Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-08-03
CAPTURING A DESPERATE.


In the far west, particularly in the far
Southwest, the newly arrived settler of.
ten finds that he has strange aeighbors-
not only Indians, but white despera-
does, who are more to be feared than
even Utes and Apaches.
Two young friends of mine-good
steady, New England born young men
were SO unfortunate as to buy land in
the vicinity of an especially ugly mem
Der of this outlaw fraternity.
These young men had been brought
up to obey the law, and to respect the
property and rights Of their neighbors.
They could be brave enough in the de-
tense OF any just cause, yet they dread
ed and shrank from the use Of deadly
weapons against fellow being, from a
keen sense of the sacredness Of human
life, and the criminality involved in such
acts.
Such were Gilbert and Charles Small,
Plain, farm-bred boys, they had, by
steady labor and economy, saved up q
capital Of seventeen hundred dollars.
With this they had emigrated to Colora-
do and started small stock-farm, fif-
teen miles from Alamosa.
By availing themselves of the Home
stead Act and the Presumption Law,
they secured tract Of three hundred
and twenty acres of land, lying upon a
creek, with range extending back over
the hills, which was not likely to be ia
ken by other settlers. 9.
At q point q short distance below,
where mining trail passed them, and
where they judged there would be in
time q railroad, they built o frame
house, which they opened as hotel,
and in which they also kept stock of
groceries. For, like many other enter
prising young emigrants, they had an
ambition to found town and grow nm
with it.
Some eight or ten miles from th EN-
lived man named Peter Hergtt, who
professedly worked mine, but whose
place really was kind of a rendezvous
for renegade ''cew-boys," and other
desperate characters of the Jesse James
type. It was intimated that several
daring train-robberies had here been
planned, and also that "Clate Walker
made il one OF his stopping placss.
This Walker was a mol ~ 81 gambler
and dead snot. He was su !, posed to be
the leader ofa band of train-robbers.
and was said to have killed not less
than ten men in various affrays. And it
was said, too, that occasionally, when
times became too monotonous because
ofthe lack of excitement, he you'd kill
man. for fun, /" just to keep his hand
in. He had habit, also, of riuipg
through small towns and camps, shoot
ing promiscuously at everybody he SAW;
to keep up the terror of his name, q
matter he appears to have been vain of.
1t will seem well-nigh incredible to
people in the East, that such nan
should be allowed to escape justice and
TO run at large. Such is the ugly fact,
however, in scores of cases, owing prob
ably to the arrest Of these desperadoes,
who generally carry two and sometimes
three heavy revolyers, and are marvel
lously quick and sure Of aim,
As an example of the wonderfully
rapid and accurate shooting Of some OF
these frontiersmen, the writer re-
members seeing ascow-boy" at Ration,
New Mexico, ride his horse at full gal.
lop past telegraph-pole, to which was
pinned the round white cover ofa paper.
collar boz, and lodge four balls from his
Colt pistol in this small mark while
passing.
Afterwards he entertained us by
throwing into the air, one after another
handful of pig-nuts. and cracking each
% it fell with angle bullet. Then he
did the same thing again, tossing the
nut up rapidly an twirling the revolv 81
round his fore-fnger after every shot.
Finally, throwing the nuts up more
slowly, he replaced his pistol in it.
sheath at his hip after every shot, draw
Ing it for each succeeding nut, and did
not miss one out Of six.
This shows the accuracy and quick
ness of aim Of many of these laHless fel
lows, and such marksman was Clate
Walker; who added to this reputation
moreover, the more murderous one O,
being killer" which in the phrase 81
this section means a desperate who vii
shoot man upon the least ,prcvocation
Our two yonng stockmen had heard o
this border monster, but theiE first &C
tual acquaintance with hiheepegan thu
week after putin up their sign Of SMALL
BRDs., Hotel and Grocery"
Walker chanced to pass one morning
and seeing the new sign, reined in his
horse, and by way of calling the atten
ton Of the landlord to his arrival, drew
his revolver and opened fire on the sign
shooting the first letter Sto pieces. Their
dismounting, he kicked the door open
and walking in, demanded a Cock tail. ,
Gilbert who chanced to, be inside a
the time, told him civilly that there was
no bar connected with the house; fol
tr.le to their home principles, the younI
men had determined to keep item.