Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-07
A WESTERN sHERiFF's COURAGE.
Locking Himself in . Corridor With
Five Prisoners to Subdue Them.

From the New York Tribune
Il think that the bravest man ever knew, I"
said the colonel, "was one of the worst. His
name was Kit Castle. and for some years, so long
ago that my hair or ows grayer when think of
1t, he was sheriff of Uintah county, wyo. Kit
had his own peculiar code Of morals like good
many other western men Of that day.
He borrowed money in the most reck-
less fashion, but always paid it back
| TO the last cent. He never broke a promise
But he would cheat at cards at every oppor-
| tunity. He couldn't help IL. Every one knew
that he cheated, but no man was ever bold
enough to say 50 in his face. for Castle was not
afraid OF anything that walked or crawled and
pressed trigger. He was over six feet in
| height, a lion in strength and tiger when In q
| rage.
HE started out alone on horseback once
when he was sheriff to capture two horse
| thieves. He was gone for week and people
began to think that Kit had got the worst Of
| hard fight when he rode into town one even
| ing and stalked up to a bar.
"'Where are your men. Kit?' some one
asked, with laugh, thinking they had slipped
him.
''The sheriff pulled from his belt three re-
! volyers and laid them down. Then he went
| out to his horse aud christening 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 sovenirs'-'soove neers,
he pronounced it. i had sixty miles to ride
back, and hadn't the time to lead two horses
with the corpse of two horse thieves tied on
their backs. That was all he ever said about
the fight.
Perhaps more vllanous set OF scoundrels
was never collected than the prisoners whom
Castle always had in the comfy 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 sheriff went into
the Jail to see If his prisoners all right for
the night One Of them had gotten out OF
his cell and bad then released four other des-
peradoes. When Kit opened the door into the
Jail the men started for him with rush. Kit
had time to spring through the door and close
u. and his prisoners would have been as secure
In the irOn-walled corridor in their cells.
But the sight Of the FIVE men maddened him,
and he threw the door shut with 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 shoot them. He wanted to punish them for
daring to attack him. His sire myth and energy
were tremendous. and he hurled the five men
into one OF tho iron corners Pushing them
and knocking them about he beat them over
the head 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,
ne 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 man who did not know the
name of physical fear. He WAS born fighter,
and as a soldier in a battle would have been
remorselessly fierce. But he had one enemy
stronger than he. Whisky snapped his life
when he was in his prime"