The Portland daily press., 1888-06-02
FOUR KINGS.
The Most Singular and Unique Way
Of locating a Country Seat.
lDeadwood Tlmes.1


Of business In two busy towns.
In the spring Of 1871 the citizens Of Mime
sela a live mining town in the Black
Hills district, Lawrence county, made a
bid for the offices, which were at Spearish,
a burg much larger than Minnesota,
situated in the midst Of a rich agricul-
tural country SO cleverly did Minnesota
work the political wires in the spring election
that she was declared the county seat Of
Lawrence county by a meagre majority OF
fifteen votes The citizens Of Spearish did
not take kindly to this turn In affairs, and
when demand was made for the transfer of
the county records TO Minnesota they refused
to obey the Official orders and declared them
selves ready to fight 1t out not through the
courts. as it would take too long to settle II.
but with implements Of war, man against man
and their.challenge was promptly accepted.
for one night $50 armed citizens Of Minnesota
stole quietly into Spearhsh, and. breaking in
10 the court house, bore away the county re-
cords from under the very noses of the sleep
ing Spearfish belligerents.
There was music In the air next meSning
when the county records were found missing
and the Spearfish community set itself about
planning an expedition against Minnesota TO
recover the lost or stolen documents.l
The men CT Minnesota were not s0mn0lent.
1t was mining town and the lcitizens were
wide awake, thrifty dare-deyiis, who, aside
from filing their leather belts with freshly
panned gold dust, relished nothing better
than ahand-to-hand encounter with their fell
low man. And so, when one night Spear6sh
citizens. go strong marched into Minnesota
battle followed, in which two men were
killed outright and twenty-five badly wound
ed. During the melee Charles Williams and
Edward FentOn, two Spanish merchants,
broke into the office Of the town marshal,
where the county records were kept. and Sc
curing them started for Spearfish. Their
w-townsmen hearing Of their success
began hasty retreat, being holly pursued
blythe Infatuated Minnesota men, who had
discovered the success OF their opponents
strategy.
The two towns were about thirty miles
apart, and when half this distance had been
covered the eontending forces were 50 badly
used up that their leaders concluded to nego-
tate settlement OF the affair, IL possible
without more bloodshed. for by this time
more than fifty men were suffering from bull
let wounds or cracked skulls. The two fac
tions camDed on the banks of Minnesota
creek, which ran through a rich valley and
divided the auriferous hills from the undnla-
ting sweep of agricultural land 10 the south.
On this spot Anton Rorapaugh, the marshal
Of Minnesota, In whose veins ran an evenly
DdldnCcu Oh FIeucu anu luQiau
blood, and Peter Macstay, a sturdy Scotch
dealer in farming Implements and the Mayor
of Spearfish, met in consultation, while their
constituents rested on their arms, and glared
at each other across the muddy creek, ready
to fight at moments notice. yet willing 10
abide by the decision Of their leaders. what
ever 1t might be.
A little past noon the arbitrators met, and
their negotiations lasted far into the night
before satisfactory plan Of settlement had
haQu dQodQd and this how the
question Of the right OF possession Of the
county seat hOnOrs was to be decided.
Two weeks before the county seat emeule
James Carney, known as "Reddy," because
Of the great shock OF blazing hair that COW
cred his head, and William Edwards, known
as Blind Billy" on account Of having one
eye gOuged out in barr0om fight, had been
caught in the act Of stealing horses. Red
dy' was languishing behind the bars OF the
Minnesota jail, while "Blind Billy was incar-
cerated in the Spearfsh prison. These
two horse-thieyes were to settle the differ
ence between the citizens OF the rival towns
by playinga game Of poker. Each man at
the opening Of the game was to be given one
hundred chips, and the one who succeeded In
winning all the chips was to bring the eoun-
ty seat honors to the town he represented.
