The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-11-27
A MILD-RYED MAN.

At Gunnison, Col, last August
while waiting for the small hours
of the morning to come around, We
were entertained with narratives IL
Illustrating the customs OF the
country, given by DR.. W. 8. C0ckrel
Lieuts. Febriger, Wagner and Weth
Grill, gentlemen connected with the
United States army, and others IA
miliar with life and death IN the
Western wilds.
DR.. Corkrell, on being asked
whether the reports of killing af-
trays were not greatly exaggerated
replied that some Of them were
while in other cases the truth haC
never been told.
There is a man." remarked the
Doctor, indicating medium-slZed.
mild-eyed person who stood In the
doorway looking into the billiard
room of the Tabor House, "who has
killed twenty-six men, and he is
only 81 years Of age. He is IL. b.
Matterson, of Dodge City, Kansas
He killed his men in the interest OF
law and order. Once he shot seven
men dead within few minutes.
"How? ?"
"While in a frontier town news
was brought to him that his brother
had been killed by squad OF ruff
fans just across the street. Taking
a revolver in each hand, for he shoots
readily with both, in this manner
(the Doctor here crossed his right
wrist over hic left in the form OF an
X),he ran over to avenge his brother.
The murderers became terror
stricken when they saw him coming,
and hastily lockedsthe door. Mas
terson jumped square against the
door with both feet, bursting it open
at the first attempt. Then he sprang
inside, firing Immediately right and
left. Four dropped dead in shorter
time than it requires to tell it. The
remaining three ran for their horses
in a vain attempt to escape flom
the town. He followed them up so
closely that before they reached the
outskirts all three had bitten the
dust.
cat another time" continued the
Doctor, 1.-TWO Mexican half-breeds,
father and a son, became very
troublesome in the mining camps.
They were the sharpest shots Ill the
country, working together with a
precision that made them invincible.
AS soon as one had emptied the
chambers Of his revolver he would
reload under cover of the other.
Many a miner had been murdered
and relieved of his outfit and treas
ure. a standing reward of $500 was
offered for their bodies or their
heads. Finally, Masterson resolved
to kill the half-breeds. They occu-
pied a cabin in an almost inaccessi-
BILE place in the mountains. One
morning, hours before day-break,
Masterson crept to the verge of the
clearing with a repeating rifle in his
hands. Hidden by friendly bush,
he reclined on a sack which he had
broughtlfrom his horse, that he had
fastened a mile away in glen.
Shortly after sunrise the door OF the
cabin opened wide enough to permit
the shaggy head of the old man to
protrude. After sweeping the boun-
daries of the clearing with search
ing eyes the head was slowly with
drawn. In a few minutes the head
reappeared, followed by body with
a belt of pistols strapped around his
waist and rife slung over his shOu-
ders. The old man carried water
pail, and at his side walked the son,
fully armed. MasterS0n covered the
old man with his rifle over path
to and from a spring a hundred
yards or so from the cabin at right
angles. The father and son were
earnestly, seemingly I'M
willing to re-eIter the cabin, before
the door Of which they stood for
some time. Thirty minutes passed,
which seemed hours to Masterson
before he could obtain what he con-
sideIed a favorable shot. Finally,
the Cd man made move which I'M
covered his son. Nasterson took adj
of his opportunity, and the
young man fell to rise NO more. Be |
ore the smoke revealed from
the shot had come the old
nan was a corps alongside of his
Joy, Cutting Of their heads. Mas
5erson placed them in his sack, and
started to exhibit his tropics in or
% obtain the promised reward, a
.wo-day's ride under a hot sun
and disfgured the heads so
hat they were unacceptable, tax
ne advantage Of which the authori- |
les refused to pay the reWard-"-l
nt+or II, he7r y o1.l. Sam