The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-28
PIONEER DAYS IN NEVADA.
Story of Sam Brown, q Notorious Des.
perado and Murderer.

A few nights ago at the Rainier hotel Mr. NJ
V. B, Stacey was talking of pioneer days on the
Pacific coast. I've had lively times in Nevada
back in So said he. II went In with the first
rush, and was at Virginia City before single
house had been put up About fifteen hundred
men gathered there. all sleeping in tcnts-and
tough lot of desperadoes these men were Some
OF them would rather kill you than look at you.
They would shoot man with as little COM
Function as II he had been q rat. The day was
dull one when we did not have several muir
ders, and TO find dead men in the street when
VIC got up for breakfast was a common occur
renee And no one WIS arrested for these
crimes
s.Hangtown. one of the Nevada mining camps,
was SO named because seven men were hanged
there on one tree at one time. The ropes were
fixed so that all of the poor fellows were swung
of into the air at once / attended that bee, and
never saw livelier sight than those seven
wrefches, kicking, struggling, dangling, stran-
Cling.
s4The worst man ever knew was Sam Brown.
He was a big fellow, and the meanest, most
brutal and cruelest creature You could imagine.
His eyes We're so far apart that he could almost
look in opposite directions with them. He had
plenty OF friends while he lived, but not one at
his death. Everybody hated him; everybody
feared him.
..And he was afraid, too. He could never
stand with his back TO 8 man. In going out OF a
door he wouldn't go first, but insisted upon fol-
lowing. and when he sat down he would always
face the window. guarding against surprise At
night he invariably drew his bed mp against the
door so that his room wouldn't be invaded. in
that way be was coward, even though he had
killed eleven men.
sam Brown lived on the fat OF the land,
dressed well, rode fne horse, but never paid
cent. He would go into the store OF newcomer
TO Virginia City and, having ordered complete
new outfit. would put On the clothes and leave
the old ones behind. Then he would say. Charge
it,
charge it 10 whom
81 why, TO me - -.
s+Mho are Won
..swh BIO am I? I'm Sam Brown. Ask anybody
who sam Brown Is, and you'll ind out Charge
those buds now, do you hear Or
.And those buds were always charged and the
bill Ii unsettled To this day.
swhen sam Brown entered gambling saloon
be would walk over to table, pick up $40 or
So and going to the bar would invite sll the
boys 10 drink, and so spend the money like
man. Nobody dared 20 protest against his tax
dead de- u -'
where sam Brown standing near the bar
The nlsn said he had just struck town and was
looking for work
Sam Brown asked him if he wasn't going to
treat the fellows-strangers always treated.
.1he stranger replied that he was clean broke,
hadn't cent, and was hunting for job.
"Ihen take that you-yelled Brown-and,
drawing a knife, cut the man open across the
body just below the ribs
..The stranger fell forward, and died in few
minutes. But brown unCoDceTueCiE &atktu DC
mind the bar, took a big drink OF whisky, a
HANDFUL Of cigars, and calmly sat down by one
of the tables.
A little later the body OF the dead man was
carried out and put in a hole. Brown never Of
fered TO help.
s.That is simply sample of his daily be
havioT
sstlne dav saw him hammer a comrade in s.
saloon Curiously enough he was arrested by
United States marshal, and brought 10 trial
was witness against him. he was surly al
court sygore terribly at the judge, but finally
sfrssi ux for sentence. He was given thirty MIN
tltes In which 20 leave town
..He hacked up an old carpetbag and went.
little way cut be came 70 the hotel OF a rlan
named Van sickle, with whom he bad hsd a
quarrel over an unpaid bill Brown had threat
s,,1p 70 shoot Van sickle az sight. 80 Van sickle
who saw Brown coming ied IN terror and hid
under the bed.
ssMrs. Van sickle stood in the door and de-
elaresi thst her husband hHd run into the neld.
Brown STAYED around about hall an hour, Elfing
the bar and then rode on.
s.Yan sickle picked up his double baTrelied
rsae and rode eruss lots 10 bead brown OFT. HaY-
ing gotten ahead he hid In barn 10 wait
brown came gaiiopIug up
ayan sickle stepped oft, and with an oath
gave him both barrels
ssRfoun dropped from his horse. and was dead
.syan sickle gave himself up to the authori'
ties bat the juFy's verdict on the shooting wss
served him right.