The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-06-17
A DANGEROUS ACCOMPLISHMENT.
He Shot Too Well and So They Took
Him Out of Tenn ntatToD-

|
He Shot Too Well and So They Took
Him Out of Temptation.
Away up in the Sierras, where the
mountains real their snow white peaks
and stand like sentinels in armor guard
ing the gold that lies hidden in the rocky
canyons below, | once saw an exhibition
of rifle shooting which | have never
since seen equaled," remarked a grizzled
old man whose sands of life had nearly
run, "a he stood surrounded by a group
Vt interested listeners in a well known
Clark street sporting resort the other
night. What was l doing up there,
you ask. Why, herding sheep, in order.
to get together enough for a grub stake,
so that | might start out again on a
prospecting tour.
1--WE had 10000 sheep, divided into
four bands, with three herders and az
many dogs to each one of them, and we
camped wherever night overlook us. ]
tell you | slept sounder in those DAYS,
rolled up in a pair of blankets and with
a log Of wood for my pillow, than | dc
now in the best bed that ! can find in a
hotel.
eve followed the old stage road that
led up from Stockton through Sonora
and Cherokee camp, and then struck
out Over a trail that led through the
Big Basin and up to the ~headwaters of
the TOlumne river. 1t was in June and
the air was full of the fragrance Of
flowers, while the sunlight as it flick
cred through the trees made a chess
board on the velvet green carpet that
lay stretched out he cath the spreading
oaks.
I'VE had long L,iOre left civilization
behind us, when late one evening we
| came out Of the woods into a little
mountain meadow that was known az
Cranes flats, and was the headquarters
for a band of cattle herders. Most of
them were Italians, but they gave us a
warm welcome. One of them in p~articu-
lar attracted my attention. He was tall,
| 1.-the and muscular, and walked with the
easy swing of a professional pedestrian.
His eyes were Of blush gray, and he
seemed to be a leader among his com
| panions, all Of whom were swarthy and
dark eyed.
"'If you can get that fellow to show
yOu some shooting you will see some
thing wonderful in that line Whispered
one Of my companions.
"'WhO is he? | asked.
"'Italian Joe,' was the reply.
Il had heard of Italian Joe before. All
Sonora, at Cherokee, at the Confidence
mines and in a hundred other places his
fame as a rife shot had been dinned into
my ears.
The next morning l asked him tC
give us an exhibition of his skill. Shoot
ing was his weak point, and he consent
ed. Unlike the coy maiden, who car
sing, but wishes to be cOaXed before she
does, he had his notes with him. TAX
ing a Colts revolving rife in his hands
he paced off a hundred yards and pinned
q common cap box to the trunk of {
huge oak. Coming back, he wheeled a:
quick as lightning, and without sight
ing, apparently, he emptied the cham
bars. Six of the shots were in a circle
around the edge, while the seventh wa:
a plumb center.
Loading again, he glanced abOu'
him. High up in the heavens a hawl
circled warily through the blue, looking
for something to prey upon. There wa
q moment of hesitation, a quick repOr
and down came the hawk with a bulle
in his head. Pennies, dimes and quar-
ters that were tossed in the air came
down with a bullet hole through them
He missed nothing that he drew a beaC
On. He could beat all the Carvers am
the Buffalo Bills that you ever saw"
What became of him. asked al
eager listener.
He shot at a man and he didn't mis-
him, either. He was captured by a ban'
Of vigilantes, and when | came out o
the mountains in the fall his skeleton
white and CHASTITY, was hanging to
tree at the entrance of the big basin
The vultures had picked all the fesI
from the bones, and the sun, wind an'
rain had bleached them to a snow.
whiteness. Pinned to a tree was TIN
inscription, written with charcoal upo1
a pine shingles:
HE COULD SHOOT o WELL
AND WE HUNG HIM.