The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-10-10
(To be c%ontinued.)
A
Eocking Himself in a Corridor with Five
Prisoners, to Subduo Them.

II think that the bravest man l ever
knew" said the colonel to a New York
tribune man, was one of the worst.
His name was Kit Castle, and for some
years. SO long ago that my hair grows
graycr when | think of it. he was
sheriff of Uintah county, Wyoming.
Kit had his own peculiar code OF
morals like Il good many other western
men of that day. He borrowed money
in the most reckless fashion, but he
always paid it back to tho 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 v bold enough TO say so in his
face. for Castle was not afraid of any
thing that walked or crawled, and lie
was a dead shot every time his big
finger pressed a trigger. He was over
8 feet in height. a lion in strength, aud
a tiger when in Il rage.
"He started out alone on horseback
once when he was sheriff to capture
two horse thieves. He was gone for a
week. and people began to think that
Kit had got the worst of Il hard fight,
when he rode into town one evening
n stalkcd up to a bar.
"'Where are your men, Kito 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,
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 SOU
yenirs'-'sooveneers,' he pronounced
it. 1 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 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 at the rear of the court
house. Inside the place was lined
with sheet iron, anil along the end ran
the heavily barred cells. One even
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 despcradocs. When Kit opened
the door into the Jail the men started
for him with y rush. Kit had time to
spring through the door aud close it,
and his prisoners would have been as
secure in the iron-waIled corridor rs 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 net into one of the iron orners
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 IL by Il and pitched them
into their cells, securely fastening the
bolts.
Such daring and recNcssness us his
could belong only to Il man who did
not know the name of physical fear.
He was Il born fighter, and as a 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.n