Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-12-09
EDITING IN ARIZONA.

John L. Clum, until recently tn
editor of the Tombstone, 4. I.
Epitaph, is in the city, and tells ;
highly interesting story of persona
adventure. from which it would ap
pear that, next to running a fare
bank, editing paper in the uncivil
lied portions of the West is about a.
dangerous an undertaking as a mar
can well engage in. He went to New
Mexico in 1871, and in 1874 was ap
pointed Indian Agent for the Apache
tribes, at San Carlos. A. L. In May
1880, Mr.. Clun established the Tomb
stone Epitaph as weekly. 1t is
now honrishing daily. He was
first made Postmaster and afterward
Mayor. As a postmaster he had a
hard time of it, but rs the chief
magistrate of the village. brought, as
he was, into contact with the rougher
and most desperate elements, he grew
accustomed to write his editorials in
sight of his trusty Colts six x-shooter.
In attempting to preserve order he
made enemies of the cowboys. This
was the first step in a long and pro-
tracted warfare which lasted off and
on for more than six months. First,
there occurred drawn battle at mid
day, between Mr.. Clnm's Clief of
Police and three officers. and four
cowboys. Three of the officers were
badly injured and three cowboys killed
outright. The fourth. who happened
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caped. After this a Citizens Com
mittee was formed and paraded the
streets day and night, armed with
six shooters, ncedleguns and Henry
rifles. Mr.. Clum assailed the cow
boys vigorously through the columns
of the Epitdph, and every time one
was brought before him as a magis-
trate he imposed heavy fines. Then
the cowboys lay in wait for Mr.. Clum.
until he was obliged to so heavily
armed, and dared not stay out after
nightfall without being attended by
n body guard. Every editorial added
new fuel tc the flame. The cowboys
rode into town by night and tried to
waylay the editor as he went to his
| OlllCt III tilt lllOIuliiS. ltthl,f he
escaped all their bullets.
Every ordinary plan failing, the
cowboys banded together, and camp
ing a few miles from Tombstone. in
a deep and wild canon, signed a
deaths head agreement to kill Mr..
Clm with pens dipped i'll blood taken
from convicts arm, and afterward
drank from cup of warm blood, di-
luted with pure spring water. This
came to his ears and he bought
another six shooter and 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
We're getting very desperate indeed.
and the Epitdph had great difficulty
in getting out without the death of a
compositor or an adventurous news
boy Mr.. CHM slept in a room
guarded by men armed to the teeth.
He did not remove his clothes, but
kept his gun and pistol where he
could lay his hands on them instant
ly. Life was now becoming such a
decided burden that he was deter
mined to pull mp sta kes and remove
to some place where the shotgun
played less constant part i'll the
progress of civilization and the
maintenance of the press. To leave
was, however, not an easy thing to
do, for the cowboys, suspecting some
such move, had laid their plans ac-
cordingly. and were posted around
the outskirts or the town in bushes,
ready to shoot him as he appeared.
Mr.. Clum determined to reach
Tuscon at any cost, and one dark
night, about eight o'clock, got into a
stage-coach and drove out into the
prairie. 1t was bitter cold, the horses
were galloping along in the darkness
and snow, and MIR. Clum was sleeping
uneasily, mufiled up in his overcoat
in the bottom Of the coach, dreaming
of the good things in store for an
editor when he gets to Heaven when
a loud voice outside cried "Halt!'
He jumped to his feet, and the horses
suddenly reared back and stopped.
The order to halt and the commence
ment of the firing were simultaneous.
To the command Hold up" the
driver responded "All right" but the
shots frightened the horses, and they
broke into a run. After running
about a mile one of the horses fell
dead, and the coach stopped. Upon
examination it was 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 approach
Of the assailants was feared. Be
lieving that thcSpurpose of the at
tack was to kill him, he decided to
leave the coach and take his chances
on foot, as he saw he had no show
of making a fight in the coach. he
walked to the Grand Central Mill
about seven miles distant, where he
was kindly provided for. After a
sleep Of two hours he started on
horseback for Benson, arriving there
without any further trouble. From
there he proceeded to Tuscon, and
Immediately left for the East. MIR
Clum has sold his paper and will
} probably not return to Tombstone -
} Washington Post
A BALL Room CARA ball room
, car is the latest novelty introduced
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