The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-25

WILD WESTERN LIFE,
Rude But Substantial Justice at
the Black Hills.
The Ten Commandments
of the Mines,
Black HIS Cor. Gin. ENQUIRER.

Black Hills Cor. Gin Enquirer.
Camp Ohio, Sept 25.-We had to hang
a man here the other day. We'd been
putting it off on account of lack of time
and bit of sentiment, till the morals of
our small town had at last become as bad
as those of Chicago. In all camps and
towns inthe Hills there are certain un
derstood things. They form sort of
second Ten Commandments, and read as
follows:
l. Thieves and robbers will be driven
out of camp for the first oftense-hung
for the second.
2. The man who picks quarrel had
better pick up his traps.
8. Men convicted of murder shall be
hung on the same day,
4. Passing bogus money will entitle the
chap to pass out of camp, every body
taking kick at him as he goes.
5. Don't covet your neighbours wife.
g. Lying should be discouraged.
7. Whack up even on all "hnds"
s. No shirking in an Indian fight
g. All notes of hand must be paid
when due or down goes the maker
10. Rebellion against the legal authori'
ty of the camp shoves the rebel out and
confiscates his claim.
Most any man can live up to these
laws and not shed a hair, and rhe man
who doesn't mean to will, sooner or later
be Choked to death.
Thomas Y. Shoals.
Who has friends at Green Bay, WisCOn-
sin, and who has been in Nevada himself
for some years past, entered our town
about ten day ago. He was a whisky
drinking, trouble.m king rough. de
bro't several gambling devices with him
to "wax" our hard working people out OF
their dust, and he hadn't been in camp
two DAYS when most of his bad points
came ont. Atthe end of five days he was
ordered to leaye, but he boldly refused to
obey the warning Thereupon, on the
morning of the sixth day, he was waited
upon by ten revolvers, backed by ten men
and was notified that fifteen minutes City
Hall time, would be given him to get be-
yond shooting distance. He got. No one
cared what became of him or whittier he
went and as he passed from sight no one
expected to see him again. According to
rule, we confsCated all his personal pro-
perty except mule, and mule and man
went away together. Somewhere out
side of camp, Shoals fell in with some
Texans who were ION the make" and as
ugly as himself, and the gang entered our
camp, armed to the teeth, two days after
Shoals left it.
The Four Lambs
Came in on gallop, whooping and yell
ling and as they halted on the public
square Shoals sang out,
"Trot out my goods, you white livered
dust. .diggers, or we'll cut every ID
throat in camp"
That meant us, you see. Some were
digging, some washing, and some under
ground, and while we were waking
up to the situation, ons cfthe Texans put
in:
Hurry up now, for it's all we kin do
to hold on to the triggers of these shoot
ers p
And another yelled;
Somebody hold me, for I'm the worst
catamount this side of Mexico.
Our Old Boss
Didn't like their style, for one. He was
fitting new handle to pick, and was
at the door of shanty No. 3, when they
rode up. Reaching into the house for
his two revolvers he rose up and walk
ed out upon the gang just as the rest
of us were making rush for our shoot
er5.
"There's the old devil-kill him |" yell
ed Shoals, and the four at once began fir
ing. 1t was case of the Lord being on
the side OF the upright aud innocent.
They all had a shot in before the old man
got ready for business. He put his first
bullet between one of the Texans two
ewes, his second into another's shoulder,
and by that time we were pegging away.
How on earth fifty or sixty bullets could
be fred at close range and only one man
killed and another wounded is Conun-
drum for mathematicians. The dead
man fell in heap Shoals was dismount
ed, and the other two got out of camp
under cover of the smoke, one of them
certainly hit in the shoulder. We pur-
sued them on foot for half a mile, and the
wounded one had hard work to keep his
saddle. Not miner had been hurt, but
a dozen of them had bullet-hOles through
hats and clothing, and Calap kettle was
struck no less than four times.
The Trial.
After dinner the men gathered and
Shoals was put on trial. 1t had been nee
essary to bind him hand and foot, and
when he was brought out and laid on the
grass his fury rose to the highest pitch.
He cursed everybody and everything,and
uttered threats that made some of the
men grow pale. When asked if he did
not know the penalty attached to such
conduct as his, he cried out
"I'll dare you to harm one hair of my
head You are set of Cowards-a
pack of Coyotes-a gang of white-faCed
babies |"
1t was our busy day, and we couldn't
fool away any time. A noosed rope was
thrown over limb the free END mann
ed, and when the moose had been passed
over the fellows head he was asked if
he wanted to leave any message for his
friends.
II want to tell you this" he hissed as
his snakish eyes looked from face to
face; "if you hang me my friends will
dig the heart out Of every one of the
Crowdp
He might have gone off deCently, and
perhaps added something original to the
literature of ''last words" but he refused
the chance. His feet were united and he
was lifted up. There wasn't a minute
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