The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-11
steer, and the cra1iest man for bug juice /

I once be nearly killed hlmselI drinking kero-
/ sene.
They staid at my place the best part Of
a year. was as faithful as / could be,
aud il was the hardest thing ever had 70
do. Occasionally he'd get a supply from
somewhere and we'd have the DEVILS time
with him. / used to think what pleasure
it'd be to shoot him at them times and let
on twas self-defsHse; but he was poor,
puny thing; I could hold him, even when
be was crazy, with one hand, and hadn't
really any excuse for using gun on him.
Finally told the greasers that the next
! time he got whisky I was going to start out
| aud wallop every man on the place and ask
no questions. But greaser vi do anything
| for money-exoept work-and suppose she
gave him some money, or he stole IL: for
when l came home from the upper range
one night heard yelling in the house: ne
was drunk. and she, ike a woman, was
making il worse by hanging around him.
begging and imploring him TO come and lie
down
"As run In ne raised chair to strike
her. She never moved TO get out Of his
way just sort Of bunched up ana shivered.
81 had my gun on me, and | shot him."
He turned to me hercely, as II had made
o suggestion or an accusation.
II didn't aim for his arm to keep him
from hittin' her with the chair; aimed to
kill him, and did. / killed him, and l
married her."
His chin sank. after this outburst, into
the great swell Of his voluminous beard, and
his big voice, that seemed TO be made Of
hailing ships at sea or roaring signals in a
storm, sank to a husky murmur.
"PsOr soul, poor souli She had nowhere
else TO go, and no one else to look to, aud
she married me when begged her to; but
she never knew another happy day. She
pinned for him. planted him In slightly
spot, under big live-oak. aud she used to
20 there and put flower things on him and
cry. She went days when she thought
was away; but knew OF it. and many's the
time I've wished it was me down there to be
sorrowed over.
81 expect about this time ] wasn't nice
man 70 be about; | used to feel like killing
something. mostly; and If l ever did any
thing TO earn me the name Of
BAD JOHN ADAMS
as Pm known, it was then. l didn't care
what did. We never saw any pleasure
together. know she pinned for him, and
kept his picture by her, but we lived to-
gether twelve years; then she took fever
In the spring and died.
"The day she died she talked to me good
deal about how kind I'd been, and how she
wished she could a made me happier. But
in the evening she went to sleep and woke
up little Eighty, and thought we was all
boys and girls at school again.
"Al at once she sat up in bed and
laughed, and her face looked like q little
girls. Pm going to him. she said"
He looked az me with a curious, ghastly
blankness. I'm agoing to him." no re-
peatsd; and again in husky whisper, "pm
agoing 10 him."
He threw out bis hand in O gesture Of in
tolerable anguish: HE robbed me living
and he robbed me dead She never spoke
again"
Presently he looked up "You've heard
about the girll Yon might have thought
she'd be a comfort to me. did everything
horse that could outrun anything in
Texas, o saddle had made for her In San
Antone--cost sl50---a herd and brand OF
her own. didn't want any one to wait on
her nos look at her but me- and, seeing the
time her mother'd had didn't want her to
marry.
Everything wentlovely for a while, and
saw tho most peace and pleasure l ever
snw ia my lfe--which amt saying much
whom she came TO me and told me she was
going to marry q low~down sneakipg chump
that never thought enough OF to keep out
Of her way.
''sjhe wasn't like her mother. / couldn't
do anything with her; whea shs said any
thing she meant IL; 50 pfisd drawing him
Oh; aud when ] found him snsaking back
to steal her
SHOT HIM.
"They tried me for that; 1 never will for
get the men that had it done I'll even up
the score with every one of them before
die.
''She's gone back 90 Missouri to her
mothers Kin folks. She thinks I'm too
wicked 10 live and not At to die, and she
writes to mo trying to get mo to repent
but know whether I've got anything to re-
pent of. send her money"
Mindful Of tho moral aspect Of the case l
tried little preach on my own account,
Not an orthodox one, perhaps, but said
that nelghbors were pleasant. kindly peo-
| pie, and that il he lived on better terms
with them he might find it so and be
happier.
He took it rs matter of course, and
somewhat humorously. "Of course you'd
say all that; women folks always do But
you've got pretty good sense; you're con-
siderable Of man yourself. I'm willing to
own that I'm pretty hard man, but I've
had hard luck. l know these people aud
| you don't, there's nothing they WON'T try to
work man for il he'll cotton to It. I've
lived fighting for my rights, and I reckon
that's the way I'll die.
But you'll send me the picture, sure,
/ won't youi I'll take any amount OF
preaohin' il you'll promise that You see
always think Of Matte as q little girl.
leave out all the time out here, and think Of
her as she was at your age and younger"
| The fine, fierce bedouin-lik face softened,
the keen eyes turned upon me the kindest
gentless gaze. ''Good-by," he said, "God
bless you" opened the gate, closed it after
me, and with q sweeping wave Of the hand
and with no further word, was OF down the
road at his usual laundering gallop.
sent the picture, obedient to my promise
| Recently railroad was put through his
ranch, he swearing, threatening and pro
testing to the last that he wouldn't have
his pasture cut up and his cattl,
all killed or scared to death. He wal
very loud and violent, and when g trair
was wrecked by distractions being PLACED
on the track not mile from his house non,
of his neighbors doubted his guilt. A grea
posse went with the sheriff to arrest him
They stood outside the closed door and calleC
upon him to surrender.
AS he himself would have described it. h,
kicked open the door and
TURNED LOOSE BOTH sIx-sHoorERs.
He killed and wounded several men. wa
himself mortally wounded, and died within
an hour, having savagely informed the mel
that he knew nothing about the wreckin,
of the train, but it didn't make any differ
ence, he was just as willing TO accommodate
them with little pistol practice
And his spirit went out, savage an,
defiant, to seek, maybe, for place wher