The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-04
A WESTERN sHHRIFFs COURAGE.
Locking Himself in a Corridor With
Five Prisoners to Subdue Them.

rive PRISONERS to SuDdue Them.
From the Neto York Tribune.
81 think that the bravest man | ever
knew" said the colonel, twas one of The
worst. His name was Kit Castle, and for
some years, SO long ago that my hair grows
grayer when | think of it, he was sheriff of
u tab county, Wyoming. Kit had his own
peculiar code of morals like a coed many
other western men of that day. He Dor
rowed money in the most reckless fashion,
but he always paid it back to tie last cent
He never broke promise. But he would
cheat at cards at every opportunity. He
couldn't help it. Every one knew that he
cheated, but no man was ever bold enough
to say so in his face, for Castle was not
afraid of anything that walked or crawled,
and he was dead shot every time his big
finger pressed a trigger. He was over six
feet in hight, lion in strength and tiger
when in a rage.
HE started out alone on horseback once
when he was sheriff to capture two horse
thieves. He was gone for a week, and peo-
pie began to think that Kit had got the
worst of a bard fight when he rode into
town one evening and stalked up to bar.
"'W here are your men, kitp some one
asked with a laugh, thinking they had
slipped him.
The sheriff pulled from his belt three
revolvers and laid them down. Then he
went out to his horse and, unfastening two
pairs Of spurs from the 3ddle, came back
and threw them juggling and ringing on the
bar counter.
Zone of them revolvers is mine, said
Kit slowly. An the rest is souvenirs
'sooveneers,' he pronounced it. L had
sixty miles to ride back, aad l hadn't the
time 10 lead two horses with the corpses of
two horse thieves tied on their backs
49, IL l. u ~. C.
Perhaps a more villanous set of scoun-
drels was never collected than the prisoners
whom Castle always had in the county Jail.
The jail was of stone and was at the rear of
the court house. Inside the place was lined
with sheet-iron, and along the end ran the
heavily barred cells. One evening the sher-
if went into the jail to see if his prisoners
were all right for the night. One of them
had gotten out Of his cell and had then re-
leased four other desperadoes. When Kit
opened the door into the Jail the men
started for him with a rush. Kit had time
to spring through the door and close it. and
his prisoners would have been as secure in
the iron-walled corridor as in their cells
But the sight of the five men maddeaed
MIN. and he threw the door shut with a
loud clang, locking himself in the room
with the Others.
Drawing his revolver he leaped at the
men, believing in his anger. He was too
enraged to snoot them. He wanted to
punish them for daring to attack him. His
strength and energy were tremendous and
he hurled the five men into one of the iron
corners. Pushing them aud knocking them
about, he beat them over the head and
shoulders and arms with the but of his re-
volver until they screamed at the top of
their voices in their helpless agony. Then,
his teeth shut close together in his great
jaw, he picked them up one by one and
pitched them into their cells securely fasten-
ing the bolts.
Such daring aud recklessness as his could
name of physical fear. He was a born
fighter, and rs a soldier in battle would
have been remorselessly fierce But he had
one enemy stronger than he. Whisky
snapped his life when he was in his prime. p"