Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16
A Frontier Hero.

from the Atlanta Constitution
Il 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 I
think of it, he was sheriff Of Utah county, wyom-
ing. Kit had his own peculiar code Of morals,
like good many other western men Of that dav
He borrowed money IN the most reckless fash
Ion. but he always paid 1t back to the last cent
He never broke a promise. But he would cheat
at cards at every opportunity. He couldn I
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 a dead shot
every time his big finger pressed trigger
he was over six feet in height, 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 gone for a week and people
began to think that Kit had got the worst OF a
hard fight. when he rode into town one even
ing and stalked up to bar.
"'Where are your men. KitY some one asked
with laugh, thinking they had slipped him.
line sheriff pulled from his belt three re-
volvers and laid them down. Then he went
out to his horse and. unfastening two pairs OF
spurs from the saddle, came back and threw
them juggling and ringing on the bar counter
One OF them revolvers is mine said Kit,
slowly. All the rest is souvenirs'-'soovenirs.'
back, and hadn't the time to lead two horses
with the corpses of two horse thieves tied on
their backs That was all he ever said about
the fight.
perhaps more villainous set of scoundrels
was never collected than the prisoners whom
Castle always had in the county Jail The Jail
was OF stone and was in 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 sheriff went into the
jail to see II the prisoners were all right for the
night One Of them had gotten out of his cell
and had released four other desperadoes
When Kit open 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 maddened him, 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
flushed with anger. He was too enraged to
shoot 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
and knocking them about he beat them over
the heads and shoulders and arms with the butt
Of his revolver 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 fastening the
bolts
.'such daring and recklessness as his could
belong only to q man who did not know the
name Of physical fear. He was a born fighter,
and as . soldier in battle would have been re-
morselessly fierce. But he had one enemy
stronger than he. Whisky sapped his life when
he was in his prime"