The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-19
A TALE OF A BAD MAN.
How Farmer Peel. Killed In Helena,
oncs Tsrrorlzed Virginia
City. Na..
And How the Gentle Dan dc Guile
Got the Drop On tho
Tough.

lQuHu.
III Csmsntsd i F%rlcndship That was Never
broken Till the Death af tbs Des.
pcrado HsrH
There are : great many people who re-
member the killing OF Farmer Peel. the
notorious d%ssperaho, by hls old partner,
Johnny Ball, On Main street, Helena, aoms
dozsn years ago. A great many more know
OF Dan do guile through his witty writ
inRs. But few know how he and Farmer
Peel. two oppositea, bseams fast friends.
1t was while Dan de guile was local edi-
tor Of the Territorial Enterprise in tho
rough days of Virginia City. Nevada. De
Quille's Quaker ancestry had Drowned him
with 4 sweetness OF disposition native to
himself. His manner was NJ mild az 4 par
sons, his voice soft a. 4 woman's his look
placid rs . saints. Nothing could rufne
his temper. He WAS al alien to anRer aud
strife AZ Z lamb. II thsrs wsrs a divininR
rod that had the power to point out the
most upright. inoffsnsivs and blamelesa
man living the chances are that after
sweeping the whole world over II would
settle upon Dan a. guile. Yet this gen
tleness did not prevent hina from feeling
just indignation AZ Whatever he believed to
be wrong, and, happily, with his mild qua!-
ities was combined = courage that inspired
him to deal out csnsurs unsparinQly when
he thought il deserved.
OF tho deBpsradoss who gained for the
territory Of Nevada tho distinction Of the
bleodiest Of bloody grounds, rome other.
with tbs exception Of Sam Brown, sver
attained to the same pitch Of sminenos ~
Farmer Pssl. lie same to Virginia City
from Salt Lake with ! record Of five muir
dsrs. Within : few year. ho had added -
many more TO his score, and his compare
tvs youth and vigor promised q long CON
tinuanse Of the harvest. He was I angular
character. When sober he was AZ mild and
pleasant : gentleman - ons would desire
to meet. but whom in liquor he was . demon.
But. drunk or sober, his instinct was to kill.
Not that h. was quarrelsome, but he bore
the p~eriloua title Of "chiet" and had to de-
fend it against nil comsrs. and he was
studiously careful that no one should ever
ast the drop on him. Thus when I'll Dorado
Johnny, 4 little Irisbman who made pre-
tensions to being a bad man, arrived in
Virginia City and incidentally inquired in
Pat Ivnch's saloon if there were any
'ohiefs" about
You probably intend that remark for
me-" said Farmer Peel, who ohanosd to be
within hearing.
ANY one oan appropriate It that likes."
replied Johnny.
Very w, =: xill ..stl. i rish. new
Of the street. 5a#
The suilelsss Johnny did a. proposed,
but Peel paused At the doorway, ana q Iii
rival turned to zee If hs wsrs following
fred a shot that str etshsd him dead in his
tracks. #H
Peel was never punished for any Of those
murders. In fact, he was never arrested
for any Of them. They wsrs confined to d
cred the more killed of thsm tbs better. At
any rate they did not sppssr anxious to
meldls with him. But one day he got drunk
and behaved 20 outrageously that there Was
a general optory for his arrest, which was
accomplished BY q large posse Of officers
and citizens with great difficulty. H. wss
taken before Polior Judge Davenport, who
fnod him $500. Peol said he had not money
enough with him to pay his hne. but he
would get it, and the judge allowed him 10
90 p his v recognlzance. The next
morning he walked into the room while the
court was in session, and, advancing close
to tie judge, said:
Judge Davenport, I've come to settle
that fns.''
Very well,'' replied this judge, stroking
his magnificent beard with complaosney al
tina suhdued tons Of the outlaw.
Thereupon Peel seized Davenport by the
whiskats with both hands and pounded his
IaNG q ~ni = khn Nro1 I .s,A, ~. J.--A
inaensible. Half a dozen officers were in
the court. but they made no attempt to ar
rest tho rufian. They knew him too we'll.
When he had done 'swooling' the Judge he
walked calmly out Of the court room, and
that was the last Of it. The ine had been
settled.
Dan do QuiIle, however, took occasion to
review the whole career Of Peel IL the local
columns OF the Enterprise next morning.
He did not mincs matters. He pictured
the character Of the desperate in ita true
light, spoke of his misdsads In tho plain
and forceibls terms they deserved, and
sailed upon the authorities to overcome
this terror and bring him to summary
punishment. l'hs article was 50 bold that
Dams friends were alarmed, but ii was not
likely that he himself had given a thought
to the consequences. In spite Of ths gravity
OF the situation he rintsrn. in the spirit
of that familiarity which exists between
bHo S0AsoAAaA AAu COIupOnltlCn rooms OF In
terror newspaper Offices. resolved to have
fun at Dams expense. 20, WHOM he
took his seat at his desk that evening, one
of them told him seriously there had been
a party in several times during the day
making inquiry for him. Dan asked who it
was. Ills informant replied he did
know for certain, but no thought
it was Farmer Peel, as hia look
and manner appeared decidedly hostile.
Dan applied himself to his work with
out making any comment. After his
labor was finished, without saying a
word to anyone, he took q ~stilatto tnat he
had picked Mp somewhere aa 4 curio, tho
blade OF which was scarcely larger than a
needle, and sticking it in thu lapel
OF his coat as you would q pin sailed forth
from the office.
He had accepted the printer'a statement !.
Ia good faith and had made up his mind
ii there were hunting to BE- dops h.
would take a hand in it himself. He did
not know Farmer Peel by sight, their lines
never having como together. BY inquiry
he hnally located him in a big gambling
house on G street. He entered tho plaza
and asked the bartender to point out Farmer
Feel to him. The obli9ing youth indicated
4 square-built, full-bearded man standing
ono OF the tables. Without an in
stant'a hesitation Dan approached him and
stood shoulder to thonlder; then extending
left ann he pinioned Peel to his sidu
with the hrmnesa of a wise. while with Mia
hand he drew the ~atilstto and held il
n tiu khrCnf