Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-07-27

Dlu net taAac Litc liz tAs
Least.
A few years, when l MAS ia the cattle
business, started cut of the little towt
of CGero, Texas, on my return 20 Sar
Anionlo. Cuero was aud is still sor
of headquarters for the cowboys, and it
has been the scene of some OF the
bleodlest encounters ever Witnessed
1t was there that two factions frequent
ly met in the wretched. dirty streets
and the minute they caught sight o.
each other they always began poppln9
away with rife or revolver.
The NEST desperate villain connec-
ted with this crowd was John Wesley
Hardin, the son ofa preacher, and a
fellow who to my certain knowledge has
killed more than a dozen men.
There was a good deal Of drinking
and careusing in the town, and hurried
through my business, mounted my
mustang, and struck off at an easy
gallop for San Antonio. Only a little
way out | drew up at the roadside and
went into one Of those miserable little
Texas iuns to get something to eat. l
had scarcely seated myself at the table
when a small, bright.eyed fellow came
in, set his gun behind the door, and sat
down on the other side OF the table,
We nodded famillarly to each other e1-
changed few words, and passed such
food as wa needed, we being the only
Two in the rOom.. He asked me which
way was going, and when mentioned
"Santone, as it Is always pronounced
in Texas, he said he would have 10
turn off before going far. We paid our
bill. mounted our mustang, and moved
Of side by side. As my companion
although uneducateG, was quite intelll'
gent, kept my horse down to a walk
50 as 10 converse with him during the
short distance We were to be cOmpan-
ions.
You're from the North, amt you?
he asked.
replied that was, but that L had
been in Texas several years
What do you think OF the country 2
he asked.
1T has grand possibilities before 1t,
1 re piled, with considerable earnestness;
its area is so proaigious that it i'
capable of making a dozen good-'ized
States, and its soil, climate, and natural
facilities mark it as the coming empire.
But it has its disadvantages alse.
WHAT'S them!' asked my companion
more eagerly than grammatically.
well enc thing is the need Of better
government. There is too much out
lavry. Texas averages q murder a
day, and have heard the authorities
state that there are full thousand
murderers running at large within her
borders to-day
THAT'S too bad said he apparently
quite struck with my truthful statement.
/ concluded 1 had a native Texan
with me and 1 Nould give him a little
needed advice, or, more properly liz
formation.
4 never saw any place where crime
ls viewed with such leniency, if net ad-
miration, as In Texas. The greatest
glory ola Texan is to boast Of being o
bad man. and ne one is Of much ac-
count who has not killed some one
All this has got to change before Texas
can make any really material progress.
The best thing she can do just now is to
hang her Longleys, her ThOmpsons
and John Wesley Hardins'-
DO you know any Of those fellows"
interrupted the little hOrseman beside
ne.
nc, nor do 1 wish to, excepting that
would like to pull one end Of the rope
that was TO hang them. Ifeel special
hatred of Jehn Wesley Hardin
Why SOP
well, he's the son ola preacher, who
named him after the great founder o.
Methodism, and he is the worst sort o
a despclado. He hasn't any redeenain
features. lie is a cowardly murderer, a
man Who kills in mere wantenuess, and
| would give five hundred dollars thl'
minute for the privilege of stranglius
the lite out of him. He is curse tC
Texas, and there ought 10 BE reward
offered TO the first man VINO Will shoO
him on sight. The Lone Star STATE
must be purged of such pests before sh'
can thrive
THAT may be so, said my compaior
quietly, hut all I'ye got to say, stranE
er. is that my pane is John Wesley
Never until that minute Was pre-
pared 10 believe that mans hair ac'
lually rises on end when he is struck
with terror, but when that horseman a
my side announced himself as the terri
BILE desperate whom l hadbe denoun
1;et,nctlv ielt nv hat slide up M