The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-11
A VERY BAD NAN
OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL AND WHAT
HE DID.

A Curious Tale Of q Remarkable
Character.
WALKERS, vALvERDE COUNTY, Tx,
Jan. 10,
''In men whom men condemn as ii,
find so much Of goodness still;
In men whom men esteem divine
ind so much Of sin and blot,
hesitate to draw the liue
Between the two, where God has MOI"
He was called bad man out here in
this Texas cattle country, where such rep
utation means nothing. Iconfe.s to sinful
curiosity in regard 70 him and the manner
Of his badness, fed and stimulated by the
continual and vague references to il.
"Khat does he dor / nippantly asked
my hostess. q fair-haired young Scotch
matron, the chaBtelAine OF the Dundas and
McGregor rancho, 'eat small children or
stray mutton or eattlei Or does he drink
his whisky with differenceP" "Well,"
she said, che is too violent in argument.
He kills people who differ with him, by
way OF settling the question. He is an old
timer. one of the first men to cross the
Pecos and settle In this country. That was
years ago, when the country was much
wilder and rougher than IL is now.
''HE KILLED MAN,
an old schoolmate and friend, and married
his widow, poor, weak creature, whom
suppose he killed, too, with bis cruelty and
violence; anyway she Is dead, and he drove
his daughter-or her daughter by the
former marriage, really don't know which
to such desperation by his exactions and
not allowing her TO see any one any mOre
than Gagged beast, that she would have
run away from him il she hadn't feared for
her life. And, finally, when he had killed
the man she was In love with and expected
to marry, she did run away, went to some
completely TO the bad. They say he sWears
he's going back there and kill her before he
dies
THE men say he isn't honest, claims cat
tie that are not his, and such things. or
course he always declares they are, and
with his reputation there are very few that
care to dispute little point like that with
him.
'He has been SUSPECTED Of cutting fences,
and be is perfectly furious about sheep men,
twice having fired into focks that were
brought near his range, killing dozens of
them. Then he's cruel to his horses, cruel
to the Mexicans on his place, cruel to any
thing weak and helpless that falls into his
power. he used to own land enough for
small principally, but when cattle ceased
to pay so well and many went into the sheep
business, he refused, Enthusiastically, 90
change or modify his plans, and has grown
poorer and poorer aud more Quarrelsoms for
the last tea years. You'll see him at the
roundup tomorrow
All this was very discouraging. very sor-
did and wicked, and not at all picturesoue
but when saw him, D, when saw him,
/ wanted him-foolishly-as you want some
fine, free creature, a mountain or waterfall,
or other wild, picturesque, untamable
thing, all for your own, TO take home TO
adorn your lawn.
He came riding down on us at a pace
that even in this land of hard riding,
would attract attention. and one which
found afterward was habitual with him.
A MAN OVER SIX FEET TALL.
vast OF frame, powerful of muscle, with
shoulders slightly stopped from a lifetime
passed in the saddle, aud with breadth of
chest have never seen equaled, he was
marked, here where beardlsss faces are
rather the rule, by an enormous beard,
touched with gray, over which he could
have, buckled his pistol belt, had eyes like a
hawk and a nose 60 match a strong, pred
atory, violent, aggressive visage that might
have fitted Morse viking. AS no came
hu-ling toward US at that mad gallop his
chin sunk on his breast, and the torrent Of
that mighty beard blowing over his mighty
chest, he aroused in the mind jumbl cd sug-
gestions of Father Time. a mounted her-
seeker and other colossal and heroic
images.
AS SAID, wanted hlnn.
If had been born Gar Of Russia, with
absolute power, and had carried of half
the things picturesque and peculiar that I
have momentarily longed for. should now
have collection that would be the bane Of
my life.
When all the cutting out and branding
was done and we were preparing to leave
for home turned and saw that the bearded
giant was coming up TO speak to me. Dis.
faA hn mas haN
figure, having the slightly awkward gait
which continual riding gives. He laid a
broad, brown hand on my pony's name,
one spoke In q great voice that matched his
great fame, tuned to key of peculiar gen.
tieness.
~ have been trying to gst Mr.. Mc0regor
to bring you over 70 my place. be said.
fixing me with kindly but embarrassing
scrutiny. 81 can show you a lot Of Mexi-
can homes. give you as fine riding as you
could want, or q cat hunt, or wish you'd
come and get pecans in my river pasture. II
He stood some time, evidently making
talk" and continuing to gaze directly at my
face.
''They tell me, he said, shat you lust
sail around and rustic for yourself Well,
that's right; l like that The less woman
depends on some coyote of a man, the hap
pier she'll live and the peacefuller she'll
die"
Had he been young and susceptible
cowboy ] should have considered that l had
made an impression. As ii was, | was ac-
cussd of having done Sc az soon as he had
ridden off,
81 mover saw old John Adams so civil te
man, woman or child in my life," said my
host
s'John Adams"-how the name fitted
him. with its simple archaic suggestions!
"You ought to hear him swear" contin
ued MIR. McGregor. ''Out here where W,
do that sort Of thing right, he's a past
master. He don't swear, he blasphemes-
it's equal to the curse scene in Lear"
The next week Mr.. McGregor took me
over to the K. o. ranch. and went on to
attend roundup. saying that il he didn'
call for me by o'clock Mr.. Adams might
ride home with me. My host put me on ,
fiery pony and we few over his vast range
He introduced me to all his Mexicans anC
filled my saddle pockets with the fines
pecans: then when o'clock came and n,
MIR. McGregor he put my saddle back OF
my own pony and we rode hOmeward.
Suddenly he turned to me and said. '
want to ask you for your picturesque oil
one you don't care anything about would
rather have old one, taken when yeu wer
about Is. / wanted you to come here and
wanted to ses you because you put me so i,
mind Of little girl used to 60 to schoc
with; little rosy checked girl
here's a picture of her," He drew