The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-06-21
TERROR NUMBER ONE.
How He Inundated the Citizens of Custer
City--IIis Downfall.

tnelr lOluS Oh - fresh USll, as Une Veu-
e, ans call the new arrivals from the East.
These " fresh fish rush for hote,s,
boarding houses and saloons. get meal
or luuch, and are presently seen walk
ing up and down the streets of the
frontier city or collecting ON the cor
ne,s to hear the latest news from the
diggings and the prospects of striking
a job.
The other day, when wagon load of
bull-heads was dumped out in Custer
City, as wagon loads had been dumped
out every day before since grass started,
the first man to welcome them to the in
FAINT city was chap five feet high, and
weighing accordingly. There was a
blood-stain on his left cheek, a scar on
his right, and he had fierce eyes, a voice
ike roaring lion. and a bad limp in
one of his legs. He was whittl'ng out a
tent-pin with a big bowie-knife as the
wagon drove up, and, pushing the kn fe
down the back of his neck, he lifted up
a Henry rifle, ran his eye over the crowd,
and called out, in an awful voice.
SIS there anybody in that crowd look
ing for Terror No. /? Kase if there is.
here am and I'm just aching to be
shot full of bullets weighing a pound
apiece p
No one was looking for him. Some
looked at him, and some looked across
the street on purpose not to see him,
while there was a uniform movement
toward hip pockets.
"I didn't know but that some of you
might have come ont here from New
York or Boston to plant me under the
sweet jessamine or the climbing morning
glory p chuckled the Terror, as he
rested the butt of his rifle on the ground
and fshed up six-shooter from his
boot leg.
There were men from New York aud
Boston in the party, but they didn't want
to bury anybody just then.
" don't own this town." continued
the Terror, as he laid his infant armory
across the head of barrel. 81 don't
own foot of ground or a share in any
of the public buildings erected at the
expense of taxpayers, but when L stand
on Washington square and utter one
yell this whole town quakes. Tn Te~ror
No. l. There's one or two other Ten ors
around here, but I'm the boss-I'm
the reg lar deaths head and cross bones
of the Black Hills region !"
of the new comers had disappeared, some
looking pale and ANXIOUS, and others
feeling shivers race up and down their
backs.
An hour later, when party of five
strangers from New England were MAX
ing the acquaintance of the internal
beverages on sale in one of the shanty
saloons, and at the same time pumping
the proprietor aboutprospects, in walked
the Terror. He looked as fierce as a
catamount cheated out of her dessert,
and there was an awful growl in his voice
as he called out :
"Five o'clock by Omaha time, and l
haven't killed or been killed this whole
day long! Turn loose your pet grizzlies,
unhitch your whirlwinds, and let dozen
wild lions come for me at oncew
"Take something to drink, my good
friend" mildly replied the saloonist
lou are always welcome here, but you
don't drop III half often enough. Don't
be afraid to pour out all you want"
"To tell the honest truth, Steve, VI
said the Terror, as he poured out nearly
half pint of the worst whisky ever
made, 81 came in here to kill some one;
but you are white man clear down to
your toe nails, and I won't raise no row.
That's good whisky, that is, and if you
want any one in Custer City put under
ground, just give me his name. Can you
think of any one?"
The saloon keeper reflected for a
moment, as he slowly wiped off his bar
with an old calico apron, and finally he
replied:
"No; I don't think of any one Just
now, but something will probably turn
up in day or two. Any time you feel
thirsty come in and help yourself"
One Of the five men had formerly been
a molder i'll Troy stove foundry, an6
he had been closely watching the Terror
All of a sudden he held out his hand fol
a shake, cheerfully observing:
"I'll bet one hundred to one that we
used to work, board and room together. >
The Terror reached out his hand
closely scanned the molder's face, and
after moment he said to the whole
five:
Gentlemen, come out doors and take
seats on the bench. / begin to know
this man, and don't want to answer any
questions in here"
"Well, but l am surprised to find you
out here and rugged up in this style, y
remarked the molder, as the men found
seats.
$50 you may be" slowly replied the
Terror. "When worked in Troy there
wasn't a man or boy about the shop who
couldn't make me eat dirt. was one Of
the biggest towards east of Chicago
and now I'm one of the biggest west OF
II that town. l own right up, because
know You won't go back ON me. 1 might
fight if L was cornered, but if there was
a chance to run or crawl out L wouldn
strike blow"
"But you talk very brave" said one
"And it's all talk, replied the Terror
as he picked his teeth with his bowie
knife. 81 floated out here from Chicago
poor as rat, and the biggest coward il
the whole train. If luck hadn't favored
me I should have been under the SOC
long ago. I've got an awful voice, an(
can look as ugly as a bear in trap
and somehow or otht + the story got afoa
that 1 killed two men in Chicago, wal
rescued from the gallows by a mob
and that had come out here to escap,
justice. Men grew afraid of me, and
, soon got the cue. | determined to be
come a Terror in order to make an homes
living, and I've got the thing right dow
fiue."
, "And you are not fighter and
shooter and slashcr?"
Gentlemen, it's kind O. mean, for
[ man to run his own character down, bu
/ to be honest about it [ don't suppos
: there is a man in Custer City who coul