Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-08-13
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
SAN FRANcIsCo, August c, 1870.
EXIT jim DoBsoN.


1t will give peculiar satisfaction to the friends
OF the late Jim Dobson to know that the de-
parted desperado died with his boots on.
Iustcad Of an gnoblc feather-bed ending, sur
rounded by weeping friends, as might have been
his unfortunate fate, he went down in the broad
glare Of daylight, on San Francisco principal
street, surrounded by crowd Of curious gazers
and-ded with his BOOTS on Instead of vast
lug away through dreary months of pain, being
dOsed with vile medicines and becoming mere
shadow Of his former self, he fell in the pride
and yigor OF manhood, the taste of cocktail
still lingering upon his lips, and--ded with his
boots on. So exit James Dobson-rough, gam
bier, ~~SperadO, and if wise Providence sees
fiji to thin out few more of the blackeg frater-
nifty by means OF the assassin s bullet the world
VIII neither weep uor mourn nor feel much sor-
row.
Do these seem urchariiable words? Viewed
in the light Of that srrpid old Latin maxim " OF
the dead say nothing but good" they perhaps
are but when that rule was applicable, the Ro-
lnaa citizen walking peacefully along the street
was not liable to be punctured by chance shot
from gamblers pistol. Times have changed
since then, and it is to be hoped that the admir-
ers of the dead rough will not insist on too close
m adherence TO the maxim, nor feel offended if
christian virtues
For when a man whose whole life has been n
continual war on society, whose hands were in
nocent cf honest labor, whose brain was ever
busy devising schemes to tempt and trap the un-
wary, suddenly goes out like quenched candle
to speak nothing but good of the dead is almost
an insult to the honest living, and to be silent is
10 waste the only use Of such career by failing
20 point proper moral.
The first story Of 727 Market street is rented
90 one Huddy rs a dancing academy. The
ground floor is occupied by the Coroner one
portion Of it being divided OFF for a dead house
On Friday nights the dancing academy is leased
TO prostitutes, who make merry with their lovers,
quite unmindful of the ghastly things, sketched
out below Sometimes these balls are conducted
quite decoroasiy, AZ Others they are carniyals
Of drunken ndeccncy.
Last Friday night Willie the rioious mrth was
in full blast, Dobson dropped in, aud being in a
qua9.olsoae mood, a3 was often his wont, began
10 express his opinion about every body and
everything in the trenchant and vigorous Ian
pnage customary with gentlemen of his profess
ion. John Tyler-another gamLler-rcmonsr
ted with him. whereupon Dobson drew his ps-
tol, but with rare magnanimity refrained from
breaking up the reyelry by murder, and CON
tented himself with inAicting painless wound
upon the ceiling 1t was, boYeyel, agreed be-
tween the two that they should shoot n sight,
such proceeding being the only possible saye
for Dobson's offended dignity.
At ten o clock next day they met on the street
aud Dobson instantly presented his pistol at the
brenst of Tyler, aud asked him if he was
"heeled" Tyler, who appeared to look upon
the evening agreement as a mere pleasantly re-
piled that he was not whcrcupoa Dobson told
h.n 10 arm himself as lac meant "sboot."
The best men are liable to a momcntary weak
ness and there is no doubt this sudden irresolu-
n q tp l.e ~; T..
resolution he was never before guilty olr-cost
him his life. For if lie had only shot then in
stead of waiting an hour, then to be shot at, he
wold have exactly clang-d positions with
John Tyler and instead Of now occupying the
narrow confines Of coffin, would have merely
occupied the still narrow but more comfortable
confines OF cell temporary Inconvenience he
could have wei borne until ucq Il ted by jury
OF his countrymen.
Tyler resolved not 10 bc again taken at dis.
advantage, and having no immediate desire to
become Il cold, unpleasant corpse wisely con-
cluded that the best way to avert this calamity
would be to dispose OF his qnondam freud Jim
Dobson and so he went to his room for a revol-
yer, and a. heeled - himself as advised.
Near the Kremlin saloon on Montgomery
street is the entrance TO notorious gambling
honse. Posting himself behind the doorway,
pistol in hand, Tyler kept sharp lookout for
his victim. He had not long to wait. On Sat
urday afternoons all tie gamblers in the city
o9nSregate on Montgomery street, to watch the
procession Of beauty, youth and fashion come
from the theatFica mGfiRees. About four 0 clock
Dob on sapntered pp to group Of his friends
spoke few words to chem and then walked on
last whore tic intended murderer was concealed.
This was T!lers opportunity and he seized it,
Two quick shots, each one inflicting q mortal
wound, n scream of horror from the passing
throng Of elegantly dressed women, rush of
men to the srqf as the wounded gomblcr reeed
staggered and Eil, a som, thing carefully picked
up and carried to a neighborng drug store, a
crowd Of curious people, pushing, shouting,
struggling to catch glimpse at that something
whose life was FIST ebbing away, a few disioiIted
sentences one Of which showed that the diving
man, bad rs he was, still bad an afIectionate re-
membrane Of faI-oG mother and then-the
coroners wagon-a blood stained corpse and
the morgue.
From the wild revelry Of the morning in the
first story, to the cold calm Of the evening in the
one below-tbere is no need of a preacher to
point the.moral
And so Jim Dobson died with his boots on
and with him died one Of the most desperate
spirits that California (proifc as she has been
in ru1ianism) has yet produced. For twenty
wears his name has been notorious throughout
the coast, for twenty years he has been the m-
of all the faults, vices and crimes of
the professional gambler, for twenty years he
has been famed for deeds of violence and reckl, ss
ness and now that he is gene the very best that
ran be said Of him, the most charitable epitaph
hat can be written Of him is-Le died with his
roots on ScRBBLLR.