Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-14
HE CLEANED OUT THE SANCTUN
A Frontier Editors Lively interview With
q Horsethief. .

From the New York Sun: A plague o.
cattls.thieving had broken out violently in
New Mexico, and the ranch-owners were
losing horses and cattle in great numbers
when General Lew Wallace, then governor
OF the territory, was finally prevailed upon
to offer a reward Of $500 for the capture
and conviction Of the thieves. Bill Carnit
had had q good deal to do with prompting
the governors action by publishing q
rafting story Of the depredations unde,
the sensational title Of 1.-THE Forty
Thieves" and sending it to the general
along with a very apprsciative ive-column
review of ben Hur." Carnis was the
newspaper boss OF New Mexico.
Just as soon as the reward was offered
Jim Goodspsad, the deputy sheriff Of
Lincoln county, which adioined the county
in which Carnis' paper was published,
turned up in the editorial rooms.
"I'm for law and order, l am" be
shouted, sand I'm going in for that ere 70.
ward. Wallace is q brick"
"Good enough" replied the editor. "Go
it,"
Strange to say, the deception Of the ranch
beeyes continued and the horses grew
Carnis took q hand in investi.
eating the mystery on his wi hook and
got evidence that the deputy sheriff was
Tin" with the cattle thieves. He printed
the news with big headlines. 1t made a
tremendous sensation among the GO mblers
and toughs. and the respectable citizens as
well.
Two days later the mail brought this
message:
Take that back or I'll get square.
jim.
The paper came out next issue day with
a lot more about the forty thieves, but no
retraction of the story that the deputy
sheriff was a cattle thief. Word came to
the office that G%odspeed had said that he
would kill the man.who wrote tie lie.
He sailed into the sanctum one day with
a tremendous flourish. He hadn't sent in
any card beforehand. He had q big over
coat on, and the way the pockets bulged
showed that he had shooting irons in both
sides of the coat. His shooting irons were
always loaded, too. He went at Carnis
like o cyclone sweeping the prairie, when
the latter got up and looked around at
him.
"ssy,, you're the duck that wrote that"
"HuhI" lclutching his reyolyer.)
81 said 'Ah."
"Don't ah me. I say you wrote that
screed in the paper"
"Well?"
"Huhp (stepping forward threaten.
Il said, WELL"
SWELL, Well it's q damned lie, that's
well. And I came to lay you out if you
don't say 80 in your damned paper"
whats that?"
II said, Yes"
What in h do you mean guying me.
I'll blow your head of for q copper"
Don't"
"W.w-w.what?" with a gasp OF amaze
Carnis had gripped q shooting iron Of his
OWN by this time, and strange look came
INTO his eyes. He strobe up to G%oodspeed.
Il said, DON'T You heard me, too. 1
mean it,"
"Git out"
mo, there isn't any git out to il. I see
brought your gums with you. If you
iraw I'll try some Of the drop business my
elf"
Don't get excited now" ~(Goodspeed
vas toning down fast in bis bravado cres-
II may not get there first. but il I don't
md Mike hears OF it there will be q funeral
n Lincoln county, and Jim Goodspeed will
,lay the sad and solemn role of the man in |
he coffin" |
Mike was the boss gambler OF New Mex |
and he was known all over the territ DRY
70 Carnis' friend. That meant he'd fight
who troubled the editor. As be
a dead shot his likes and dislikes were
reatsd with q wholesome Difference by the
Goodspeed backed water swiftly
o the editor talked business.
"Say, there isn't any use Of getting mad
ecause a fellow objects to being called a
hief."
Why, damn your hide, you're " thief,
The editor pulled his revolver suddenly
8 he said it and continued:
"Git, or I'll try some target practice on
nat ugly face OF yours"
,unty al fast as his horse could carry him.
he fever to clear out the sanctum had all
# him. He wasn't afraid OF Carnis, but
did have q wholesome dread OF Mike, the
DIS gambler. He had narrowly escaped
inning into q bullet from Mikes pocket
in q little tilt with the boss
and he wasn't anxious to test the
TRENT report about Mikes prowess with
earns. j
Three weeks later a marked cop OF a
Inboln county exchange came into the
OF the editor, who had the boss
for q friend and reporter. 1t had a t
lumn Of poorly-printed matter with this Z
beading: .
Jim Goodspeed Lynchedl :
ncoln County Deputy Sheriff Caught :
Stealing a Horse and Hung by Vigil r
lance Committeeman t
and, what's more, the men who caught !,
n didn't apply for General Lew Wallace's O
ward. !.
e