The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-03


Lincoln county war. Of which Mrs Chisholm
became the heroine in the remarkable Incl
dent which begins this story.
There are many more characters in 10
than she and the piano. acd many Of them
are quite as heroic. but her work on the
frontier as a woman gives special rest to the
part she played.
BILLY the Kid" was Mr.. Chishlom's head
devil In the attempt % monopOllzs the Pecos
VAly. few murders, more or less did
not bother Billy much, and there were
many Of them committed in this greed for
more land. 1t wes almost impossible then
for the United States court 20 assemble
without fight. and, when Sheriff Brady
was killed while on his way 10 open court
at Lincoln. the better class of peo-
pie determined % put an end TO that
state OF affairs They agreed to elsct a
man for sheriff who would take up
the work Of keeping the peacs which Brady
had begun and which cost him his life.
Marion Turner was chosen. He was from
the east. well educated, dressed in the best
of taste and in the very hight of fashion
the last man in the world in act and
personal appearance that any one would
have expected to have found on the frontier,
much lass one who had been selected TO cone
with some Of the worst of desperadoes.
lie was called dude because he never wore
the garb OF the frontier. Yet he was a man
OF nerve aud means, accepted the position
Of sheriff, and went to work at the task be-
fore him with will. No officer before his
advent had ever dared attempt the arrest
OF ChisholIn's employees. But Mr.. Turner
determined TO take BILLY the KID for the
murder OF Sheriff Brady or MIR. Chisholm's
land, and others for various crimes He
armed himself with warrants for their ar
rest, and one night about dusk started for
the Chisholm ranch with as much OF "A force
of, 81 Ian L.. Il a
not strong enough for the emergency and
detachment OF the Ninth United States
! cavalry under Lieut. Col. Dudley accom-
panied the expedition to see fair play and
help the officer il necessary. IL was, and
the colored troops took AL active part in the
hostilities.
1t was besusiful evening in that mild
| southwestern climate when this important
move began. The plan Of campaign was to
! surround the Chisholm mansion when 1t was
reached as quietly and quickly as possible,
and arrest the men before they were aware
OF their danger. As they approached the
| point Of attack and proceeded to throw a
Gordon Of guards about the house, all was
| quiet, and there appeared no chances Of a
battle. The windows of the domicile we're
up and the lights were burning brightly
| within, but With all these eYideuoes of peace
| the cowboys were on the alert, and before
Sheriff Turner and Col. Dudley could per-
feet their purpose they were on 70 what
was going on and quickly prepared for a
| fight. With their Winchester rifles, which
they always carry, they were no mean
| enemy.
The fight began quickly, and Mrs CHS
holm, TO encourage her forces, seated her
| self at che piano and began TO play with a
| will, now aud then glancing out Of the win
| dow TO see how the battle was going. Some
OF the sherif's men had been wounded in
| the first fusillade, and the COWBOYS were
still shooting. The officer finally concluded
that the woman and the piano were an i'm
portant feature OF the war. Therefore he
gave the order:
Don't hit the woman, but shoot that
cussed piano to piecesn
1t took but a minute to do that. and when
Mrs. Chisholm was driven from her favorite
| instrument there was hardly key in it
that would give forth a sound. The battle
| lasted for some time without decisive re-
suits on either side Finally the sheriff set
fire TO the outbuildings, aud while they
were burning BILLY, the Kid" aud several
others of those wanted escaped. Therefore
the Lincoln county war ended, so far as
out accomplishing much, but the
contest did not end here, and Mr..
| Turner kept up his warfare But it was OF
no use The rich men who were after the
Pecos valley we're too much for him. They
| ruined him financially, and he was obliged
| to leave the county, while Mrs. Chisholm
] remained in the possession Of the field, with
money enough to buy all the pianos abe
wanted But the old one full of bullet
holes was kept in the house long time as a
relic Of that nights conflict
This Lincoln county war was remarkable
in the number Of stirring incidents which
took place during its continuance and fol-
lowed It after 1t ended. Lieut. Col. Dudley
was tried by court-martial for taking part
in it without the request of the governor.
Marion Turner was indicted for murder a
dozen times. These trials amounted to
nothing except annoyance and expense. All
Of this while BILLY the Kid" kept en- his
course. until he was caught, tried for the
murder Of Sheriff Brady at La Mesilla and
convicted, but escaped before he could be
| executed. He returned TO Lincoln county
TO kill Pat Garrett who succeeded
Dir. Turner as sheriff He notified his
friends that the next man he would shoot
| would be the new officsr. Mr.. Garrett qui-
city replied that the next man he would kill
/ would he BILLY the Kii.n He Was as good
as his word. He followed Billy for weeks,
and finally located him in the house of a
Mexican friend of the outlaw. The sheriff
tied his horse near by, and in the darkness
| quietly approached Billys resting place,
| revolver IN nand. he quickly pushed the
door open, when Billy, who was ever on
the abort, jumped from his couch, saying In
| Spanish:
''Quien esP' wv no is itD
Garrett fired in the direction from which
the voice came, and "Billy the KID who
provoked the Lincoln county war, was no
more. All is more peaceful now along the
Pecos valley since the railroad has come as
a civilizlng influence. Society Is vastly im-
proved since Marion Turner's posse shot
Mrs. Chisholm's plano to pieces while she
! was playing on it. 1t is rude enough yet,
| but not criminal as it used to be in the
days Of which | write. But the men who
made society possible are now poor.
| a Masher VINO Suddenly Wanted to
Smoke
A masher boarded the New York Cen
trail train at Batavia, says the Rochester
| Democrat. He had all the appearance Of q
professional lAdy-killer, including a red
necktie and an India rubber smile. He
stared at all the ladies in the car as he
walked down tho aisle. He was picking
out victim and doing his work with the
air Of man who knows not defeat. 1t
didn't take him long to make selection.
| He picked out young married woman
| who occupied one OF the front seats Of the
Car VITA little girl, aud seated himself
| across the aisle short distance behind her
| The soofl-tO. bs-rnashedls little girl WINS