The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-10-25
NUMBER 90.
Justice in Texas.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Enquirer, writing from Dallas, Texas
say that the road to justice in Texas is
sometimes very short, and attended
with very little expense, as was illus
trated by an occurrence in this place a
short time ago. A gambler had been
bathing in the river in company with
some others of his ilk, who had driven
down in an express wagon. Wishing to
ride up town, he proposed that if they
would take him up he would treat, an
offer which was accepted. When they
reached the square they went into a
saloon, had their drinks, and then the
gambler discovered he lacked fifteen
cents of having money enough to pay
the bill. The bar-keeper became quite
noisy about the shortage, insisting that
until the purchaser knew the exact state
of his cash account. The gambler re-
marked that he thought the bar-keeper
was making a sight of fuss about
fifteen cents, and turned to Colonel
Long, United States Commissioner, who
was sitting at table, and asked him if
he did not agree with him. He replied
that he thought man should pay for
drinks when he ordered them.
"Well," said the gambler, "I will be
back in few minutes and settle this
matter" and passed out.
In less than five minutes he returned,
rand as he entered the doc drew a revol
yer and fired at the bar-keeper, and the
shot took effect in the shoulder of one of
his own friends. He then turned and
fired at Colonel Long, who was still sit
ting at the table, the ball entering his
breast and lodging near the spinal col
umn. Colonel Long rose up, walked
two squares to his home, laid down on
the bed and died in minute.
After firing the three shots the gam
bier fled across the bridge, and into the
The yells of the bar-keeper drew a large
crowd, who at once started with police
man in pursuit. AS they gained on the
murderer, he turned and fired upon his
pursurers, which had the. tendency to
decrease their ardor in the chase; but
just then cowboy, mounted on pony,
rode up and told the policeman to
give him his pistol, and he would cap
ture his man. The officer complied with
the request, and the cowboy demanded
the gambler to halt, but the command
was responded to with shot. When the
herder found himself within the range
he brought his pistol down with a jerk,
and fired within fatal effect. The gam
bier ran few steps and fell dead, and
his pursuer coolly rode up, dismounted,
took the dead mans pistol and returned
to town to learn that his victim had
killed oneof the best citizens in the city
l saw the cowboy about ten o'clock that
night, and heard him remark that "he
thought the country ought to pay him
S5 any how, as he had saved it the ex,
pense of trial"
Criminal trials in Texas, by the way,
are sometimes very expensive. The
other day, while travelling on horseback
to Montague County. fell in with a
horseman who was a fair representative
of the frontier Texan. He wore slouch
hat, flannel shirt, which was open at the
neck, disclosing below his shaggy beard
a heavy coating of hair on his breast
and the usual army overcoat fastened to
his saddle. He seemed communicative
and soon Informed me that he was re
turning from Dallas, where he had beer
to defend himself against the charge OF
shooting man about four years ago. He
remarked that the mistake he had made
was that he had not killed his man. He
said he had travelled over the one hun
dred and thirty miles between Dalla.
and his home eleven times, making ovel
three thousand miles, and he didn't in
tend to make but one more trip, because
he would rather kill the cuss thar
fool away all of his time attending
Court"
Somehow l could not help treatin,
him with respect on account of the Ion.
journeys he had made, but 1 didn'
banker after his society enough to g
out of my road to keep his company.