Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-09-08
A CURIOUS AFFAIR.

~ kVuA many years ago. Wneu ttle lheA@
lean Central railroad was under way, con-
struction stopped for several months on
an arid, desert plain south OF Chihuahua.
Almost instantly town sprung up ne
that point, and was christened Tracks
End, after many similar mushrooms.
The town consisted Of one side OF a street
and some scattering adobe suburbs, and
when IL was learned that the road would
not advance for some time, great horde
OF outlaws and adventures who lived on
the railroad men, and followed the line
as coyotes follow provision train,
came hOcking there. They were nearly
all American fugiuves, and found them
selves for the first time in their lives
where there was absolutely no law, no
military, no police, nothing except tho
dictates Of each mans particular deviltry.
SOdom and Gomorrah was Chautau-
qua circle by comparison. The gamblers
soon robbed all the workingmen Of every
thing they had, and then, for want OF
other victims, they fell to reuding each
other, IL was In this particular epoch in
Tracks Ends brief history that | arrived
In the place.
remembered the old proverh about
Roman etiquette when You are In Rome,
and sauntered into the hotel with all tho
nuuchalNnCe l could command, IL was a
miserable den, half wood aud half adobe,
ava the landlord was as promisinga look
ing villain as ever laid my eyes ON. I
registered by wiping my hands ON the
Office towel and took mental note to
sleep with one eye open. After going
through the motions of eating supper !
took a look at my six shooter and strolled
out to see the town, hut in few moments
found myself helplessly wedged In II crowd
and temporarily anchored in large
saloon and gambling house that l judged
to be the principal resort OF the place.
Directly In front Of me was faro table,
aud presently l forgot my annoyance in
watching little scene which was In prog
rcss there. The players We're mostly
gamblers, Judged from their pallor and
the indescribable ear marks of the profess
sion, but among them, playing his
money rather recklessly, was another
stamp OF man. He was hrawny,
thick set fellow, with the hands OF coal
HEAVIER and curiously innocent looking
face, in spite Of the bushy beard that COW
cred most OF H.
This player wns I'm had luck and pal
pably nervous, He moved his beta in .
hcsitating, half hearted sort OF way, and
muttcrCd under his breath and swallowed
in his throat when lie lost, us he repeatedly
did In u few moments his last chip was
gone, and pushing back his chair, he
leaned over the table aud said something
i could not catch, pointing to tho silver
box from which the cards were dealt
You're crazy" exclaimed tho dealer
loudly, half rising
What followed happened all I'm flash.
The thick set man reached over, seized the
box and held II To tho light. Whether he
discovered some unfair mechanism do
not know, but he wheeled with an oath
and dashed It into the dealers face, 4
roar OF excitement rose from the crowd.
was swhyed this way and that, and for
moment lost sight OF the table, and when
/ saw II again the dealer was wiplng the
blood from his face and the man who had
struck him was gone,
That was enough for mo. went back
TO the hotel, but l had barely seated my.
self and lit cigar when l heard sound
OF some ono running outside, then more
people running, then u hoRrse iangle Of
voices, followed instantly by two loud re-
ports and just two words,
"Oh, duu'tW
think | never heard so pitlful a cry.
IL struck right into my heart and turned
me sick, for instinctively associated 10
with the big, brawny man with the child
ish fnce; and right enough / was. The
gambler, man named Newton, had fol-
lowed him out and killed him. In little
while the hotel was full OF people talking
about the tragedy, and Que OF them
vouchsafed some details 10 me.
"His name was Ben White" Ba said,
land he was n squire man, lie was a
section boss on the railroad and had saved
some money, but the gamblers got hold
- Ill ~
found out tonight they Wero rObbinR
him, and that's how II started. The
queer thing about tits that when Newton
cornered him he got out his pistol first
and snapped all six chambers, but Il
wouldn't go Off, Nobody understands
that
This was strange, 20 say tho least, and
the next day II waa tho talk OF the town.
The failure OF the weapon had cost this
man his life, aud yet nothing seemed 70 be
the matter with e. On the contrary ~
was 10 perfect order; only tho cartfidgeg,
for some inexpncAble reason, wOuldD' eK-
plode IN Il, Everybody tried it and sveTy.
body gnye IL mp. The Bame shells, plhos6
in other pistols exactly like II, werd nrsd
without tronble, and half the gamblers 10
Tracks End firmly believed that the
weapon was bewitched or "hOOdooed, ~
they called it ..
SIX months Afterward, when Tracks
Eud was reminiscence only and ~
prominent citiEens had been divided b
tween the cemeteries and the ponitent-
nries 'Of the state the sequel Of thAt
tragedy came drifting 70 me through .
strange channel was talking 70 .
Mexican lawyer IN chihuahua, when he
saidi
"By the way, ! have curiosity 70
show you DO you teo anything nie mat
ter with that pittor ..
As he spoke he opened a door and
handed me n six shOOtsT--tha Identical
weapon which ben White carried when
he was Killed. / took II with consider
able TcpugnAnoe, and then he told me q
curious story. Tue hammer Of the pistol,