Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-11-21
His Own Murderer.

<sDo you see the bullet hole in the
crown of this sombrero, Neb? There
by hangs a tale, which, if you will
make yourself comfortable in an easy
chair, III relate"
was visiting the pleasant rooms of
1zzy friend r., an old telegraph ope-
xator, not old i'll years, but in expert
esuce, for he had worked at the bust
ness since a boy, and had been in
many difficult positions, thus having
& varied experience from which to
draw his stories. The hat he now held
III his hand was light gray felt with
L heather band around it, and near the
top on one side through the crown on
tie opposite side were two small
holes, made by bullet, R-said, in an
-at6empt on his life.
e'You remember he began, ''some
T6e0 years ago l made a trip down the
mississippi, through Texas, Mexico
and California. This was partly for
Ivy health, partly for pleasure, but
principally on business excursion for
0Er company.
~ spent considerable time in A,
Tex, and while there the city-as they
called twas being completely de-
ElzCraiized by as vicious, corrupt set
OF gamblers as it was ever my lot to
f&N in with. Those southwestern
cities OF rapid growth, rapid wealth
and with a population of adventures
IL
many parts of the globe, and just the
place for these desperadoes to do their
richest fleeing; but in this instance
they were notorious, and having COM
TaEtted several capita. crimes, the
government took the case in hand
@<In this quiet northern town you
are scarcely able to realize the differ
emce few degrees of latitude can
make in the apparent dispositions and
surroundings of human beings. While
travelling through the southwest it Of
ter seemed as though l must be in a
different country, everything was so
foreign and lawless in it's character
e'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 detec-
tive by the government to help ferret
out the mischief makers, and as was
now stopping in A-they wanted me
TO help stop the gamblers, who were
beginning to smell rat and were
keeping under cover.
SIN 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 feather they usually have
many friends in 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
was not to touch the criminals, but
simply enter their resorts, spot the
men if there and signal the officers to
enter
1.-The first night we succeeded in ar
resting two in faro saloon, and in
the confict-for they had to be taken
by main force-I had been obliged to
EseIp the officers, and this I suppose
gave the crowd an inkling of my true
character We did not know it, how
ever, and the next night determined
to make raid and arrest the remain
der OF the set, who I discovered had
located themselves in one OF the dives
II Che lowest part of the town, near
the river.
~aWe had, as we thought, used the
Utmost precautions, for the men were
desperate and would fight, we knew,
TO the last. The buildings on this
streetwere so close together that their
low, fat roofs nearly touched each |
other, growing more and more squat
lti I'LL they reached the river, which