Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-16
FOUGHT FOR HIS BRIDE.
DAVIS PERILOuS WAY TO MAR
RAGE WITH A HALF BREED.

He Had to Kill His Man a Few Minutes
After He Met Her and to Bear q
Family Feud for Many Months Before
he Made Clear His Title to Her Hand.
The marriage of Frank r. Davis to Miss
Dora Gilbreath ended one of the most ex-
citing courtships ON record in the Indian
Territory, and a true account of it reads
| like fiction.
Davis is an. Ohio boy, who came here
about two or three years ago, bringing
| with him pretty good knowledge of the
carpenters trade and not much else, except
an ability to pick a banjo and dance jig.
He was stalwart and willing, however,
and had no difficulty in getting enough to
do to earn living.
| The meeting of young Davis with Miss
Gilbreath was at an Indian ''stomp dance"
few miles south of here. In the dance,
| when the circle around the little fire had
been enlarged until it was six rods in diam
eter, Davis determined to join. He watch
| ed the circle until particularly pretty
| half breed Cherokee girl he had noticed
| came opposite him, and then stepped up to
| fall in behind her.
Davis did not know that an ardent ad-
| mirer of the girl was already right behind
her. The girl tried to make room for him,
but the other fellow, Tad Scott, grasped
her arm and scowled at Davis. The girl
| resented SCOTS doings, and a moment
| later Scott drew Il knife and made a lunge
| at his rival. Davis lodged the blow and
looked surprised. The girl thought he was
afraid and curled her lip reproachfully.
That settled Scott's fate.
Davis leaped upon him and, bearing him
to the earth, grabbed him about the neck
and choked him till he was black in the
face.
DAVIS KILLS HIS RIVAL.
The dance had been interrupted some
what by the fight but it went on after a
few minutes delay and Davis Joined in.
The choked man revived and got a six
| shooter. The girl saw the pistol and
screamed, and Davis jumped to one side
just in time. Scott's bullet grazed his ear
The next cartridge fortunately missed fire,
and before the next could be fired Davis
had Scott down again. This time the
young carpenter caught the revolver,
wrenched it away and struck Scott on the
head with it, fracturing his skull, so that
he died the next day.
After a short sojourn in prison Davis
was released, came back to his home here
and found himself extremely popular, save
with the relatives of Scott. Davis quickly
learned that if he stayed in the country he
| would have to fight them. Fortunately
for Davis the relatives of the girl were nu-
| merous, she being a descendant of old
Chief SiXkiller and of Oochelater as well,
| and were ali on Davis side
Davis got a warning the first Sunday he
passed here after returning from prison
He had an appointment with Miss Gil
breath during the evening and was told
| that Hank Jennings, a cousin of Scott,
was going to waylay him at a certain
place on the road to the Gilbreath farm
| Davis said he would keep his eyes open.
| and started to fill his appointment with
Miss Gilbreath. Instead of following the
| road he left it before reaching the place of
ambush, and making a detour came back
| into the road on the further side of Jen-
ningS.
HE HUNTS HIS ENEMY.
But it would never do for him to thus
turn away from danger He must fight
| or lose caste In the country. So he walked
down the road until he found Jennings,
who had Winchester rifle and was watch
ing in the opposite direction for him.
| Davis had only pistol and was not good
| shot besides, so he determined to stalk the
enemy.
With great care he approached until
| within two rods of Jennings, and then
some noise Davis made attracted the
| others attention. Davis plunged forward.
Jennings jumped up and turned, and then
| Davis fired. Jennings dropped his gun and
| held up his hands for moment and then
tumbled to the ground with bullet hole
| through his shoulder. For moment
| Davis thought he had better finish the lob
| by killing the rascal, but he had not been
in the territory long enough to do that.
Afterward he regretted his mercy.
| Learning that Duck Murray, a half
brother of the dead Scott, had publicly an
| nounced his intention of taking a hand in
the row by shooting Davis on sight, the
latter determined to prepare for war in a
| scientific manner. So he went to ex- Deputy
Marshal Spaul, one of the best shots in the
| Indian country, and asked to be instructed
in the art of handling a revolver. This
made great laugh throughout the coun-
try, for no one here ever thought of taking
lessons in shooting. Murray went about
telling folks it was a pity 10 kill school
boy, and nothing but sense of duty made
him think of doing it.
| PEACE WITHOUT DEATH.
| Luck favored Davis however, for he
happened to meet his adversary unexpect-
eddy one day rs he rounded the corner at
the postofhce. He clinched with Murray
Neither could draw a weapon. 1t was
rough and tumble FOR 4 few moments, and
then Davis got Murray's pistol and sprang
to his feet. The spectators leaned eagerly
forward to see the PROSTATE man get his
death wound, but once more Davis stopped
He could not kill "A helpless man just then
\ moment later, though, he was ready
to do SO, for Jennings, with one hand in a
sling ana a revolver in the other, arrived
and fired at Davis back. Davis felt the
bullet glance on his rib, and firing one
shot into Murray he whirled about and
faced Jennings. Both men fired together,
but Davis aim was the better, and Jen-
nings fell.
| Neither Murray nor Jennings was fatal
ly wounded, although no one knew it at
the time. and the crowd began shouting to
Davis to finish his job. Davis method of
doing this was peculiar. He grabbed Jen-
nings by the collar, disarmed him and
dragged him to Murray's side. Then he