Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-05

what Happened 60 Young NORTH
erner fn Esorderfand.
New York start

Sitting in the lobby OF the Hoffman
House last night entertaining party Of
friends with amusing accounts OF his
adventures in the Southwest was q tall,
slender young man with light hair, blue
eyes, and q sandy moustache, about
twenty-seven or twenty-eight years OF
age. He was introduced to Star re-
porter as Joe Norris, nephew OF the
late ex-Sheritf William @. Conner Joe
is New York boy, but he LETT home
when about thirteen years old, armed
with q dagger and toy-pistol, and
without the knowledge or consent OF his
parents went to Texas to annihilste the
Indians who were then devastating the
frontier of that State.
"One night in camp dispelled my
blood-thirsty desires" Joe candidly con-
fessed. During the night a pack OF
coyotes scented some fresh meat hungup
in camp. They squatted on the prairie
at little distance from where / lay
shivering in my saddle blankets. and set
up a chorus of such unearthly yelps and
howls that ] imagined all the Indians
in the country were charging us in
a body. IL was the first time | had
heard anything OF the kind. Ny hair
stif'ened with fright, and let out 2 yell
that made the other fellows Jump up and
grab their guns in hurry. They conld
sleep through coyote chorus, but my
scream was too much for them. When
matters were explained there was gen
eral laugh at my expense, and the wag OF
the camp ssrcastically nicknamed me
Coyote Joe. 1t was pretty hard. but
it was deserved and appropriate, for a
coyote is an animal easily frightened"
Norris drifted down to the southwest
ern frontier OF the Lone Star State, and
somehow or other was induced TO EN-
bark m the newspaper business. lie
started a paper at Eagle Pass, and had
rather a queer experience with one OF the
most desperate of tho many desperate
men in that locality at the time. The
adventure is best told in his own words
"At that time" said he, eagle Pass,
or Paso del Aquilla. as the Mexicans call
it, was infested with gamblers, horse
thieves, desperadoes, and all the other
adjuDcts of frontier town. Now 1t Is
an enterprising city, peopled with law
abiding and energetic citizens. Yves
Bruden's saloon was the resort OF the
worst element. In fact, it was quite
generally known that gang of wet
horse dealers made the place their head
quarters. wet horse traffic consists in
stealing the animals in Mexico and
swimming them across the Rio Grande
to sell in Texas, and rice uerS0.
"Shortly after taking charge OF the
Times l began publishing a series OF
articles on the side of law and order. In
one of my attacks on horse-thieves seve-
raj names were mentioned. notably that
of one Kingfsher. This fellow, 1t turned
out. was a regular man-killer. After the
article appeared the Office was honored
by q number of callers, all h0bitUes OF
Bruden's saloon, who, after giving me
glowing accounts OF Kingfsher's Prov
ess, left me with the comforting ASST
rance that no would shoot me full OF
holes when next he came 70 town.
Gas matter of course | was dubious
as to how the thing would end. King
fisher was a dead shot, and l was not
fond of shooting at all. Yves Bruder
had q carpenter make plain pine coffin,
and it was sent to me with Kingfsher's
compliments. 1t was terrible strain
on a fellows nerves, but, when a week
passed without bringing Kingfisher to
the front, / began to breathe freer.
Zone afternoon a handsome young
fellow of mild cast Of countenance
walked into the Office and asked for the
editor. After carefully sizing him up,
was mt home He seemed for a mo-
ment to be sizing US up, too. Then we
grew sociable. | showed him how the
types were manipulated, forms locked
up, papers printed, etc, and concluded
by asking him to subscribe. He looked
at me oddly for a moment or so. Then,
throwing ont couple of Mexican dol
lars, he said, with grin;
"'Send her along, pard.
"Then / asked his name, 80 that j
could enter it on the list
Kingfsher, was his reply.
"You can imagine how | felt The
HOOr refused 10 open up huu leI me
through, and my body firmly resisted the
efforts of my will to resolve it into in
visible atmospheric particles the only
thing | could and did succeed in doing
was to work up an artificial smile. King
fisher noticed my embarrassment, and
holding out his hand. said, laughingly
"'Say what you like about me, boy.
And if you want to call other folks
names, do that, too. ii they don't like
it, refer 'em to me-.
1.-THE fact that I was shaking hands
with a horse-thief didn't trouble my con-
science just then. Kingtisher admitted
that he had hunted up the office, think
ing there was a man at the head OF it, in
which event It's more'n likely there'd
a.been a matinee He wasn't around
Jumping on striplings. The latter senti-
ment was pleasantly reassuring, | re-
member. While / remained in Eagle
Pass the Times had no warmer sup
porter, right or wrong, than Kingfisher.
He was killed by Ben Thompson in the
Vaudeville Theatre in San Francisco
about five years ago, but he did not die
alone"