Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-02-21
Description Of Coyote a Trego
County City of 1863.
O'FLARITY.
Continued from last week.

| Continued from last week.
Sheridan was situated on the side of q
desolate ravine. The everlasting plain
embraced it. Two solitary buttes, named
"Hurlbut" and Lawrence" had been
placed on guard over the region by ma
ture, and looked as dismal as sentinels in
penal settlement A months hammer
ing, and the new town was built. Before
one street was surveyed, however, the en-
gineer was called upon to locate grave
yard. This he did upon ridge overlook
ing the town. "Pll give you high lot"
was threat in Sheridan, and meant six
feet of soil on the hillside. During the
first week three of the inhabitants moved
into that country "with their boots on"
During the winter the number increased
| to twenty-six.
There were many queer characters dey-
eloped in this rough town. For instance,
pettifogger from rural New York be-
came "Neb, the DEVILS own" Neb was
an abreviation of Nebuchadnezzar, which
name he won from "taking" so naturally
to grass, or, more correctly to the prairie
when it was necessary to hide on account
of misdeeds. Had any one been interested
enough to make weekly inquiries about
Neb's whereabouts the answer would
generally have been, "Out at grass" On
| two occasions he assisted men to enter
eternity without previously using boot
jack. Once when an Irish mob was cele-
brating payday in "Rat Row." favorite
street of the Paddles, Neb ran out of the
hotel opposite, and emptied sixteen shots
from Henry rifle among the Patricks
and Bridgets. No one was killed, but the
devils own" found it necessary to go in
to exile on the back of stray mule, fol-
lowed for hundreds ofyards by bowling
mob and shower of bullets. When, one
week later, Neb appeared in Sheridan So
ciety again, he wore pair of Uncle Sam
uers bracelets, and was charged with
counterfeiting said Samuel's paper. From
the rickety Jail he was taken the ensuing
night and hung to railroad trestle ad-
joining town. 1t then transpired that he
had been chief of gang who manufac-
tured the queer in ''dug-out" near
Sheridan. Under the body, as mourner,
next morning was found his daughter,
who had never been seen in that vicinity
before. She was a bright, sweet-faced
girl. from the vicinity of Rutland, Yer
mont, and it was learned, had been sum-
moned West that week by her father
for the purpose of accompanying him to
California. Neb had accumulated quite
little sum of money, and evidently inten-
ded settling down for life elsewhere, when
the last fatal spree settled him under the
wailing grass, over which he had so often
fed like fox. Some effort was made to
send the young girl back, but her better
nature was crushed by the shame of her
fathers life and death. Poor thing! 1 saw
her some months afterward, and felt that
better it would have been had Death
spread his cold but charitable wings over
the daughter when he smote the father.
Judge Lynch was Justices favorite Of
fetal, and the railroad trestle the gal
lows tree which bore monthly and some
times daily fruit. Passengers standing
on the platforms of the cars have occas-
ionally drawn back in alright as they be-
held gazing up at them the distorted,
grinning face Of some Texas Jack or Cal
ifornia Joe, swinging back and forth like
a pendulum before the prairie gale.
Vigilance iuries sometimes brought in
queer verdicts in Judge Lynch's Sheri-
dan Circuit. For instance, one man ar
rested on suspicion called the court
names, and incurred the following SEN
tence, This yere court feels herself in
suited with out due cause, and orders the
prisoner strung up for contempt And
strung up he straightwsy was.
Another character of celebrity in SHEER.
ldan was Ascension Stephen" This
worthy was half-witted Millerite. Who
climbed the two buttes twice every
month, with saloon table-cloth in his
pocket that might answer for vranper
when the great trumpet should sound
Ito b ccntinusa.)