Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-08-02
A Boys DEFENSE.

The scene was in Sacramento street
in front of d well known hotel. 1t was
twenty-five years ago, and San Francis
co was in her infancy.
Quite a crowd had gathered on the
street, and the center of attraction was
a big fellow, who stood with newspaper
in hand, raving and cursing.
What's the matter, Wolff" asked
new conner, who was evidently famil
lar with the irate man.
Matter!" returned Wolf, for that
was his name, "matter enough, an
rough enough it'll be for some folks.
Them young whelps that print this pa.
per has gone an published somethin'
bout me. 0, I'll fix 'em! They'd bet.
ter never ha' been born They'd better
go an kill themselves after ten minutes
it'll be an easier death fur 'em.'
Wolf was a noted desperate, who ii
was said, had killed more than twenty
men, and but few knew him who did
not fear him. He was at that time chief
of a gang of loafers and gamblers that
were nearly always to be found loung
ing in the vicinity alluded to, and dis.
turbing the peace Of the whole neigh.
borhood daily with riotous conduct. If
there was any law in those days it was
seldom executed against such charac-
ters, and in the full consciousness that
they were feared they did pretty much
as they pleased.
The newspaper which had given dead
ly offense to Wolf was little weekly
journal, and its office was in the second
story of building on the same street
with the hotel l have mentioned, and
only few rods distant. 1t was pub
lished by two young men-or, l might
say, boys, for they were only eighteen
and twenty years old, respectively
named Darrell and Haynes. The paper
and its youthful proprietors were already
well known in the city of San Francisco.
The article which had excited the
wrath of the ruffian Wolf was bold
delunciation of himself and his crowd,
and it particularly mentioned him by
name, characterizing him as bluster-
ing bully" 1t was the work of young
Darrell, a fearless boy hailing from the
Western States. Before leaving his
home in the Mississippi valley, he had
acquired fair education, So that he
could at least edit O. newspaper in those
early days and he possessed, besides,
that courage and daring which may be
natural in the first place, and which are
more thoroughly developed by exposure
to danger and hardships. Young Haynes
was quite a different kind of person
in point Of courage, being of an unusu-
ally timorous nature.
To return to the scene on Sacramento
street. Working himself up into his
very worst -mood-and his best was bad
enough Wolf tore the,paper to atoms
and started for the publication Office,
He was followed by a curious rabble,
most of whom were elated with the
prospect of a murder, though there were
some present who would have remon.
strated with the evil-hearted man, had
they dared.
"Just you watch" said Wolf, as he
reached the door, eff ye want to see
Their bloody carcasses tumble out o. the
window. It won't be, long; I don't
spend much time on such fellows"
It was the intention of the cruel
hearted man actually to cut the throats
of these boyish journalists and throw
their bodies out of the window, for the
qualification of the crowd, and the
further exaltation Of his already fearful
name. q So the mob on the street await
ed the issue with feverish expectation
as Wolf, fiourishing his knife and revolv
er, entered the rude frame building
and rushed UP stairs. aFa :
All unconscious of their danger, the
two young editors were busily pursuing
their usual work in their primitive of
lice. If they had heard the noise with.
out, they paid no attention to it, sup
posing it was merely street row such
| as they were accustomed to hearing every
day. Darrell was sitting at a rude taoie
writing, and Haynes was at the, counter
arranging some papers for the mail.
They heard a clatter Of heavy boot:
on the stairs, but supposed 1t was some
rough miner coming to subscribe for the
paper, or, perhaps, to see lawyer whc
occupied couple of rooms on the same
floor; for the building was only a two
story one, and the second floor was oc