The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-04
MS LAST DUTY.
Death o. Colorado Mars h IL Who
Had Genuine Grit,

j w
Had Genuine Grit.
"Do you see that man in a gray
sombrero, with the big diamond?"
said an old Colorado prospector to
a Tribune reporter in the Astor
House rotunda. "Well, that's Tom
de We're, Billy de Vere's brother" :"
Sand who was Billy de Vere?"
asked the newspaper man, as his
eyes followed the old gentleman's
finger. There was a tone of indif-
ference in the reporters question
that the prospector did not like, and
it was some minutes before he re-
piled:
"Well, if you had been in H
City, Col, in 1872, you would have
known who Billy de We're is. The
De Veres were New Workers, busi-
ness men who had carried on sub
stantial banking business for gen.
erations. From father to son the
business had descended since colo
NAL days, and Billy was the first
to kick over the traces He was a
literary kind of chap-newspaper
writer-same as you, only blamed
sight smarter than you can ever
hope to be. All these facts found
out afterward, for when he walked
into Jim Riley's ginmill in H
City that morning there wasn't one
of US knew him from Adam. /
shall never forget his appearance.
Dressed in the most horrible
rags and covered with the accumu-
lated dirt of twelve-days' tramp,
he was a 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-
tons of statuary, but 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 a
big fellow, who had been drinking
at the farther end of the ginmill,
came up to him and grinned in his
face. Read 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 K
-, Marshal of H county, Colo
RADIO My friend, concluded De
We're, who guessed who the big fel-
low was, I'm hard up and I'm 60
ing to earn that reward. You come
along with me.
Higgins laughed out an oath
and drew a 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 bot
tie. Then grasping the pistol, which
the astounded ruffian had dropped
he said:
"Now, will you come? -
Higgins was struck dumb. Fol
two months he had been running
the place. shooting every one who
crossed his path, levying tribute or
all the citizens and killing those
who refused him. He had shot two
marshals and wounded the present
one, and was consequently consid
cred pretty tough man. Therefore
when this boyish-looking tramp
held his own gun in his face ane
said come on he was very nuck
puzzled. After gazing at De We're
for some seconds, while every one
in the place held their breath, hi
said:
"By-,yo you've got me! I'll g
with you
"After that nothing in H-Ci:!
was too good for De We're, he wa
made deputy marshal: and by buy
ing a share of the Little Roosevelt
mine, soon became rich. But h
never got the big head,' and wa
always a quiet, courteous gentle
man. Higgins was freed in few
months, tor they didn't hang 70
murder then in Colorado, and M
horse thefts were proved agalns
him. He became a much quiete
citizen and always had WHOLESOME
dread of De We're. Whenever h
became noisy or developed ten
dency to run things, Billy woult
march him to the lookup and keel
him over night. But Higgins wa
cowardly dog at heart, as tn
story of De Vere's death will show
"There had been big row. Il
Riley's place. Higgins and Rile.
had started game of poker wit
an eastern man, and in a quarre
that arose the 'tenderfoot' wa
knocked down and Riley and Hie
gins proceeded to rob him. Jus
then De We're entered, and haulin
the victim out of the way told Hie
gins to come along The toug
pretended to comply, and as 500
| as De Vere's back was turned b
plunged knife into the deput
, .oI,l,, e;do Do Vora fell an