Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-07-14

THE DEAD SHOT.
A Tale Of Texan Border Life.
PART /.

My word for it, reader, you should nev.
er have ventnTed to construct proiessed
romance out of incidents so wild and strange
as those of this narration. 1t is only with
the hope that you will accept in good faith
the assurance given in tho same spirit,
hat these things really dId occur while |
was in The country, and most of them with.
IN nay personal knowledge-that ven-
turo to relate them ut oil. Remember,
the scene is laid in a frontier county of
Texas, and if you have even conception
Of the history Of that Republic and the
general character ofits social elements, YOU
will be prepared for good deal. Bot,
though you nigh. even have visited its
cities and older settlements, YOU would
still find it difficult to realize all that is
tue OF. frontier life, unless by extended
travel and experience your faith should be
fortified. When you can have 10 say, as
can, what mine eyes have seen and ears
aeard'-on that ground alone you will be
it audience though few" 10 receive as
matters OF course, relations which would
doubtless, for the moment, shock others as
monstrous in improbability, if not indeed
mPossiblily. The mau of high civiIiza-
lion will find great difficulty in understand
ing how such deed as am about 10 re.
late, requiring months TO consummate,
would have been carried through in the
open face Of law and the local authorities
but the man who knows this frontier will
tell him that the rife and bowie-knife are
al the law and local authority recognized.
Witness the answer President Houston
gaze when application was first made to
Inn for his interposition with the civil force
l9que the bloody Regulator Wars which
afterwards sprang up in this very same
colnty-'Fight it out among yourselves
and be ID to youp A speech entirely
characteristic of the man and the country,
as II then was 1t was in the earlier
stages of the organization Of this same
Regulator association that our story COM
Lences.
Shelby county, lying in Western Texas
On the border of the Red Lands, was
t4iher thinly settled iE the early part oil
So. What population II had was gener-
ally the very worst caste OF border life
The bad and desperate men who had been
!,yen over our frontier formed a rallylng
y'gund and head quarters here-seemlng-
J with the determination 10 hold the coun.
y good against the intrusion Of all honest
lersons, and as a sort of 'Alsatla Of the
west, for the protection Of outlaws and
VILLAINS Of every grade. And indeed 10
such an extent had this prescription been
Carried, that il had become notorIously as
much as a mans life or conscience was
Worth who settled among them With any
worthy purpose in view for he must either
i,I into their confederacy-leave-or die
i'' vas perfectly understood and the
'1Iect OF this confederacy may be readily
NJ 'gPfeclated, when il is known that every
-'" and then party Of men would sally
u" 'iom this settlement, painted and equip
r4 IKE Carnanches, with the view OF car
y , ng oil the horses, plundering or mur-
-''''s somc marked man Of neighborlng
'H'! then returning with great speed,
"ey would re-band their plumber, resume
'.' accustomed appearance, ,and defy pur.
:" Or Investigation. Not only did they
~" l"gelher for their operations IN this
r?' but single man would carry off
morse Or commit murder with the
-" open andaciiy, and if he only succeed
d. escaping here was publicly protect