Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-03-24
Letter From Lame johnny.

resident Of Lame Johny for the Buffalo
| Gap News, and refused publication in
that Paper, was sent to us, with Il re-
quest that it be givan TO the public
! through the medium Of the CHRoNIClE; /;
LAME JoHNY, March Is, 49,
EpIToR News I'VE in this vicinity
We're muc h pleased with the course your
paper took in its comments on the
Walker examination. Ii il SO seldom
| n paper ever confines itself to PLAIN
statement of facts, that when one does,
We feel like saying well done. Most
| editors think they are the whole people,
and come out in .heir papers and de-
| clare their own sentiments 10 be those
of the community, when just the OPP
poete are the facts in the case 1t is
| this kind of editors which cause SO
| many people to discredit newspaper
| reports, 1t is not my object TO say any
thing in regard to the right or wrong of
the Walker affair but to simply notice
some of the ways pursued BY the papers
of the vicinity. The Hot Springs Star
of March 10th gives the facts of the
binding over, but does not stop there.
lie says there was no evidence TO
prove that Walker fired a shot; at all
events it is believed by the law abiding
ci liens of Buffalo Gap to have been
justifiable." Now, Justice Lewis who
heard the case is the oldest Justice in
Custer county; has held his Office right
along for eight or ten years has been
elected by the people every time and
would never have bound a man over
without some testimony; besides the
prosecution claims the testimony was
positive. What does the Star man know
about who are the law abiding citizens
of Buffalo Gap? | venture to say he
don't know what a law abiding citizen
is. | think it is a man who is willing at
all times to obey the law, and to aid 1t
in getting at facts; not one who says
don't investi. ate, don't have any hear
ing there have been two men killed,
but don't try TO find out who done it
don't ask if it is lawful we law abiding
citizens claim it is right don't question
our motives; If you do you are not law
abiding. | have been in Buffalo Gap
often since the sad affair, and find opin-
ion nearly equally divided among all
classes. Old timers who hardly ever
differ, do differ III this instance. am
| not able to say who are law abiding, and
who are not | hope all are NV opin-
ION OF the star man is, that he is first
class dude, i don't say it is the general
opinion without brains anough to tell
facts, and let people Judge for them
selves, and mas the big head SO bad, that
he thinks his mind rules the Hills and
he is not law abiding, for he tries to
defeat the law by creating public senti-
mept in every petty case. His state
ment Of the Clark cattle case is about as
| near the truth as he ever gets He saws
| Archer Clark and Thompson were paid
| 500 for turning states evidence. |
have been informed by cattlemen that
| they were not paid a cent, and that they
| did not turn states evidence; and |
don't believe cattle men bribe witnesses;
they leave that for the law abiding etc
The Star man also says that two Of them
were bound over in the sum Of 81 800
each. The facts are one was bound
over IN $500 and the other in 500. Now,
did he willfult lie, or is il possible for a
newspaper man to be mistaken? AS to
the rest Of his statements about the
Clarks, being his neighbors, and for all
know his associates, he may be correct.
Even the CHRONICLE, a paper that is
usually slow to PREJUDICE a case, says
public sentiment was in favor Of dis
charging the defendant, yet he was
there, and does not say. as does the Star
man, that there was no evidence. ]
think nearly all the parties Mr. Shank
land talked to, were witnesses for the
defense; there is no doubt that many
citizens of Buffalo Cap and some Of
them good citizens) were opposed to any
prosecution, investigation, or hearing Of
any kind but in all candor, does that
make them law abiding citizens? Let
us have the facts let the law take it's
course, and abide the results | don't
wish to say anything as to the right or
wrong of the shooting, but patience has
ceased to be virtue, and l am getting
tired Of such numbskulls as the editor
Of the Star, abusing dead men, who in
life were far above him in intellect and
truthfulness I have not seen his publ
cation Immediately after the shooting,
but am told it was ridiculous and false
What think you, Editor of the News is
he owned by parties who have spite at
cowboys in general, or is his course the
natural outcropping of the sucker dude =?
Now, Mr.. Shaver, | see by your course
that you wish TO keep out of this contro-
veIsy and fain would also, but ask
in justice to large portion of the citi-
zens of your county, who have stood
falsehood from the press without a
chance to reply in defense Of their dead
comrades, that you publish the above
and that if forced to write again in reply
to some dude editor, you give us space
in the Buffalo Gap News.
Yours for Justice,
COWBOY.