The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-11-12
"GET YOUR GUM"
MILLS CHALLENGED FOR A DUEL
James L. smith, the Depot Police
man. Gets ON the warpath
and Lodges In Justice
Beams once.


at Lake M~innehaba, between j. &.
Mills. Of the local staff of the LEADER,
and ]. L. Smith, depot policeman. The
writer searched for them in company
with Officer Ingalls,, and soon found
them on Sixteenth street near Hill. As
both men were armed the officers
thought it best to prevent any blood
shed, and took them before Justice Bean,
where an information for disturbing
the peace was made against them. They
were released on their own recogni-
zance to appear before Justice Bean
this afternoon, at 2 o'clock, for a hear
ing. The cause Of the quarrel dates
back almost a year. The first move
ment Of a personal nature was made by
Smith against Mr.. Mills and one of the
officers of the U. P. road, he charging
them with having embezzled funds be-
longing to the company. This passed
over. During the latter part of last
winter, Smith became involved in some
crookedness with the cash Of a prisoner
whom he had arrested. The charge
was sufficiently proved to Justify the
mayor in ~discharging Smith as a special
policeman Of Cheyenne.
The LEADER made the exposure,
and Smith laid the blame for his dis
missal on Mr.. Mills.
Nothing more occurred until recent
ly, when Smith displayed a letter said
to come from Lexington, Mississippi,
and which stated that Mr.. Mills was
once a member of the white league In
that city, and as such, murdered a me-
gro. Smith had written to Lexington,
inquiring for some damaging evidence
against Mr.. Mills. and the answer re-
ceived, is, as he says, the one sent from
Lexington.
This letter, Smith made 1t his bust
ness to show to various friends Of Mr..
Mills. When displaying it, Smith, in
every instance, made comments upon
the same, calculated to injure Mr.. Mills
reputation. Smith went out of his
way so often to stab Mr.. Mills behind
his back, that the latter concluded it
was time Smith was stopped in his ca
reer as an assassin.
On yesterday the two met on the
street, and Mr.. Mills demanded that
Smith cease his sneaking, cowardly
work. Smith asked MI. Mills il he was
.'heeled." The latter replied not
"Then," said Smith, Ego and get
your gun. and we'll have the amuse-
ment to ourselves out by the lake."
Mr.. Mills replied that he was not a du-
elist. and didn't believe in it, Smith
then warned him to get ''heeled."
Fearing that Smith would take some
advantage of him, he procured a
Freund's improved Sharp's rife.
Meanwhile Smith had gone out to-
wards the lake, and, not seeing MI.
Mills there, returned. He met Mr..
Single on the way and stated the OBJ
ject of his visit to the lake. adding
that he ''guessed Mills was too coward
ly to come out" His b~raggadocia
speech continued for some time. When
near Hill street, Smith espied Mr.. Mills
with a gun, and he turned white as he
said, "Great Godl he's got a shot
gun. That's too big Odds" With that
he jumped the fence into DR.. Giaham's
yard and would not come out until he
was assured that no advantage would
be taken of him.
A parley ensued, mutual friends en-
deavoring to conciliate the two men.
1t was at this time that Officer Ingalls,
invited them around to Justice Beams
office to settle the matter.
The facts are as we have stated them.
1t therefore appears that Smiths sole
cause for stabbing the character Of Mr..
Mills, was his duty as a journalist in
exposing the corrupt act Of Smith in
endeavoring to steal money from a city
prisoner. Mr.. Mills demanded that
Smith discontinue his dirty work, and
was thereupon challenged to fight a
duel. Upon declining to accept. he was
WdtHCu " ain ululocll-
To return to the Lexington, Miss,
affair: The facts are briefly that dur
ing the summer of 1876 a fight occurred
in a republican convention to which
Mr.. Mills and his partner in business,
Mr.. o. s.. Lee, were delegates. Mr..
Mills was postmaster at that time. He
was always a staunch republican, and
could not, therefore, have been a men,
Der of the white league. Hence the let
ter referred to starts out with a lie.
Anumber Of colored democrats were
sent to disturb and break up the meet
ing, and during the fight a colored
man named Hill was killed. Mr.. Lee
vas arrested on the charge of murder,
but the evidence was such that the just
ice admitted him to 50. 900 bail for trial.
Mr.. Mills was not arrested, nor was he
indicted by the grand jury. This es-
tablishes his innocence. On trial, Mr..
Lee was acquitted on short notice.
After this Mr.. Mills was an applicant
for a special agency of the postofice de-
partment. His petition, which we have
seen, embraces the names of all the
state and county officials and attorneys
Of the county. Gov. Ames also gave
a special letter Of commentator to
Gen. Butler. About this time the mill
tia was being reorganized, and Gov.
Ames gave Mr.. Mills a commission as
Lieutenant colonel Of the First cavalry.
This commission we have seen; also