The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-09
TEXAS TALK.
a Man who knows the no
ted Jim Currie.
His views regarding the Muir
derer of Ben Porter.
Why the Republicans stand no Show
il that State.

| Last evening a representative of TIE
ARGUS met at the Fl arper House. u. W.
| Robertson who is residence OF GsiVest on
Texas, at one stime was quite. intimately
acquainted with Jim Currie the N urderer
OF Ben Porter.
10 reply to questions Mr.. Robertson
stated that no did not believe that the
Currie whose death was EchroDicled IN the
tele graph columns OF the diff :rent papers
WAS shc Jim Currie who shot Ben Porter,
aud Maurice BARRYMORE at Marshall Texas.
two wears aeo. His reasons for not giving
crederce to the reported death OF Curri
was that Currie swas not 10 that part OF
Texas at the time of the killing besides
the original jim CurrieswouId Enot let a
man kill him, or at least shoot twice at
him swithout returningl the FIRE. The
speaker thought that Jim Currie had
determined to quiet down, and the con
duet Of this Currie who was killed was not
in keeping with sJin's we'll known be-
| bavior,
JIM CURRIE
said Mr.. Robertson was originally from
Otto and Grst came down into Texas as an
engineer on one OF the roads which had
been com pleted through the state. He
snbse quently was promoted and was made
a travelling detective of the Texas railroad
and he was in that capacity wheE the kill
| ing of Ben Porter took place at Marshall.
| Currie was generally regarded as a quiet
man except when he was in liquor, and
then he would fight at the drop Of the hat
and sometimes drop the hat himself
His brother is Mayor OF Shreveport. and
foer gentleman cannot be found any
where.
TIE SHOOTING,
u heard the testimony at the trial and
consider that under the circumstances
Currie ought to have been released. The
testimony submitted was of character to
show that he wss intoxicated at the time
and maguiGed. trihiug remark into
fancied insult
Mr.. Robertson continued by saying that
Currie was intoxicated and visited the
eating room where he found Ben Porter,
Maurice Bergman and Miss Ellen Cum
minis seated at the counter taxing refresh
ments. When he came IN, the party made
some passing remark about his being
under The iohuenee of liquor. Currie
retorted In language more forcible than
elegant. Barrymore .thereupon attempt
cd, after few more words passed between
them, to remove his coat, land Currie fred, |
striking Barry mere apdEand killing Ben
Porter,
THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY.
ut is the custom of the couD;ry," said |
Mr.. Robertson, as if to.explaiu why a man
should shoot another because the latter
attempts, to remove bis coat. even for The
purposessof chastising hip, Barrymore
should have known that akdrunken man
was not the:nfoFes perscnsto talk reoson
to, and when he gave the least indication
that he wa1ted;to isht,sCurrie acted as
the maj ,rity Of persons in Texas act when
under tie influence of liquor; he shot him.
Down in that country, Q man never wants
to 60 into quarrel Qniess be j. prepsred
to GO to the axtreme length. and kill his
adversary rather than let his adversary
kill him. This was one Of the old customs
that has not been thoroughly radiestod.
but great progress is being made, and
before eng, barring the impetuosity of
southern blood. Texas will be as quiet and
peaceful as any other state ia the Union.
POLITICS.
In regard to the political feeling he
stated .theughEhe was Republican. he had
never experienced any. difficulty from ex-
pressing himself all over the state. He
did not attempt TO argue with a drunken
man, IS the chances were that the intoxi-
Gated individual voul3 p9t stand any con-
tradiotion. lie did not think the kepu6-
lean party would ever amount to much in
any of the southern states for the reason
hat the majority of voters in that party
aere negroes who were not fitted to cast {
their votes. and were led By corrupt Office
holders. The party tried to perpetuate
To rule in Texas even after the votes were !
ganst such thing, as they had done in
Louisiana and other states. This caused
he liberal eieDaLt tq d;struss the party,
Ind under its present name thekepablioan
party can never increase, even with all thef
government patronage; and If once defeat
ID in a national election. the Republican t
party would fly to pieces and new parties .
would be formed. In that way the solid +
eoEr line in politics. Mr.. Robertson q
concluded By DECLARING that Texas was the !
.randest state 10 the union, AID had
future.
The Greatest Blessing. Il
A simple. pure. harmless remedy. that .
ures every time, aud prevents disease by
.eeping the blood pure, stomach regular.