St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-13

appearance. Dressed in the most horri-
BILE rags and covered with the dirt of a
twelve days tramp, he was pitiable
object. But his face was the face of a
Greek god. l have been through the
Louvre. the British Museum, the New
York museum and hundreds of cOllec-
lions Of statuary, bnt have never seen
a face, craven or human, as handsome
as Billy de Vere's.
"He lounged up to the bar and began
reading "a notice behind it. While he
was reading the placard big fellow.
who had been drinking at the further
end OF the gin mill, came up to him and
grinned in his face. r. cad it out loud,'
said the newcomer. Billy did so:
Five hundred dollars reward for John
Higgins, alias Indian John, dead or
alive. The above reward will be paid
to the captor of the abOve-named John
Higgins. by Henry R, Marshal of
H. county, Colorado My FRIEND
concluded De We're, who guessed who
the big fellow was, Pm hard up. and
Pm going to earn that reward. You
come along with me-
drew big Colt, but before he could
cock it his hand was knocked up and
De We're had struck him across the face
with whisky bottle. Then grasping
the pistol, which the astoniShed ruffian
had dropped. he said:
"sNow will you come?'
Higgins was struck dumb. For two
months he had been running the place.
shooting every one who crossed his
path, levying a tribute ON all the citi-
zens and killing those who refused him.
He had shot two marshals and wounded
the present one, who consequently con-
Sldered a pretty tough man. Therefore,
when the boyish-lOOking tramp held his
own gun in his face and said, Come
on, he was very much puzzled. After
gazing at DeVere for some seconds,
while every one in the place held their
breath. he said:
"'By -, you've got me! Pll go
with you.'
'After that nothing in h City was
too good for De We're: he was made
deputy marshal, and by buying share
OF the Little Roosevelt mine soon be-
came rich. But he never got the big
head,' and was always a quiet. court
eous gentleman. Higgins was freed in
few months, for they didn't hang for
murder then in Colorado, and no horse
thefts were proved against him. He
became much Quieter citizen and al
ways had wholesome dread of De
we're. whenever he D6cdmo noisy OF
developed tendency to run things,
Billy would march him to the lookup
and keep him over night. But Higgins
was cowardly dog at heart, as the
story of De Vere's death will show.
There had been big row in Riley's
place. Higgins and Riley had started a
game of poker with an Eastern man.
and in quarrel that arose the tender
foot was knocked down and Riley and
Higgins proceeded to rob him. just
then De We're entered, and hauling the
victim out of the way, told Higgins to
come along The tough pretended to
comply, and as soon as De Vere's back
was turned he plunged knife into the
deputy marshal's side. De We're fell
and Higgins and Riley began kicking
him brutality. Then Billy did one of
the 'nerviest' things ever heard of in
territory where one-half the population
were scoundrels and the other heroes.
Turning slowly, fainting all the while
from loss of blood, till he drew his
pistol, he shot the two scoundrels dead
in their tracks, and then died. 1t was
the most wonderful case of nerve / ever
heard of. He felt it was his duty to re-
move those two and he did it,"