The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-12-12
The Pleasures of Cowboy grlticlsnis
Washington Post.

4
Mr.. John p. Cun, until recentlv the
editor of the Tombstone Afizonst Eps
itaph, is in the city, and tells q highly,
interesting story of q personal adven.
ture, from which it would appear :tdas;
next TO running faro bank, editing d.
paper in the u9ciyilizad portions of, the,
West is about as dangerous an uuderta.
king as man can well engage in He
went to New Mexico in 1871, and i'd
1874 was appointed Indian Agent for the
Apache tribes at San Carlos, Ariz1 1na.
In May, 1880. Mr.qOlum established the
Tombstone Epitaph as weekly. IL iss
now dourisbing daily He was frst
made Postmaster and afterward Mayor,
As postmaster he had hard time of it,
but as chief magistrate OF the village
lbrcnght, as he was, into almost daily
i<pntact with the rougher and more des-
Iperate elements, he grew accustomed to
write bis editorials in sight of histrnstyI
Colts six-sbooter. In attemptipgs to,
preserve order be made enemies Of thaf
cowboys. This was the first step in d,
long and protracted warfare which lasted
off and or for more than six months
First. there occurred drawn battlesati
midday between Mr. Gums chief of DO
lice and three officers and four cowboys.
Three OF the officers were badly injured (
and three.cowboys killed outright. The,
fourth, who happened not to be armed,
ran ayay and escaped After this Cit-s
izens Committee was formed and para
ded the streets day and night. armed s
with six shooters. needle-guls and Hem.
ry rifles. Mr. Clum assalled The cow
boys vigorously through The columns of
the Epilaph, and every time one was
brought before him ss magistrate he
imposed heavy fines. Then the coaboys
| lay in wait for Mr.. Clum, until he was
compelled to 90 heavily armed, and dsreti
not stay out after nightfall without being
attended by body-guard. Every edito-
lial added new fuel to the flame. The
cowboys rode into town by night and
tried to waylay the editor as be went to
his office in the morning. Luckily he,
escaped all their bullets.
Every ordinary plan failing the cow
boys handed together, and camping a
few miles from Tombstone, in deep
and wild esnyoni signed death s. head
agreement 10 kill Mr. Clum with pens
dipped in blood taken from aconvict's,
arm, and aflerward drank from a cup of
warm blood dilutedsEilh pure spring
water. This came to bis ears anil he
bought another six shooter aud another
Henry rifle, and never went out into the
street without being accompanied by,
several members of his police force The
chief of police was shot at and nearly
killed one night. Things were getting
very desperate, indeed, and the Epitaph
had great difficulty in getting out withs
out the death OF compositor or adven.
turous newsb ". Mr.. CHM slept in
room guarded by men armed to. the
teeth He did not remove his clothes,
but kept bis gun and pistol where he
could lay his hands on them instantly
Life was now becoming sach a burden
that he determined to pull up stakes and /.
move to some place where the shotgun
played less constant part in the pro-
giess of civilization and the msinte-
nance of the press. --To leave was, how
ever, not an easy thing to do, for the
cowboys, suspecting some saeh move,
had laid their plans accordingly, and
we're posted around the outskirts Of the
town in the bushes, ready to shoot him
as be appeared. as's'ii'' =
Mr.. Clum determined to reach Tucson
at any cost, and que dark night about 8
O'Clock got in stage coach and drove
cut into the prairie. 1t was bitter cold
and the horses we're galloping along Ia
the darkness and snow, and Mr.. Clum
was sleeping uneasily, muffled up. in his,
overcoat in the bottom of the coach,
dreaming of the good things in stors
for an editor when he gets 10 heaven,
when loud voice outside cried "Halt!'
He. jumped to his feet and the horses
suddenly reared back aud stoppei.
The order to halt and the commence (
ment of the firing were simultaneous
To the command, "Hold upr' the driver,
responded Gall rightr' but the shots
frightened the horses and they broke
into run. After running about a mile
one of the horses fell dead and the Coach
stopped. Upon examination it vas
found that the horse was fatally shot.
While this horse was being cut out Of
the traces Mr.. Clum stepped to one side
of the road to listen, as second ap-
proach of the sssailants vas feared. Be-
) lieving that the purpose of the attack
was to kill him, he decided to leave the
coach and take bis, s,chances on foot, as
he saw be had no chance of making q
= fight in the coach. He walked to the
!, Grand Central Mill, about seven miles
n distant. where he was kindly providel
/ for. After sleep of two hours he
started on horseback for Benson, arriv.
u ing there without any further trouble
n From there he proceeded to Tucson and
Is Immediately left for the East. Mr. Cluu
has sold his paper and will probably no
q return tn TOmhstone