Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-27
HIS OWN MURDERER.

DO y0u see the bullet hole in the
crown u this som breEo, \ sb2 Thereby
hangs tale. which, II you viii make
yourself comfortable IL a. easy char,
II reIs.se.
1 WE visiting the pleasant rooms OF
ny friend r., anold telegraph opers-
ia not Oh ia years, bat II experience.
for he had worked at the business since
= boy. bad hsd been In many difhcult
positions. mus having u varied expsll-
encs rrcsn which % draw ms stories.
The assk be noE held In his hand was o
hzht gray fislt with . leather band
around BE-. ara near the Top on ore side
ard through the CROWN On the opposite
side were two small hoics, made by a
bullet. B. said ia "a stteulps on his
he.
yea rrfrerabe-" he began. "some
ten ytars azo nla>le a Trip down the
sfississirIs. sbFo4sh Te1as, Mexico and
CaAfora5A TINS was partly for my
health, partly ior pleasure, buE Prin-
cipaily On a business excursion for our
eoInp any.
Il spent coAsidernhie time n A.,
Tex, and Wluls tk.,Fe rs city--so they
cailsd ir--was beang completely delnor-
ahasi 1y a. vicious. corrupt . setof gam
oilers a. Il vas ever my Loo 10 fall IN
Vish These southwestern citiss Of
RAPID growth. rapid wealth and with a
population u advenDareFs and uneasy
people collected from many parts u the
globe. ars Just rhe place for these des-
peEsdoes O. 10 thsir richest fleeing; but
IN tins instance they we're notorious and
having committed several capitol
eriInea, tho government u0oksthe case in
hand.
In this quiet northern tom You are
scarcely able 70 realize the difference a
few degrees Of latisGde can make in the
apparent dispositions and surroundings
OF human boings. While travelling
through the southwest il often seemed
a though must be in different coun-
try, everything was 50 foreign and Law
less IN IS character.
About this TINE Ghere had been con-
siderable trouble along the Telegraph
lines IN tilat section Of the state. and
hal been employed ~ . detective by
the government - help ferret ort the
mischief makers, and ~ l was now stop
ping 10 A. they wanted me 80 help
stop the grInblers, who weTe beginning
b. smell rat and were keeping under
cover.
I'm an excitabIe community where
frcarrns are carried By al and often
used Enthusiastically ths arrest u des-
persto characters Is not only difficult
but dangerous. for. as You know, birds
Of a feat1sr,' thew usually have many
friends n q crowd In this instance 4
snail posss Wa selected 20 arrest the
gamblers. and SC WIS agreed that excagt
in case q euswgency was not 70
touch She criminals, but sfnply enter
their rasorss. spot the men II there and
signal TIE 0ficeTs 20 enter.
Tho Grst nigbt we s-Iccseded IN ar
resting swo'is faro saloon, and in the
confhcs-fgr they had 70 ls taken by
main farre--f lad been obliged 70 help
the officers. aud tlis I suppose gave the
crowd 40 inkAng Il my trtie character
We did not know It. however. and the
NEXT night determined 70 make a raid
and arrest The reEnainderof the set. who
/ discovered had located themselves in
one of the dives in toe lowest part of
the town. near rhe river.
We bad. as We thought. used the
utmost precautions. for tho men were
desperate and w0ul1 Gght. we knew, %
T. the last The buildings GA THIS street
were s0 Close together that their low
fat uorfs nearly tonchod each other.
growing more ard more squahd til they
reachod Sac river. wh Nh cat OF their
growth. Coretqg nifty there were no
side entrance At the back door Wa
placed two men. and at si.iTr side of
she 'FRONT.' ~ rarce. in the dar knees, the
rerusH1er If the posso concealed taem-
selves. "A vas aqreci that y I found
tie gamblers in tae saloon I was 20 give
. signal At the most 0pVsutune moment.
when the a1f-rrs WON rush I'm from
sssfh SKIES ard secnre Their men before
they lraf change % es,spo or 70 otter
much resistance.
Il then stJ;n tered IA. walked up ~ the
bar anI c,lisa fog . Elas II liIu0F
f.ai.-,.s si,sf re bartender io-1ked surliiy
a. me. and - 7 Turned with the glass ia
~ hand ard faced the crowd standing
alal sealad AROUND TIRE faro tables, there
seemed - be az nnusnal silence. lut [
leaned caTsiossly sgrsiust tAe sad. pre-
tan1.ng 70 alp the vtiiaiuo0s stuff Ia my
glass. but as tbe same time facing =
ksef surrey 20 ehe crowd 7 think
never saw a ulave hardened se- ~ Grim
frals cnaifs ~ ru@rn bars taau were
gatberad srosmd .btse faro tahte shat
nht Lsfte piles ~ silver and Eoil
were hsarei - here and there many ~
ti,eu, Esarda,l wirh Sax shooters and
bowie taiveR. while ulen wrrs dsssiing
on s,,e csr3s snS razfns- n1 t'e coins.
'Just az I was atcut e. give tae s'g-
raj one NJ tns tae'es was 1vert-lrre e
au1 ~ an urt there was general
eeuu,rfcr Before Realised wfat Ras
hauuenins sf rspi and unexpected
were tae roveuents 3ser opeaei ev
r1r sac t ae.ri srrd nF Pr the
cent toi f m hret v-iee.
erhis ute Hfa~ 21ieS
o. fase fae ar. s'am0- tre foo- ani
ffiuBf of ta'He BARRED ~ fish
~ s-a.r ereH1 - zen rae.l7rr
er m Tf re re ersb.
n.-rr ~ Isl ae1 aHi
10 sae river Its nr oaig chanse.