Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-07-30
The Story OF Big Jim
''He's a bulym
llLn'a O cnrunrl ~

"He's a cowardp
"He's got to hangp
''That's his third manrn
The one narrow street of the frontier
town was flled with surg ng crowd Of
excited men. They were Indian fighters,
scouts, gamblers, tramps, miners, specu.
housekeeping and everybody.
Every town has its bully-every from
tier town. Big Jim was the bully :
Hill city. He could drink more, curse
louder, shoot quicker and start row
sooner than any other man. When he
shot Timber Joe it was q stand-off. 1t
was rough against rough. Whoever went
under the town would be the gamer. The
death of his second victim brought him
certain respect, for he had given the
man fair show. There was a limit to
the number of men one might shoot in
Hill City. 1t was three times and out
Gig jim had killed his third.
Two hundred men-all excited-some
half-crazed-all indignant-some terri
bly, aroused, surged down the street to
the Red Star Saloon bent on vengeance.
Big Jim and the man he had killed were
alone in the place.
Bring him out?"
''Hes got to hangw
Bring out the bully and cowaru.
There was rush, but it was checked.
Men had knives and pistols in their
hands, but the sight of Big Jim with a
''navy in each hand cooled their ardor.
A life for life is no revenge. They lied
when they called him a bully. Bulies
strike and run or bluster and dare not
strike. hMhey lied when they called him
a cowai~. towards do not remain to
face death.
Big Jim advanced little. The crowd
fell back. He stood in the door and sur
veyed the mob as cody as another man
might have looked up at the pine-covered
crest of Carter's Peak. The mob grew
quiet. There were 200 right hands
clutching deadly weapons, but not a
hand moved Two hundred TO one is
appal ing Odds, bat the one was master.
Seeming to face every man of them
seeming to cover every breast with the
b,a k muzzles of his revolvers-the man
backed away up the road into the dark
ness, out of their sight and hearing. He
said not word. There wasn't whisper
from the crowd until he had disappeared.
Then men drew long breaths of relief. A
terrible menace had passed away.
Out into the darkness-down the
rough road-over the rude bridge, and
there Big Jim put up his revolvers,
turned his face square to the West, and
stepp d out without look back al
the camp. 1t was ten miles to Harney's
Bend. Men driven from the one camp took
refuge in the other. The half way land
mark was bit Of valley skirted by a
creek. Wayfa~ers who were journeying
by team many times halted here. On
this night there was lone wagon.
Uuder the canvas slept a mother and foul
children. Resting against u wheel wa:
the husband and father, his eyes peeriL 6
into the darkness-his ears drinking in
every sound.
/ Big Jim had not reached the VALLEY
yet when the still night air was rent will
war-whoops-the crack of riHes-th,
screams Of woman and her children
Indians had discovered the lone and al
most defenSeless family. There wer
five scalps to ado.n their lodges. Thu
bully and the coward had not been dis
covered. He could find a safe hiding
place. Did he?
A half-dozen screaming, yelling fend
were dancing about the wa2on--shoot
ing MISUNDERSTANDING in O.
the white man who somehow escape
their blows and bullets, when there wa
cheer and a rush, and the Navy
began to crack. Sixty seconds late
dead silence had fallen UPON the valley.
! One-two-t three dead Indians. 1'h
immigrant leaned against the Wagon
faint with a wound in his head. IT
wife looked out with an awful terror
her heart. Bullets had Clipped an
splintered wheel and body.
"Who are you2" asked the immigrai
asa figure approached him from the darl
ness.
big JIM"
"You have saved us from massacre
"Yes, it was we'll that l happene
along. Rouse up the fire, for there is I
further danger
When the blaze caught the fresh fago
and lighted up the little valley the INN
grant counted the dead Indians again
one--two-three. He turned with G.
tended hand, bat Big jim had departed
Next day, when men from Hills an
Harney's found his dead body bes de II
rocks a mile away, with five wount
which had let his life-blood out, the
whispered to each other:
"We thought we knowcd him, bl
we didn't" = Detroit Free Press.