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Show THE ATTACK ON THE NEWS OFFICE. 55 editor, Mr. Byers, he seized him by the collar and commanded him to go at once to the Criterion saloon and apologize to the proprietor, Harrison, for the offensive editorial. He emphasized this order by flourishing a large navy revolver dangerously near the editor's head. Wood was informed that the difficulty with Harrison had been settled satisfactorily to all parties concerned, and an apology at that time would not be in order. The appearance of these armed desperadoes in the News sanctum caused great uneasiness among the employees. A few printers in the composing room were for showing fight, but, unfortunately, they were not armed. Mr. Byers stated his willingness to be escorted to the Criterion saloon by the ruffians, and so went with them. Wood walked close by his side, occasionally shoving his Deringer under his nose, asking him how he liked the smell of gunpowder, and playfully threatening to blow his brains out "just for luck." Arriving at the saloon Harrison corroborated the statements made at the office, that all was quiet between himself and the editor, and urged that the matter be dropped. While Wood and his friends were filling themselves with liquor at the bar, Byers succeeded, by a ruse of Harrison's, in escaping through the back door and returned to his office, which, during his absence, had assumed the appearance of a hastily improvised arsenal. The employees, apprehensive of another visit from the desperadoes, had armed themselves and prepared for a siege. When the escape of the captive was made known, Wood and his riotous friends, armed with double-barreled shot-guns, mounted their horses and drew up for consultation at an unoccupied log house a few rods away from |
