The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-09
Saltwater, Minn., Thursday, Got. 8, 1890.

for duty, and he and Fin started out early
to post their notice. You ought to have
been there to see the look on his face when
he came to the ledge and found that had
just posted my notice. ordered them to
keep away from MY MINE. Of course all
the boys jumped in and said it was the
dirtiest trick OH record. Now Steve jumped
in again and said that if Fin and the VIC
tim would each give him fifty dollars he
would make me sign over my rights to
them. Fin took him up and paid over his
money, but as the victim had been at loss
through buying. Steve compromised the
matter by accepting Winchester rifle and
bowie knife as his share. Steve then
told s. that all the men in camp were
willing to help them, but that he wanted
him for his right-hand man for he had come
to the conclusion that the only way to get
me to sign over my CLAIM to that mine
would be to try what little hanging would
do So, all the preliminaries being ar
ranged, in the evening went alone over to
their tent. Steve stepped in and produced
a paper for me to sign. l refused. and he
called in the mob. s. carrying the Iope.
In the tusse that followed l got him by the
throat and he became all tangled up in the
rope. and one of the boys put half hitch
around the poor fellows neck. But had
presently to succumb to the pressure. as three
of them were sitting on my stomach, and I
said l would sign. Then the picnic
commenced. had the pen in my hand to
sign when this s. made some remark.
OF course had threatened death to all con-
cerned when they started in. and when he
spoke jumped up as if would have his
blood there and then; but l was induced to
keep quiet and signed. Nothing but the
blood of the man who carried in the rope
and tried to put it over my head would sat-
isfy me. 1t affected me so much that I
went out Of my head to such all extent that
s. took his blankets and slept out in
the woods that night Next day sent him
a note by the transit man-whO was acting
as my trlend-reQuesting s. to name
some friend of his to meet mine and ar
range matters for meeting, as under no
circumstances would an apology be ac-
cepted. He would not name any One so
Steve and Fin took him in hand again and
talked him up to the fighting point. When
l went to him in the evening he consented
to fight. wanted the fight to come off
Immediately with razOrs in tent without
lights. But he would not have it that way.
The best he would do was to fight that
night week, at fifty yards with revOlvers.
The first thing my second did was to get an
old suit of clothes and stuff them and put
ought to be- and have me practice shooting
at that 1t is not necessary to say that from
the pieces of paper my second brought in
to camp after each practice that / was a
dangerous shot. s. owned up to his
second. Fin. that he did not propose to
shoot with me after seeing what kind of
shot l was. So Fin started in to train
him for a run by making him jump over
and dodge under logs. etc. Well, to wind
matters up. the evening before the ell
counter was to take place Fin came in and
got SIS time for him. and after buy
ing a new Winchester from one of the boys
he lit out by the light of the moon. Now
what do you think. Yesterday three pros
pectors with full outfits came here and
went straight for the ledge. They were
the madest lot of men have seen for some
time. and they declare they are going back
down the river and will hang that internal
fool.