The Dillon tribune., 1883-09-08
A KANSAS TRAGEDY.
The Story Of . Queer Old Frontlersman
Who. Was Known as s.Jesso."

The Story Of . Queer Old Frontiersmau
Who. Was Known as ..Jesso."
from "A Summer Scamper."1
The mystery of Newton was an old
man, dwarfish in stature, and deformed.
who kept saloon and gambling-house.
He had Observation-Disclosures face.
quick, shrewd eyes, and had only two
apparent objects in life, One was to
accumulate money, for he was perfect
miser, and handy man at all games Of
cards; and the other watclful and
tender solicitude for the welfare of his
daughter, the only being for whom he
ever showed any respect or affection.
She was beautiful girl, bright, intelli-
gent, and apparently loved the crooked
old miser. He was educated, and
taught her from books, in a building
half tent and half shanty, that stood
behind his gambling-house. She did
the cooking, and was seldom seen ex.
cept when he was with her. Every lux
ury that could be secured on the in
hospitable frontier was seized for the
girl by the old man, and the only
money he was ever known to expend
from the large quantities he gathered in
was LOT 0er dement,.
The story went that she was his only
child, and that he had come West to
make his fortune, in order that when
she grew to womanhood she might live
like lady in the States.
Nobody knew where he came from,
although he had for several years
driven team and handled some goods
OF his own on the Santa Fe Trail, nor
did anyone know his name. He car
ried nickname, as every other man of
consequence in the community did, and
It was derived from his peculiar habit.
ual expression ~Jes-so."
To every remark that was addressed
him, to every assertion that was made
in his presence, be it q matter Of din
ner or death, he had only one reply,
and that was:
"Jes-so."
The girl was about II, and was 80
carefully guarded that she was discon-
tented, and used to have sly flirtations
with COW boys and other hangers-on at
the camp, which would have ended in
murder had the old gentleman discov-
cred them. While he was at the card
table, she was chatting at the rear Of
her tent with one of her many lovers.
And one night she eloped!
The old man used to gamble all night
and sleep all day, and when he awoke
one afternoon from his slumbers, he
detected her absence. A COW boy
named Bunny" was also missing, and
the old man, by making inquiries, dis.
covered that they had been seen to-
gether during the previous evening.
He remarked "ies-so," as usual, but he
crawled through the town like a Wild
cat, and borrowing q horse, buckled
his revolver-belt around him, and
started across the prairie toward the
ranch where Bunny" was employed.
The next day he returned to Newton.
said "jes so" as usual, but sold out his
traps and disappeared forever.
Two days later, travellers along the
road reported that they had found, in
an abandoned mud-hut, near the river
two corpses, those of beautiful girl
and stalwart young man. They were
on their knees, their right hands were
clasped, and Catholic prayer-book
covered with blood, lay o: the floor be
side them. The old m had discov
cred the betrayal of h,s daughter b,
Bunny" had married them according
tc the Catholic formula himself, ant
then shot them both through the heart