Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-06
HE WINGED HIS MAN.
A Robinson Township Citizens Duel
in a California Mining Camp.
BEATING AMAN AT HIS OWN GAME.
A Gambler Who Challenged the Wrong
Party for Once in His Life.
he DIDN'T SHOOT QUITE QUICK ENOUGH

Mr.. James Scarborough, OF Robinson
township, yesterday received an invitation
to join the Argouauts in their reunion In
San Francisco. Mr.. Scarborough was once
famous Nimrod in the Rockies. He, when
boy, fell in with Kit Carson, and, though
averse to killing Indians, had no very warm
side for them, as for many years they gave
hin much trouble. Hunting, however,
was a passion with him, and the woodcraft
he then acquired has not deserted him yet
and he can still trail game with almost the
unerring instinct of a honnd.
The advocates OF the culture of the IMAM
" art" claim that a knowledge OF it tends
to make possessor peaceful, on the ground
that he can afford to despise the bravado of
men whom he can ':do up" whenever he
sees fit, just as the lordly st. Bernard treats
with good-natured contempt, the snarls and
growls of the ill-tempered little ours OF low
degree that snap at his heels in the street,
A CASE IN POINT.
If man be of magnanimous disposition
the doctrine certainly holds good and case
in point is furnished by Mr.. Scarborough.
He once located good claim in one of the
California mining settlements and went to
work to make the competence he now en-
joys. Mr.. Scarborough's nerve and
ability as a marksman gave him courage to
hunt grizzlies, and he killed so many of
them, that he became known as GRIZZLY"
among the miners. The necessity Of prompt
ly putting a bullet where it would do the
most good soon gave Mr.. Scarborough the
biu Aa IN ic vrifh
curacy aYd pull the trigger almost at the
same instant If he didn't, the grizzly
would turn the tables and become the hunter.
His ability with Colt revolver was on a
par with his performance with rifle.
One day he was passing q gamblers roost,
where toughs of all kinds congregated, and
as it happened. was not "heeled." One of
the gang, a quick and dead shot. who had
heard of Mr.. Scarborough's skill, conceived
the idea that 1t would not only be sport, but
add to his renown, to kill Grizzly" in a
duel, and to bring it about hurled rock at
him as he passed, the stone whistling past
within few inches of his head.
FORCED TO FIGHT.
Though irritated, he was forced to put up
with the insult for the time, but expressed
decided opinion of the gambler, which gave
the latter an excuse to challenge, and as
Mr.. Scarborough could not refuse to accept
without rendering his condition UNDESIRABLE,
he chose a second, and there was a meeting.
He was advised that the gambler would
shoot before the fatal word was pronounced,
and exhorted to act accordingly, which he
did. As predicted, the gambler fired be-
fore the word was given, but Scarborough's
pistol cracked first, and the ball
from the gamblers revolver ploughed
the earth and his arm fell pow
erlesss by his side. Scarborough
had said he would swing" his man, and
true to promise he did, and the gambler was
taken off the ground with broken shoulder
In order to prevent repetition of the un-
pleasantness, Mr. Scarborough informed
his opponent that if it must be repeated he
would shoot to kill next time. He was
never challenged to shoot again, and as his
Berculean frame was known to be braced
with steel nerves he was safe from other
methods of attack. and was never again in
suited in that camp.