The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-03
bleD WHILE ON DUTY.
How Former Newspaper Writer Won
II spcct In n Colorado Town.


brero. with tho big diamond" said an
old Colorado prospector to n Tribune re-
porter in the Astor House rotunda
"Well that's Tom dc Ncrc, Billy do
Ncro's brother"
"And who was BILLY do Verep" asked
tho newspaper man. as his Dyes followed
tho old gcntleman's finger. There was
tono Of Indifference in tho reporters
question that the prospcctor did not
like. and it was some minutes before he
replied. well, if you had been in
Il City, Colorado, in 1872, you would
have known who Billy de Wore is. The
Do Veres wcro Now Yorkers, business
mon, who had carried on n substantial
banking business for generations. From
fathor to son the business had de-
scended since colonial days and Billy
was the first to kick over the traces
Ho was literary kind Of chap; news
paper writer, same rs you, only n blamed
sight smarter than you can ever hope to
be. Al these facts l found out after
ward, for when he walked into Jim
Rilev's gin-mill in IL City that
morning thoro wasn't ono of us knew
him from Adam. Il shall mover forget
his appearance. Dressed in the most
horrible rags and covered with the ac-
cummulated dirt of twelve days
tramp, he was pitiable object. But his
face was the face Of Greek god. |
have been through tho Louvre, the
British Museum, tho New York Museum
and hundreds of collections of statuary,
but have mover seen q faco, craven or
human, as handsome as Billy dc Vero's
In
reading notice behind it. While no
was reading the placard, q big fellow
who had been drinking ut the further
end of tho gin-mill, came up to him and
grinned in his face. Read it out loud,
said tho newcomer. Billy did So
5000 reward for John Higgins, alias In
dian John, dead oralive. The above re-
ward will be paid to the captor of the
above-named John Higgins, by Henry
R, Marshal of Il County, Colo
RADIO My friond,' concluded De Voro,
who guessed who the big follow was,
I'm hard up, and I'm going to earn that
reward. You como along with me-
Higgins laughed out an oath and
drew big Colt, but boforo he could
cock it his hand was knocked up and De
We're had struck him across the face
with whisky bottle. Thcn grasping
tho pistol, which the astoundcd ruilian
had dropped, he said:
" Now, will you Gomez
Higgins was struck dumb For two
months he had been running tho
place shooting every ono who crossed
his path, lcvying tribute on all the citi,,
zcns and killing those who refused him.
lie had shot two marshals and wounded
tho present one, and was consequently
considered pretty tough man. There
fore, when this boyish-loolzing tramp
held his own gun i'll his faco and said
come on, he was very much puzzled.
After gazing at Do Wore for some
seconds, while every one in the place
held thoir breath, ho said:
BY George you'v@got me! Til 60
with you.'
After that nothing in Il City was
too good for Do We're, he was made
deputy marshal, and by buying share of
tho Littlo Roosevelt mine soon bccamo
rich. But hc never got tho big head
and was always quiet, courteous gen.
tlcman. Higgins was freed in Il few
months, for they didn't hang for murder
then in Colorado, and no horse-thcft was
quietcr citizen and always had whole
some dread of Dc Wore. Whcncvor he
became noisy or developed tendency
to run things, Chilly" would march him
to tho lookup and keep him over night
But Higgins was Il cowardly dog at
heart, rs tho story Of De Vcro's death
will show.
There had boon big row in Rilcy's
place Higgins and. Riley had started {.
gamc of poker with an Eastern man.
and in the quarrel that arose tho ten
dcrfoot was knocked down, and Riley
and Higgins proceeded to rob him. Just
thcn De We're entered, and, hauling tho
victim out of tho way told Higgins to
como along Tho tough pretended to
comply, and as soon as Dc Vcro's back
was turned he plunged Il knife into tho
deputy marshal's sido. Do Nero fell,
and Higgins and Riley began kicking
him brutally. Then BILLY did ono of
tho 'nervicst' things ever heard of in a
tertiary whore one-half tho population
wore scoundrcls and tho other heroes
Turning slowly, fainting all tho while
from loss of blood, till he drew his pis-
.oi nc shot the two scoundrels dead in
their tracks, and then died. 1t was the
most wonderful case of ncrvo | ever
heard of. lie felt it was his duty to re-
move those two, and no did it"-N. Y.
Tribune.
4 Curious Enterprise.
a curious sort OF industrial enterprise