In order TO insure an interest In the game by
the men who played Il 1t was agreed that the
man who wol should be granted his freedom
| from the minute he laid down the winning
/ cards. With this understanding the horse
thieves were brought 70 Minnesota creek
| On the morning OF May Is, 1871, the game
began. A rough wooden table had been
brought from Spearfsh and set on a level
spot on the south side Of the creek, about If
ty yards from its banks, and at this table the
men were seated. Three men were selected
as anSfEbbltration committee TO settle any dis
pute that mfght,agis over the game, and
around the players wer9, Toned Gordon
of armed citizens for the PURPOSE Of keeping
back the men who were inclined 70 press
around the table. 1t was an exciting U<spa
test.
Two men fighting for their lives, and an
excited mob cursing when one Of them held
losing hand. The crowd fought and drank
and quarreled like Cayotes around the circle
of guards, and recklessly laid wagers on the
result Of the game. All day the battle Of the
cards went on, and at nightfall. so well had
the players watched their interests, their
sacks Of chips were about as evenly divided
as when the first card was dealt in the morn
ing.
News Of the holly contested game had got
back to both towns, and the citizens hOcked
to the scene of the battle. Merchants closed
their stores, and the postmaster, for the bene-
fit OF the stage-driver when he should arrive
with the mail, pasted notice on the Office
door to the effect that he had gone TO Mime
sela creek on important business, and the
date OF his return was exceedingly doubtful.
II the mail was large and Important one.
| the driver should bring 1t TO the creek, and
| the postmaster would distribute IL, as all the
| citizens were out there, and liable 10 STAY for
/ some time. And so, on the evening Of the
| first day Of the game, the banks Of Minnesota
creek presented the appearance OF smart
| Fires Of dry prairie grass and buffalo chips
| lit up the scene with a itful glow, while over
/ them the women Of the town cooked the
/ evening meal; children romped on the fresh,
/ green earth; excited men drank, wrangled
| and boasted; the guards leaned heavily on
their rifles and eagerly watched the players,
who eyed each other narrowly as they fought
| with the cool determination Of tigers. Now
and then one would mutter an oath as the
cards turned against him, but further than
this neither man spoke word, and when the
| morning OF the second day broke the two
men were fighting as coolly and as deter
| yet gained a material advantage over the
other. Refreshments were brought them
| and they played on.
Three days and three nights the game con-
tinned the players never for moment leav-
| ing their seats during that time. The fourth
| morning found the players almost exhausted
They leaned heavily on the table, but never
| for moment lost sight Of point In the game
Freddy had managed to run down his Op
ponents pile OF chips and was In the better
spirits Of the two.
| The citizens Of Minnesota were exuberant
over the prospects of their man winning and
poured whisky down their necks In generous
quantities as they rallied their Spearfish
either at the polls or at the card table.
The game had grown very exciting. as
Freddy" had won half his opponents chips,
and had opened jackpot for fifty more chips
which would tap" "BliddlBilly" II he stayed
and stay he did He showed his chips with.
out tremor. although he well knew II he
lost them his doom was sealed. He had
reason to feel confident, for he held four Jacks
AS soon as the situation had become known
throughout the camp every man, woman and
child rushed In the direction OF the players
and the Gordon Of guards was soon broker
through with the weight OF the struggling
mass Of excited people.
Freddy" held three kings and his fac
wore satisfied smile as he picked up thu
cards and asked BILLY" how many he wantet
"NOne," replied Billy"
The smile left "Reddy's face as he hear
this aud his hand trembled slightly as h
dropped his cards in front Of him. Slowl,
he lifted them. The first was a tray, tn
second-a king. Triumphantly he laid tn
four kings down before Billy" whose fac
grew ashen pale as he threw his four Jack
r In "Reddy's" face and fell back in his sea
completely exhausted.
Minnesota won the day and Freddy" hi
freedom after seventy-three hours Of despeI
, | ate fighting. The records were promptly d.
livered to the officers, and Minnesota enjoye
I the distinction Of being the county seat o
Lawrence county.
a.