The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-18
FIGHTING AFTER DEATH.
story OF Feud at Hell-to-Pay Mining
Camp.

lamp.
II seems they were born with heritage Of
hate. Children Of Kentucky families and Ken
lucky feuds. they grew to manhood bitter
enemies. Then something occurred ono day
in that little town of Harrodsburg. 10 -
twenty years ago. and what u was no ono
knows now Whisky Ike who was from Ken
lucky. too said be heard something of q Sis
ter of one stepping IN between her brother
and the man who sought 20 kill him. hu.-
let pierced her heart and she died on her
brothers breast. Whether 10 had been Bill
Sanger's sister or Jnck Ellerhees. Ike did not
know. says a story teller IN the Evening sun.
Ike had the shiyers often now, and hard luck
and bad whisky, both in plenty. bad made
his ideas hay.
Fate IL strange and relentless. What Is 20
be will be-. And Bill Sanger and Jack Eller-
bee met face 10 face in the Red Mule Saloon,
AT Hell-to-Pay mining camp. Just forty miles
from Deadwood. The smoke cleared away.
and Jack Ellerbce was dead beneath tho
rickety p0Ol-table. Bill Sanger was down too.
but he had lived nearly week with the five
i4-caliber balls in him. They were both
strangers and death wasn't a rare thing 90
licil-tO-Pay So nobody knocked of work 10
tend 20 the planting OF either. md the .iO
found In Ellerbee's pocket was turned over
10 Lazy Jake. IN consideration of which he
took charge Of the remains.
Lazy Jake buried them right on the top ~
the slope of Hell-to-Pay No. ]. Jake did this
because il wasn't far. and as the other grave
yard around the camp were private ones, Jake
did not care 20 hurt any ones feelings by put
ting the strangers anywhere where the two
graves would add TO the list Of victims of some
man who did not kill them.
few days afterwards story went the
rounds that the night shift coming ont had
heard the sounds OF two men in deadly strug-
gle just above them at the mines mouth. A
lamp search showed nothing but grave.
Lazy JAKE was interviewed and confessed
that when he went b bury Sanger be found
the earth in Elerbees grave softer than the
hard ground near by. and 50 he had dug 10
open and put the one IN on top Of the other
Whisky Ike turned pale and whispered.
MY God. they're fighting yit.n
''Shet up. YOU dem fool" said somebody.
But the rest Of the crowd sat silent and did
some tall thinking. Somebody left burning
mine lamp hanging up IN the mine mouth.
Tho timbers took fire and the flames reached
the powder kegs stacked down four feet
further. and the mine mouth opened up he
q volcano.
The whole camp ran up to sec what was Tho
matter and Whisky Ike stumbled over tho
two dead men blown out Of their grave
Their hands were ut each others throat. aLl
their teeth set and their dead eyes glaring.
They were separated and buried again forty
feet apart. Lazy Jake made cross between
the enemies after death with white stones on
the hard clay hill
That was long time ago. The customs
and times have changed since then. Strangers
from the East have iocked in. and five years
ago the name Of the town was changed Ia
Eltopah against the strong voices and votes
Of the Oldest inhabitants. There are even
plenty Of people. newcomers. who doubt the
story, or, admitting the premises. say that
twas the explosion that threw the dead men
in each others arms But the old-tmers
who were there that night and saw the con-
tortions of hate on the dead faces shake their
heads ANYWAY. the white cross still CLEANS
on Hell-,o-Pay Hill. but forty feet Is a long
way. and the dead men fight no more.