Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-05-22
A STEADY NERVE

a STEADY NERVE
From tho Police News.
The nerve which shines forth in a
deadly crisis of cracking revolyers or
flashing knives is neither the only nor
the highest kind, but it is a noble and
an admirable quality, even when mis-
applied; and when we shall cease to
admire and respect it the human race
will have very little left whereof to be
proud. We shall have come to a sorry
pass when our blood shall fail to tlngle
to such a deed as that Of Mrs. Clusters
brave sergeant. He had arrested a de-
serter Of desperate character and
brought him to a little town in
Nebraska. While they were eating
dinner, the desperate picked up can
of pepper dashed the contents in the
sergeant's face and started for the
door. The blinded officer, even in the
inconceivable anguish of the moment,
thought only Of his orders to bring in
the prisoner alive or dead, and listen
ing for the footsteps Of the fugitive,
fred to the sound and dropped his
mani
AS striking an example of "pure
nerve" came under my own observation
two years ago, writes Charles f.
Lummls. Valencia county New Mex
leo, had been disgraced by along series
of cowardIy and awful assassinatlons,
done by young Mexican desperate and
his poems, series which eliminated,
on the l4th OF February, by my receipt
of leaden valentine, in the shape OF
two loads of midnight buckshot, The
question whether these influential
murderers should be punished had
entered into local politics and the
campaign was very exciting one.
At some Of the precincts the judges Of
election and the voters were alike
armed with Winchesters and six
shooters. Among those who were
active in the movement to overthrow
the evil men who had for years exer-
cised reign of terror over Bloody |
Valencia" was gentle, generous
Dumas Provoncher, one Of the pioneers
of the territory, and he was one of the
dozen of us whom the assassins had |
marked for death.
Shortly after midnight, OF election
day, the ballots of that precinct were
still being counted by a ilickering /
lamp, in long, low room in the plaza
Of San Rafael, and poor Proyencher
was there. He had just received |
news Of plot to kill the judges and |
seize the ballots at three precincts,
and leaned over to the the United |
States deputy marshal, Martin Gale
gos, to whisper warning. Gallegos |
is hardly more than boy-a com !
mon, illiterate Mexican youth, at
whose awkwardness and ignorance
most Of us would turn up our noses.
But that he had in him the stuff Of |
men he showed by the most gallant
act ever saw.
At that very instant there were six
hired murderes crouching at the open |
window; and while Provencher was
yet speaking one of them thrust in his
old Springfield and fred. The great |
ball struck Proyencher in
the aorta, and from that chief life |
fountain the blood leapt out in a tall,
broad arch. The stricken man gave
one low cry aud fell dead against
Gallegos, whose face and body were
drowned IN the squirting delugc. The
click OF another rifle came from the
window. There were still six living
targets in that lighted room for the
marksmen secure in the darkness
without. TO shoot at the assassins
were vain they were invisible and
could kill every man in the room be-
fore one could lift a finger against
them. There was but one thing to be
lone-to put out the hetrayihg lamp.
But that was thirty feet away; and
before the nearest man could reach
three steps toward it, all would be
,orpses. How long it seems, now that
come to tell about IL, how long it
seemed thenl But from the sound Of
.he shot Proyencher to the ring OF
mother that left the room in darkness
md the occupants in safety was really
less than two seconds. One could
Icarcely discharge two chambers Of a
lnnhlo-acfion ravol,,or ,,,ora .loerl,y