New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-13
FIRST SHOOTING IN CAMP
WILL IT BRING LUCK TO THE Cr;,
UALENEf
A TRADITION or CAMP

| OCCUERRD-rHE ACQUITTAL or THE SLAVE,
| fPROM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
EAGLE CITY, Idaho, June 20.-There ara
many unpleasant ways OF dying, but do not know ar
in which deaththat ignoniny OF our nature "-sbor
more completely ignomnlous. utterly barren q, on
dignity and devoid OF all comfort than death by shoot
in mining camp. Yet every miner with any pretenso
to education knows that camp be prosparon
until at least has been shot IN it, streets Pro-
| perity In mining camp Is kind Of mandrake which
| springs from the blood of murdered men Not In n.
aware OF this argues gross ignorance in mlner-grea.
OF knOwle ige Of the world No great public work
IT has been said for benefit OF mankind can even -
civilized countries be firmly built unless the blood q, 10
best workman go cement it, foundations; and fro,
the building OF the walls OF Rome the building q, tina
Brooklyn Bridge there have been but many fatal er
ampes Of its truth The distinctive peculiarly howeye,
IN the case OF mining camps that death 1. OF any
avail to bring luck unless 1t be brought about by pist
shot knifehrust Yet for all that the necessity 40
this baptism blood is universally recognized by the cid
OF Eagle. and though there Is man OF them bs,
heartily desires the prosperity OF the camp whole
months Suffered to pass the city without ora
day OF them MI finding a man for breakfast. And TIT,
showed, the miners agree, small spirit OF orbcar-
in the citizens for 1t Is asserted there have been
plenty OF men about the price of whose life the camps
success would have been very cheaply bought
Two three have, is true been shot in outly
camps and there has been shooting IN Eagle itself on two
three occasions but until the day before yesterday no
one had killed Nor this be ascrbed any lack
OF fighting qualities the part OF the citizens. for OF
the chief salOons" OF the city Is By two brothe
well known throughout the Pacific coast, and WHOSE
names are familiar ia every mining camp IN America az
having against them n record" OF twenty men, Such
again as " Red-handed jim" Pistol Dick" and
"Qucksho Sam" speak for themselves. 1t merely
chance, then u bad lHck many woud call III which keO.
Eagle free from blood for long Now. however. the
spell has been broken. and miserable tragedy or
devoid OF any touch OF light 10 relieve is
monOtony OF utter ptifuness 1t would be easy to
imagine. Yet this death precisely that which Is
by three ont Of every four who do in new mining
camps. To the ordinary miners eye presents not
OF the commonplace; but to who has MOI
spent his life camps 1t If it would DC hard 10
paint death dreary and repulsyc in all Its crcum
stances
THE TRAGEDY.
lie was young OF a family well known and
honorcd along the but the society OF camp has
but small respect persons. owning considerable inter-
ests in the mines having recently made good sun
OF money by the sale or quartz led Se. The who
killed him was known TO have the blood Of more than one
man his hands already. They quarrelled about
woman, and the shot the sidewalk where he
stood dying minutes after ward with oath upon lis
lips feet him. in the gutter lay the
about whom he had fought too senseess with drink,
was at once seen, to be OF any witness. That
was at 3 o'clock in tho morning At 10 o'clock an i'll
quest was held but the too tpsy to ocia,e
and the deputy who took his place scarcely sober
enough go through the bares ormaties OF the Oc-
oason Such as it was, however, the inquest over
before noon, and at o'clock the same Afternoon
scarcely twelve hours after he shot the dead
was buried in vacant lot In the city.
few minutes before the time appointed for the burial
it occurred to one that perhaps it would be decent
10 have kind of a ceremOny-sOme few words OF tho
Scriptures read perhaps the funeral; so while tue
body, han holm ed lsf ia
way to the grave young lawyer wlo had never known
the d'ceaoeu man aVei "'ts sluIe o'et upon W q
dead Then IN the presence OF score or 80 of miner
strangers or chance acquaintance OF few days or
weeks, men who had perhaps drunk glass OF whisky
with him ut bar exchalged an oath or two with him
the street.-the WAS buried before any OF his family
relatives could yet know that lie was dead
THE TRIAL, AND SOME PHASES or CAMP ETHICS.
