Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-04

WIS q hydra headed ..terror," too fher-
ever there were races, fairs. billiard matches,
prize fights or excitement of any kind, Jim
Dobson was there He had killed several
men and attempted to kin many moro. He
never paid for anything, and was generally
well supplied with funds, although he never
did a stroke Of work. Honest men Stunned
him, and many of those who knew him feared
him. His associates were of the lowest Of
botii sexes.
In one Of his shooting scrapes, during q
debauch some twenty years ago, his aim was
chambers OF his revolver in trying to kill his
adversary, without hitting him. Throwing
his revolver on the floor be exclaimed:
''Here, you ----.y you shoot I'll
be - if can"
When Rudolph went to San Francisco,
about nineteen years ago, TO play john Deery
for the billiard championship Of America,
an audience of nearly 5000 persons gathered
in the Mechanics pavilion TO witness the
game. Of course Dobson was there He had
bet heavily on Deery. When it became APP
parent that Rudolph would winnie having
but l6 to go, with the balls in hand, to
Deery's 163-Dobsdh stepped up to the table
just as Rudolph was about to shoot, and,
grabbing one OF the object balls, threw it at
random among the audience. Some one
caught ton the nose. Although Deery was
the favorite the audience wanted fair play.
Cries of ''Pnt him outi" proceeded from all
parts of tho hall Turning to the audience,
Dobson said:
'There amt here who can
put me out If any one attempts it I'll put
daylight through him"
No one attempted it The ball was brought
back and placed on the table, and Rudolph
ran the game out.
These are only two instances of many Of
similar nature, but they will suffice to indi-
cate the mans desperate disposition. 1t was
about year later that he met his Death
very unexpectedly, too, for his slayer was
quiet, inofiensive amateur b,lliardist of some
repute They had net at fancy ball about
a week previously Dobson, who had been
''bucking the tiger" that night with iudiffer-
ent success, asked for loan of $50, which
was refused With an oath the rmf-
fan told the man who had dared refuse
to comply with his wishes that he had better
keep out of his way In the future. as he
would kill him on sight.
"Oh, guess Frisco is large enough to hold
US both,n was the calm reply
On the following Saturday the two men
met on Montgomery street, near Market
Dobson stepped up to the other man and
CALCULATED:
II thought 1 told you to keep out of my
way. Now I'm going 20 kill your And he
made motion as if 60 draw his pistol.
'You wouldn't shoot an unarned man,
would your inquired the biliardist, calmly
well, if you amt heeled you go and heel
yourself, you ---; for the next time
l meet you I'll shoot you anyhow"
The billiar~.st, knowing the desperate
character of the man whose enmity he had
incurred, procured pistol forthwith. He
then went to the Occidental hotel and played
a few games of billiards. On going out he
saw Dobson half block distant coming
toward him. Thinking he had been seen, he
knew it would be useless to retreat, so he
awaited Dobson's coming in the hotel vesti-
bule. When the latter had got within a few
feet of him tho billiardist stepped out and
fired two bullets in quick succession into
Dobson's body before the latter had time to
cock his revolver Dobson dropped on the
sidewalk, exclaiming:
81 never thought you'd do this.n
''Well," said the other, 81 thought you
would, and so l made UP my mind to get
ahead of you if l could"
Dobson was then carried into a drug store
across the street.
Pull my boots Off" he said family to the
bystanders, and as soon as this was done he
expired.
He had often been told that he would ''die
with his boots on" as is generally the case
with desperadoes of his ilk in the west, but
even in this he cheated public opinion
The man who thus rid the community of
Jim Dobsons abncxious presence was not
only promptly acquitted, but even made a
hero of by many and complimented by some
Of the daily papers. |, who had seen Dobson
on Calistoga train compel the conductor to
give him change Tor $50, when he had given
him only SO for his fare, always looked upon
the killing as all act of self defense and upon
the billiardist as brave Mathew York
Herald.