The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-07
A BORDER ROMANCE.
TIE SUDDEN DEATH OF AN OLD
FRONTIERSMAN.
4 Desperate Who Might Have Eeen n
Hero.
{Denyer t'orrespcndence Boston Herald.l

1AerOs
{Denver Correspondence Boston Herald.1
DENVER. COL, July AL read in the
Denver Tribune the other morning the an
nouncement of the killing OF Yardmaster
Jack Finehart, OF the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad. Finehart hud held his
appointment only three days, having re-
ceived it from the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad OH the occasion OF the
transfer of the Denver and Rio Grande, in
accordance with the order OF the Federal
Court. The paragraph startled me exceed
lngy. Jack Finehart's was figure famil-
lar in certain circles OF society all over
this western. country. In most Of the
States and Territories his deeds have
made him almost an outlaw. Jim
Currie, who shot Porter, the actor, in
Texas, drew his first pistol under the
tutorship OF Jack Finehart. Jack Fine
wherever be has been. He was no vulgar
rufian. He was as nearly the ideal Of o
frontier "character " as l have ever heard
OF one mans becoming. Imagine man
six feet tall or over, with not an ounce OF su-
perfluous flesh upon him, possessed OF a
handsome, determined face, stern us the
countenance OF justice; man whose i'm
mense strength is hidden in the finish OF his
proporionS. He walked with graceful,
military erectnesS, and saluted his ac-
quaintances with great courtesy. His
large moustachc and broad, white hat
set him Off TO peculiar advantage. As
any one who might have seen Buf-
falo Bin in his wild days would have set
him down as an uncommon man, so any
man meeting Jack Flnehart would have
wondered what sort Of record the man had.
Jack is Texan by birth and bringing-up:
a Texan in his instincts; typical Texan in
his manners; Texan in bis method OF car
rying n revolver (fuily cooked and hanging
from belt behind); Texan in his record !;
thorough Texas "son-of.a-gun." The
earliest days OF the mans life were probably
the most exciting. Blood was spilled as
freely as water twenty years ago all over the
| West.
DEEDS THAT HISTORY SBUDD ERS TO RELATE
were on the town annals OF every hamlet.
| The frightful moral abandon Of border life
in Texas now is scarcely worthy OF notice
| in comparison With the fife or score OF
years ago, when Jack Finehart was lad.
He had tine field to study in, and lie was
bred we'll. A man started his cemetery
before crossing the threshold Of manhood,
and before the down had lett his cheek
murder was no novelty to him. Finehart
was often the leader Of desperate people,
and death came TO him hundred times,
hovered about him, flirtcd with him, all but
took him, and then departed. I am telling
the story Of this mans life to show you an
inside picture OF border man, little
redeemed from the desperado, in all
his moods. He did not rob railroad
! trains, coaches, horSemen. foot-trayel-
lers, nor anybody else, With his bands,
but he quarrclled, and drank, and killed,
and loved along the frontier towns. FL
naly the war broke out. lie had by this
time acquired that perfect fearlcssness and
indifference to death that in some men ac-
cuStomed TO facing it becomes in absolute
passion, urging them mady on to wherever
prospect OF death exists. Finehart select
ed for his posts in the war the most fool
hardy, dangerous, and death-temptin2 there
were to be had. He ran powder-trans,
made journeys OF exploration to see il the
railroads had been torn up at the rate OF
seventy miles an hour; be entered the
Union camps at all points, led forlorn
hopes, was always in front in a skirmisb,
secuted and spied until. the business
palled on him, and he mixed himself up in
| railroad affairs until no undertaking was
too hazardous. Once he started to cross a
river over which the bridge tottered and
appeared about to fall, having been burned
by the Union troops. Everybody left the
engine, and Jack plunged over the bridge
alone. The bridge went down, the engine
went down, but Finebart jumped and
swan ashore. They were escaping from a
Union neighborhood, and were under pur-
suit. Finehart'S companions were cap
trr I'M onaosinn tbora q
bully in the army, and his proves was not
limited in any direction. He had frequently
killed his man; in fact, he
ENJOYED KILLING HIS MAN!
1t was very appetizing thing to do. In
those days in Texas The was a TeXan) you
could serve your time at this trade without
aEy annoyance from the justice Of the peace.
Yes, he had beautiful cemetery in Texas,
and was going back presently TO continue
the work of populating it. One day Jack
Finehart, who watched his colleague in the
graveyard business q good deal, happened
to be in saloon with him. The stranger
had hardly ceased relating some wonderful
adventures when Jack drew an enormous
revolver, cooked it, and laid it Oh the bar
beside the man. The latter stared at the
pistol aud then at Jack. Finehart filled a
glass with WhiSkey, and, retiring few
steps, tasted If. Then he said, facing the
stranger: .l
"They call this good whiskey. Smell of
it and give me your opinion" And he
dashed the tumblerful into the strangers
face.
There lay the revolver at the mans
elbow; there stood Finehart waiting to be
shot dead. ..s. 80
The stranger did not move, but in aston.
ished silence wiped the whiskey from his
face. Then Jack stepped up, took the pis-
tol, and pointing it between his eyes sad !:
"NoW, damn you, apologize 1or your
lies and slope" -
The man did all this very abiectly.
Jack and friend were sleeping in log
cabin on the prairies in Texas, keeping
dark for some very good reason. They
suddenly, In the middle OF the night, heard
voices outside. Says Jack, with his ma
bitual drawl: ;.S H. .:.a"-
"Let's see who they are." *--
His friend was already looking out.
Z" Jack" ,"he remarked, "they'ge got a
Jack paused, thoughiully felt OF his
neck, and drawled, .sDon't be scared; it's
me-" .1: -. =l
He knocked out the cartridges OF both
his reyolyers and replaced item with others.
He then felt OF his bowic-kniie and made a
number OF rapid and exhausting move
ments to ascertain is he was stiff, or not In
condition. Meanwhile he could hear voices