Next morning -yesteiday vas examination
Of the man who killed HIM log cabin the court
ROOM and at rough deal table in the centre sat side by
side two benches the judge being the deputy coroner
the day bcfore, the counsel for the defence. he
prosecuting attorney, Shorthand clerk rhc young
lawyer that dictated ut the funera and the prisoner
Close to the end of the table stool sat the woman
who was the cause of the shouting. her rich crimson
velvet dress looking strangely misplaced and out Of sym
patty with the and the place Round tnls Gen.
tral group open space Of few feet Of boarded
floor and outside that again ring Of miners three deep
rough haired, hluDel-,hrted, hisn booted men with
pipes IN their mouths. the smoke from which made the
air and gave each speaker ht N coughing ~ no
rose 10 address the court The background OF rough PINE
log walls finished of the picture and 10 wns altoseihra
strange scene With tho dim light, tho ring Of hard
featured men, the small mcoucerned-loOlns groups
the table and In the the garing crimson velvet
dress and pale face OF a woman.
Not much interest vas sson in the proceedings, for no
one doubted what the result would be- 10 dl not seem
To be ybOdys business to DO particularly sorry 0f the
dead man. and from purely moral STANDPOINT there Il
nothing offensive to a miner In the mere shooting
man such code Of ethics the miner has he acts upm
scrupuousy. But 10 IS curious code, anl in no POM
moro curious than with regard To tho taking oi hnmm
no When shoot man don't expect 10 be punlsho
for it, we may frequently hear 10 said; bat ~ soon ~I
stonl a dollar want to be hanged right or" stealing
indecd 4, the cardinal crime ir the miners moral cih
d,r, and the most aggravated form of theft - the pT
loinng of another mans gold dust-the Immediate 10
suit, OF honest toll on the other hahl stealing another
mans land-or jumping claim rs lootta upon eii
emily, chiefly 80 bee Il require, courage ~ cermp
Kind Yon cannot put = claim Ia your pocket thsn make
for the railroad by night AMI get put or the country
must be- done with pluck and tho claim has To be- held
the uiullc of % rifle. 80 when claim II jumped the
miner. no not tutn ont hang the jumper thoy would
IN ho bnd stolen another man. horse 0r lust II l.
ou'.tion between man and man. ana the neighbours
Nm, much "A, the lord, and ladies ~ KING Echards day
galt cred 10 look 10 uil OF treason ~ ''nD'' D't
worst OF bad men ,hy which is meant men VINO are
AWAY. ready u use their pistols WI" seldom shool a.
uu,rincd mani and when bDth comhalani' nave guns
in trr Iul4 cacn /. shooting iu selt-drrncc. leoE
~ mo Nils the other murderer; ice I, ohy ihe pI
t,, man ol the two In the present ct,e not Only va
rcyol,rr found Ia the dead man, utnd, put tco oDah
her. az It had been ,chArsed. That aiono WAS qua"
enough to acuuil nj. killer 81, ,.
81 the proceeding, IA the smoky ltle cAWu W.
watched with only a lmgud interest Ihr thkoiX
,'njcrs w5s continually smun1 one pair oi ufI
bont. .uruonuitd with flannel shirt rough Deliu sn
tipr ln,lcd In. iouuscd AGAINST IN" WAL i"In,Is,
i,,'nitcs and lolfel cat a-,u To bee replaced ID Mo
n,rrispy similar pain OF boots, hannc ,nltt belu
pipr Impa,,loned eolucuoe Win su,h 'h nhg,ai,
a. hc counsel the Indifference OF thc prisoner aHl
lem ,ne OF the judge showed plainly cn0ush u,tSs
',, ll mo moro d3ubt To what th1 fc,dll N1uu,
IN had The outside public. So all through uc ~ .,.
fn,,nai farce draso amid the smoke ana "a"
-. nm. nm nln-. al uL.u-- ~.