The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-07-23
A Texas Scout.
now KANSAS KIT MET HIS DEATH WHILE
DOING HIS DUTY.


DOING HIS DUTY
A short distance above Bcnfcklin,
Texas, where the Middle. Good Spring
and South Forks Of the Concho river
unite and form the main COncho, is
little motto Of cottonwood and willow
trees. On the upper edge Of the motto
Is giant specimen Of the former variety
and at its roots, within sound Of the
rushing river in whose muddy torrent
he persisted, lie the bones Of Christopher
Poscy, better known along the South.
western frontier by the more familiar
title Of "Kansas Kit" Poscy came
down out Of the Northwestern country
and located at Fort COnchO when buffalo
hunting on the great Stakcd Plain was
profitable business
He WIS "killcr" and during the
buffalo hunting season found rcmuner.
alive employment. was on the range
with him several Seasons and found him
very agreeable and entertaining part
ncr. He was born on the Kansas
frontier and had never visited settle
ment larger than post town. He was
Ignorant Of lore learned from books, but
the great teacher, Nature, had found
him an apt and apprcciative student,
and in plain forest and mountain craft
he was unexcclled. He was an unerring
shot, II splendid trailer, n good horse
man and possessed Of IN abundance of
that cool courage 80 essential to the
frontlcrsman. lii the course of his
somewhat Chcckercd career he had
passed through adventures OF the most
startling and hazardous description, but
he rarely spoke about himself, and what
j learned Of his history was CLEANED by
dint OF much questioning in converse.
tons around the camp fire. Physically
Poscy was splendid specimen Of man
hood. He was over six feet in height.
broad shouldcrcd, deep chcstcd and rs
strong IA II mountain lion. When was
with him on the buffalo range hc was
strictly temperate, and ms buffalo killers
received pretty good wages he WIS able
to save up quite snug sum, which he
kept on deposit with IN Quitting trader.
After the buffalo left Texas Poseys oc-
cupatlon was gone. He knew every
foot of the country, however, and
secured position Mt Fort Concho as
one of the guides and scouts. He began
to drink, moderately at first One day
l saw him fighting drunk and bent on
painting things vivid red. After that
1t was no uncommon thing for him to 90
on sprces, during which he was quarrel.
some and dangerous.
He killed two or three men and there.
by enrolled himself in the "bom on
Bitter creek squadron" Presently he
became terror and men tolerated his
reckless and unlawful behavior through
fear, He always went armed to the
teeth and it could be truly said "that the
click of II six-shootcr and the groans of
dying man were music to his ears"
was Mt the post one day when Kit was
running things. Mounted on big
grny horse, he galloped up and down
the post, shouting and yelling like
demon. A half dozen six-shootcrs were
thrust in his belt and buffalo gun
rested across the horn of his saddle.
He amused himself by discharging these
weapons in the most reckless manner,
regardless OF consequences, and wound
up the days debauch by killing an limo.
cent and inoilcnsive old Mexican. who
hpppcned to be standing in the door
way OF casino rs Kit rode up
Some OF the men who were hastened to
their long account through the instru-
mentality Of his sN-shootcrs left behind
them devoted friends, who swore to
avenge their companions untimely
taking of, but somehow these post.
mortem avengers never succeeded III
"getting in their fine work." aud Kansas
Kits fame IN bad man, whom it was
dangerous to offend, spread all along
the frontier. In 1880, just before the
Victoria raid, Kit left Concho, as scout
and guide, in charge of party of emf
grants bound for the fertile plains of
lower New Mexico.
Among these emigrants was family
named Joyce, consisting of John Joyce,
his wife and daughter Alice. The latter
was beautiful girl of seventeen, ~
gentle as dove and rs fair as lily.
Joyce was from one of the older States
and had been man Of some property. |
Alice had been reared in comparative
luxury, but the rough camp life of the
seemed TO agree with ner and
'he was AS happy and light-hearted as a
ield lark. In their journey toward the
and OF promise the emigrants followed
he old Overland trail and reached Bars
canyon without accident or startling nd.
venture. They arrived at the entrance
70 the canyon Just ut night and Kit, who
was riding III advance, assured the tired
travellers that they would soon reach a
camping place. SO far he had discoy-
cred no fresh Indian sign and he was
hopeful OF conducting the party to their
destination without meeting any Of the
req men. Finally, half way through the
canyon, they reached little spring of
pure water and prepared to camp for the
night The tired horses and mules were
from the great "prairie
chooners' (they had been dragging
Trough the hot alkali sand all day, and
fter being side-lined and hoppled were
armed loose to Craze under charge of
NO men.
Some OF the emigrants gathered fire.
God and their wives and daughters be-
IN to prepare their coarse eyentide
cal. The little children played togeth-
III the sand. Posev shouldered his
lie and, entering rough arroyo, began
climb toward the top of the noun. q
N through which the canyon ran. He /
Dted to take an observation and make 8
re that there were no Indiana proyI- ~