's Coro Coro- lier ner's ners office when I saw a deputy come comeIn comein comein In with Soapy I asked him what he was doing there and he told me that a aman aman aman man had committed suicide and that he ie was unidentified but that some one ore said that it was John Williams a a. tinhorn tin- tin born horn gambler that once dealt faro for form forme m me and they wanted me to come down and land see the body He invited me to togo togo togo go back with him to where the body was lying on a slab and on the way back Iback remarked that Williams would be better off dead than alivE as he was drunk most of Jf the time tithe and that he had given him a piece of money every time rime he met him for a year When we reached the place where they kept the body one of the assistants assistants assistants assist assist- ants threw back the sheet so that we could see the dead mans man's face I 1 guess that's John all allright right poor devil said Soapy as aO he looked intently at the face for a second or two but there is Is' a way I II I can tell for a certainty Walking I around to the other side of the body i he said In n a loud voice 2 Come on John lets let's take a drink I and with mock seriousness he watched the face and getting no response he f I remarked as he turned away Yes that's hats John t. t As he be passed through the office he het f t threw a 50 bill on the und undertakers undertaker's k desk lesk esk with the request that Williams be given d decent cent burial Milwaukee 1 Milwaukee Sentinel |