The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-09-09
A QUEER EXPERIENCE.

DO YOU see the bullet hole in the
crown of this sombrero, Neb: Thereby
hangs tale, which, II you will make
yourself comfortable in an easy chair,
I'll relate"
was visiting the pleasant rooms
of my friend R, an old telegraph
operator. not old in years, but in ex-
perience, for he had worked at the
business since boy, and had been In
many difficult positions. thus having
a varied experience from which to
draw his stories. The hat he now
held In his hand was light gray felt
with leather band around it, and
near the rop on one side two small
holes made by a bullet, R said,
in an attempt on his life.
You remember" he began, 'SOme
ten years ago. l made trip down the
Mississippi, through Texas, Mexico
and California. This was partly for
my health, partly for pleasure, but
principally on business excursion for
our company.
II spent considerable time In A
-, Tex, and while there the city
as they called twas being COM
pletely demoralized by as vicious, cor
rupt a set Of gamblers as it was ever
my lot to fall in with. These south
western cities of rapid growth, rapid
wealth and with population Of ad-
venturers and uneasy people collected
from many parts of the globe, are
just the place for these desperadOes to
do their richest fleeing; but in this
instance they were notorious and hav-
ing committed several capital crimes,
the government took the case in
hand.
I'm this quiet northern town you
are scarcely able to realize the differ
ence few degrees Of latitude can
make in the apparent dispositions and
surroundings Of human beings. While
travelling through the southwest, it
often seemed as though l must be in
a different country, everything was so
foreign and Iawless in its character.
about this time there had been
considerable trouble along the tele-
graph lines in that section OF the
State. and l had been employed as
detective by the government to help
ferret out the mischief-makers, and,
as was now stepping in A., they
wanted me to help stop the gamblers,
who were beginning to smell rat and
were keeping under cover.
'Iu an excitable community where
firearms are carried by all and often
used Unfortunately, the arrest of
desperate characters is not only diff
cult but dangerous, for, as you know,
birds Of q feather, they usually have
many friends in a crowd. In this in
stance q small posse was selected to
arrest the gamblers, and it was agreed
that except in a case of emergency I
was not to touch the criminals, but
simply enter their resorts, spot the
men II there, and signal the officers
to enter.
4 THE first night We succeeded in
arresting two in faro saloon, and in
the conlict-for they had to be taken
by main fOrce-I had been obliged to
help the officers, and this, suppose,
gave the crowd an inkling Of my true
character. We did not know 1t, how.
ever, and the next night determined
to make a raid and arrest the remain
der of the set, who, discovered, had
located themselves In one OF the dives
in the lowest part Of the town, near
the river.
1--WE had, as we thought, used the
utmost precaution. for the men were
despe ate and would fight, we knew,
to the last The buildings on this
street were so close together that their
low, fiat roofs nearly touched each
other, growing more and more squalid
till they reached the river, which cut
of their growth. Consequently, there
were no side entrances At the back
door we placed two men, and at
either side OF the front entrance, in
the darkness the remainder of the
posse concealed themselves 1t was
agreed that, il found the gamblers
in the saloon. l was to give a signal
at the most oppCrtune moment, when
the officers would rush in from both
sides and secure their men before they
had chance to escape or to offer
much resistance.
81 then sauntered in, walked up
to the bar and called for a glass Of
liquor. l noticed that the bartender
looked Surlily at me and as I turned
with the glass in my hand and faced
the crowd standing and seated around
the faro tables. there seemed to be
an unusual silence, but leaned care
Iessly against the wall: pretending to
sip the villainous stuff in my glass.
but at the same time taking q keen
survey Of the crowd. Think never
saw a more hardened set of criminals
outside of prison bars than were gath
cred around those faro tables that
night Little piles Of silver and gold
were heaped up here and there and
many of them guarded by six shooters
or bowie knives, while men were deal
ing out the cards and raking In the