New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-24
HE DIED WHILE on DUTY.
A TALE OF WESTERN LIFE.
HOW FORMER NEWSPAPER WRITER WON RE-
sPECT IN COLORADO TOWN.

DO You see that man in a gray sombrcro. with no
big diamond said an old Colorado prospector to a
Tribune reporter in the .Astor House rotunda last
Thursday Well that's Tom , dc We're, Billy Do
Vere's brother"
And who was Billy de We're - asked the news
paper man, his eyes followed the old gentlemans
finger. There was tone Of indifference in the re.
pOrers question that the prospecor did not Ike, and
Il was some minutes before he replied We'll, If you
had been In H City, Colorado in 1872, you would
have known who Billy de We're Is. The De Neres
were NewYorkers, business men, who had carried on
substantial banking business for generations. From
father the business had descended since colonial
DAYS and Billy the first to kick over the traces
lie was literary kind Of chap newspaper writer sams
as you, only blamed sight smarter than you can
ever hope TO be- All these facts found out afterwsrd.
for when he walked into Jim Rey's gn-ml in H
City that morning there wasn't Of us knew him from
Adam. shall forget his appearance. Dressed IN
the horrible rags and covered with the accumulated
dirt of twelve days tramp, he was pltabe OBJECT
But his face the face OF Greek god. have
been through the Louvre, the British Museum. the
New York Museum and hundreds OF collections OF
statuary, but have never seen a face, craven or
human, as handsome Billy de Veres.
lie lounged up TO the bar and began reading
notice behind it, While he reading the placaTd.
big fellow who had been drinking at the further end
Of the gin MILL came up him and grnned in his face
so: $500 reward for John Higgins alias Indian
John, dead or alive. The above reward will be paid
TO the captor Of the abOvenamed John Higgins, by
Henry R, Marshal of IL County, Colorado MY
friend, concluded De We're. who guessed who the big
fellow was, I'm hard up. and I'm going to earn that
reward. ,Ou come along with me-
Higgins laughed out an oath and drew Dig tolt,
but before he could cock it his hand was knocked up
and De We're had struck him across the face with
whskey bottle Then grasplng the PISTOL "hch TIC
<pN vi
Higgins was struck dumb. For two months he hs
cr rn de his PATH e ey rbnte on all tie citizens
and killing those who refused him. lie had shot TWO
fore when this boyshlooking tramp held hls own sln
in Nj face ana s sd come 20 De- o Her ne or wa soe copG
while every one in the place held their BREATH no
= by --. you've got me I'll go with YOU
After that nothing in IL City was too good for
Dc We're, he wa, made deputy marshal, ana %
bccame rich. But he never got the big head, ana
was always quiet courteous Sentensa n; FIR
murder then in Colorado, and no horse tncit Hsro
proved against him lie became muS u, H. veSe.
Whenever he became noisy or developed tendency
to run thInS. lilly would march MN 10 Ipe MA,
a cowardy dog at heart. a. the story OF De ''ie'
death will show. ,,,,.... oi,c.
higgins and Riley had started game Of poker "itn n
an Eastern man. and In a quarrel tha' a,"so nJ
tpnderIOOt was knIChtu uoNlls
Higgins proceeded rob him. Just then pe "a
entered. and hauling the victim out 81 tie VA V ~
Higgins to come along The tough pletenoed 70
comply. and De Neres back wa hr is
he plunged a knife into the deputy marshsl's slde
De We're fell, ana Higgins and Riley began hGAn5
him bIuisly. Then Billy did one OF the heNlehst,
things ever heard of III territory where o heS.
the populati0n were ScoundreS and tie other nevcs
turning slowly fainting all the while nom los, %
srnundrciS dead i'm their tracks and then dol IL
was the most wonderful OF nerve ever heai1 9..
lie fell il was his duty 10 remove those t"o' "'D w
did it,