Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-10-11
(To be Continued.
A WYOMING SHERIFF.
Locking Himself In u Corridor with Five
Prisoners to Subdue Them.

I'll think that the bravest man | evcr
knew" said the colonel TO a New York
Tribune man, 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 Uintah county, Wyoming,
Kit had his own peculiar code of
morals like a good many other western
men of that day. He borrowed money
in the most reckless fashion, but be
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 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 any
thing that walked or crawled, and he
was a dead shot every time his big
finger pressed Il trigger. He was oyer
8 feet in height, a lion in strength, and
a 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. aud people began to think that
Kit had got the worst of a hard fight,
when he rode into town one evening
and stalked up to a bar.
Where are your men, Kit? some
n 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,
christening two pairs of spurs from
the saddle, came back and threw them
jingling and ringing on the bar counter.
lone of them revolvers is mine
said Kit slowly. All the rest is SOU
venirs'-~s ooveneers,' he pronounced
il. i had sixty miles to ride back,
and l 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 a more yillainous set of
scoundrels was never collected than
the prisoners whom Castle always had
in the county Jail. The Jail was of
stone and was 1T the rear of the court
house. Inside the place was lined
with sheet iron. AMI along the end ran
the heavily barred cells. One e
ing the sheriff 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 released four
other d~esperadoes. When Kit opened
the door intoethe Jail the meu started
for him with q rush. Kit had time to
spring through the door and close it,
aud his prisoners would have been as
secur 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, believing in his anger. He
was too enraged TO shoot them. He
wanted to punish them for daring to
attack him. His strength and energy
were tremendous. aud he hurled the
five men into one of the iron n
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 to-
gether in his great jaw. he picked
them up one by one and pitched them
into their cells, securely fastening the
bolts.
Such daring and recklcssness as his
could belong only to- a man who did
not know The name of physical fear.
He was a born fighter, aud as n soldier
in a battle would have been remorse-
lessly fierce. But he had one enemy
stronger than he. Whisky snapped
his life when he was in his prime"