Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-04

-Four years ago, said Henry Norton,
was in Deadwood. 1 had returned from
an expedition up the Yellowstone river ant
published book on my research Dead
wood was at that day what Leadville is a
the present time-all life and fire. glitte
and riches. There were no beggars in tn,
streets and every man was The possessor o
gold, mining stock or unlimited credit.
was at the Dakota House end passed my
evenings, IN the main, at the theatres. A
one of the theatres a woman whom i haC
known in Detroit three years before wa
singing ballads. She was too noble ,
woman to tread the boards of any stage
but, like many others, gifted with swee
mezZo-soprano voice, she found in tht
variety stage an easy avenue to livelihood
She was woman, every inch, and wa!
always accompanied by q young sister Il
and from cities and their Michigan home
Beng an old friend, she felt perfectly a
home In my company, and we were to
gether much of the time No man il
Deadwood, except myself, would she per
NIT to act as her escort, and the conse
quence was that it was not many week:
until was envied by half the men in the
camp. On one night l refer to, after the
theatre, l went down to the barroom Of my
hotel for the purpose of taking drink be-
fore retiring. While pouring out glass oi
whisky a stranger walked up and accosted
me, saying:
6" You are Mr. Norton, believer
81 answered him in the affirmative and
invited him TO drink. He hesitated Q
moment and then called for lemonade
with 'a light STICK and asked me te
accompany him out to the street.
as You are man and gentleman and
l am the same. 1 love Miss - (men.
tloning The name of my actress friend and
she could love me, l am certain, were il
not for you
~ raised my hand to strike HIM down,
but the muzzle of a revolver, the butt Of
which was in his hand, deferred me.
stepped back couple Of PAGES.
al have thought this matter over,' he
continued, lowering the revolver, ard have
determined that one of us must die.
could have shot you down any night and
none would have been the wiser, but am
frank enough to make you proposition
"But shall offer no objection to your
marrying Miss -" | said hurriedly.
"She is nothing more than dear friend to
me. Go ahead and win her, man.
thought him crazy and believe to this day
that he was not in his right mind
"No,' said he slowly, with determi-
nation, this world is not large enough for
us two men. / will kill you before this
night is over, or you will haYe done me the
same favor. You are armed and shall have
an equal chance for your life; We will go
up the valley little ways and there settle
our quarrel like men. If l kill you, none
shall ever know whether the cases were
right or wrong, and if / fall it Will be with
no malice toward you.'
"He took my arm and we walked up
the street together. 1t seemed like duel
to me, and yet there was the man anxious
to murder me at my side. began to grow
nettled and was sufficiently reckless before
we reached the Bismarck stage road to have
fought him with bowie knives had he de-
manded 1t. Then, too, was angry at the
free manner in which he had spoken OF
Miss -. Up the valley we strobe.
Presently my strange guide and enemy
halted and said:
"'You will stand here and will step
ten PAGES further on.
81 obeyed the directions
"He paced off ten strides and, removing
his hat, faced me, revolver in hand.
''Hold on" said /. If your mind is
fully made up to shoot me, at least let me
know your name.
a. That makes no difference to you, SAID
he. 'It's as good one as you can boast
of. Please be ready to ire whenI count
to three"
81 am clever shot with the pistol and
can shoot the spots from the cards al
twenty yards, and felt perfectly confident,
no matter how good shot was my an
tagonist, that | could kill him at ten PAGES.
| drew my derringer and cooked 1t care
fully. was standing with my back to
the moon and he WIS little above me, and
the neon shone full on his broad brow.
He leveled his weapon and began to count.
As the fatal words were slowly pronounced
| raised my revolver and at the word three
pressed the trigger. We fired at the same
instant and / felt the wind of his bullet by
my head. He sank to his knees without a
struggle and fell upon his face In the snow.
My being in the shadow q little below him
and the moons rays on his pistol barrel
had, even at so short distance, disturbed
his aim. walked forward, turned over
the body, which was still warm, and looked
down into his face. My bullet had sped
true. There was small, blush looking
hole, from which the blood had not yet
sprung, in the centre of his forehead. If
any one heard the pistol shots they paid no
heed, and, not wishing to be arrested and
charged with murder, l walked down the
valley over the hard beaten snow and re-
turned to my hotel.
After minutes pause Harry Norton re-
lighted his cigar, emitting cloud of smoke
through his nostrils and continued:
"The following afternoon l saw quite a
crowd assembled at the city undertaker's 8.
l elbowed my way through the crowd and
asked an acquaintance standing near what
caused the commotion.
"Some cuss got sick of the camp, went
up the valley last night and committed SUI.
eide. The wolves were hoverIng about
and picked his bones pretty clean before
one of the men from the Homestake mine
came down town and found him.
SHE might have been murderedi" an.
swsred in questioning tone.
"No, he committed suicide was the
reply. His revolver was found in the road
and one chamber had been emptied. lie
just got homesick and went up there and
called himself and the wolves had gooC
meal and he can't be identified. He wa.
not murdered, for over $500 in bills were
| found scattered around"
81 walked away and shed no light OF
the mystery. In Deadwood where people
came in and departed by hundreds every
day, mysterious disappearances were rarely
reported | am in ignorance as to the
name of the man whom / shot down in
| that strange duel. and though I remained