Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-03-19
HE HAD A STEADY NERVE
A MINNIE BALL AND A CAVALRY
FORTY-FOUR.
A Moment of Peril In New Mexico and
How "Nervy" Mexican Youth
Saved six Human Lives
shot Of Blind Man.


Saved six Human Lives
shot Of u Blind Man.
The nervo which shines forth In u
deadly crisis OF cracking revolvers or
flashing knives is neither tho only nor
the highoat kind, but II is a noble and
an admirable quality, even when mis-
applied; and when wo shall cease TO
admire and respect II the human race
will have very little left whereof TO be
proud. We shall have como to a sorry
pass whom our blood shall fail to tinglo
10 such a deed Ms that OF Mrs. Custor's
bravo sergeant lie had arrested n de-
sorter OF desperate character and
brought him to n little town In Nebras-
ka. While they were eating dinner,
the desperate picked up u can OF pop,
per, dashed tho contents In the SER
geants face aud started for the door,
Tho blinded officer, even In tho incon.
coivable anguish of tho moment
thought only OF his orders to bring in
tho prisoner alive or dead, and, liston-
Ing for tho footsteps OF tho fugitive,
fred to the sound and dropped his
man!
As striking an example OF ''pure
nerve" came under my own obsorva-
ton two years ago, writes Charles i.
Lummis. Valencia county, Now Next
co, had boon disgracod by long series
OF cowardiy and awful transformations,
done by ono young Mexican despora-
do and his poems, n series which cul-
minated. on tho 1ith OF February, IL
my own receipt OF II leadon valentine,
In tho shape OF two loads OF midnight
buckshot The question whether these
influential murderers should DO pun
ished had entered into local politics,
aud tho campaign was very exciting
one. Al some OF the precincts the
judges OF election and the voters wero
alike armed with Winchester and SIX
shooters. Among those that wore act
Two In tho movement to overthrow
the owl mon who had for years oxor-
cised a reign of terror over "l'loody
Valencia" was gentle, generous Dumas
Proveucher, one OF tho pioneers OF
the Territory. and he was one OF tho
dozen OF us whom tho assassins had
marked for death.
Shortly after midnight OF election
day, the ballots OF that precinct were
still being counted by II ilickerlng
lamp In long, low room In tho plaza
OF san Rafael, and poor Provenehcr
was there. lie had just received news
OF plot to kill tho judges and seize
the ballots at three precincts, and
leaned over TO tho United States dopu-
by marshal, Martin Gallogos, TO Will u
per warning, Gallogos Is hardly
more than II boy common, illiterate
Mexican youth, ut whose awkward
ness and ignorance most OF MS would
tus, up our noses But that no had
10 him the stun OF mon he showed by
The most gallant net ever saw.
At that very instant there were six
hired murderers crouching at the open
window; and while Provenchor was
yet speaking ono OF Thorn thrust In his
old Springfield and fired The great
half-inch ball struck Provonchor In
the aorta and from that chief life foun-
tain the blood lcapt out In tall, broad
arch. The stricken man gave one low
cry and fell dead against Gallegos,
whose face and body were drowned In
the squirting dcluve. Tho click OF an
other rino came from tho window.
There were still six living targets m
that lighted room for tho marksmen
secure In tho darkness without. To
shoot ut the assassins were vain they
we're invisible and could kill every
man In the room before one could lit
finger against them. There was but
one thing to DO done to put out tho
betraying lamp. But that was thirty
feet away; and before the nearest man
could reach three steps toward 1t, all
WOulu Db tOTpScSs INV rug ~ oNDhpi
now that | como TO tell about IL, how
long II seemed then! But from the
sound OF the shot that slew Provencher
TO the ring OF another that loft the
room In darkness and the occupants In
safety was really less than two so conds.
Ono could scarce discharge two cham
bers of a double-action revolver more
closely together than those two reports
came--the crash Of the assassin's rifle
and the lighter crack OF heroic Gal
legos' six shooter The young Mexi-
can. absolutely taken by surprise as
he was, had not even turned TO look
toward tho window, had not even
shrunk from the poor clay that was
squirting its CHASTITY flood in his face,
and binding and choking him; but
snatcbing the heavy revolver from his
belt had shot the lamp out all In one
swift Neutrality-suspicious. motion, and
without apparent aim! Pure nerve
that in one second saved six lives.
The baflled nsssassins fed and the
storm OF public wrath aroused by their
deed put n temporary check upon their
murderous employers.