Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-05-04

! EMPTY YOUR POCKETS, OR FIRE!
Rewards were offered for the destruction
or capture of this man, but with kindred
spirits among the Mexicans and Americans,
ready to aid and warn him, he long set the
authorities at defiance, and at times he
clcserly turned the tables On his pursuers,
While once at least he showed magnanim-
ity.
| Jake Williams had been burly Bowery
boy. and a ward politician, and rounder
| in New York city before he went west to
-eei. his fortune. He was not long on the
?iuiiic coast before he had established a
reputation as "a terror" in barroom fight,
hsi: as fists were too slow and primitive a
| method of combat Jake Williams with q
ready adaptability, fell in with the meth
u:s of his associates and soon developed
unusual skill in the use of the pistol.
I'VE don't want no man for sheriff of
Kern county that won't pledge himself to
clean out Juan Muriata;" this is what the
people of the lower San Joaquin valley said
on the eve of one of their nominating con-
ventions.
Jake Williams was not modest; he had
brought with him from his native city an
intense yearning for Office and firm belief
that there was no Office in the gift of the
people that he could not fill with profit to
himself, if not credit to his constituents.
''If Pm 'lected sher-eef of Kern county,"
said Jake to the delegates whom he was
treating before the convention met, 'I'u
run the office for nixy if inside O. two
months don't fotch the head O. this Muri-
alta into this bar in bag and thump it
onto the fioorr'
Whether it was Mr.. Williams forceful
manner and the free use of oaths, his lib
eral dispensation of whisky or the belief
that he was the right man for the place
that Influenced the convention we cannot
pretend to say, but certain it is he was
unanimously nominated and overwhelm-
ingly elected to the position he so much
desired
Jake Williams certainly had physical
courage He banked on the fact that he
was freebern American citizen, and that
the man he had sworn to bag was "a
| greaser," so that he was not lacking in the
essential confidence when one morning he
mounted his horse and rode south toward
the Cajon pass, where the deputies whom
| he had enlisted for the hunt were to rem
devious.
| A few miles south of Kern river Sheriff
Williams was joined by horseman, who
| came over from the direction of the Sierra
to the east.
This man, though superbly mounted,
was dressed in the black flowing gown of
| a missionary priest. His smooth shaven
face was half concealed by broad
brimmed slouched sombrero, and from his
neck hung rosary of silver beads ter
minating in golden crucifx.
Heaven bless thee, my sonr' was the
salutation of the priest, as he brought his
horse alongside the sheriff's and turned
in the same direction.
You'll have to chin English to me-"
said Jake Williams. II don't go much on
greaser lingo. and wouldn't if could"
"There is much to be learned in Eng
lish," said the priest, with quiet bow
and speaking with a pleasing accent. do
you ride for the Cajon pass?"
That's where Pm bound" said the sher-
iff.
''Ah, that is also my destination. You
sit your horse like soldier, and no doubt
belong to the garrison at Los Angeles"
Nav! Pm the sheriff o. Kern county,"
said Jake
Sheriff Williams?"
Yes, that's my name. How do you like
it,"
II like the name and the man." said the
priest pleasantly. 81 have heard of you as
brave American, and shall be pleased,
| if you precede me in trying the aguar-
diente, to drink to your good health and
prosperity"
| The padre, without checking his horse,
produced bottle of native brandy from
his saddlebags and handed it to the sher-
| BIT, who took a long, gurgling drink, wiped
| his thick red beard on the back of his big
| frcckled hand and at once felt more ami
able.
The priest went through the motion Of
drinking and then resumed the conversa-
tion The sheriff's tongue limbered up,
and he told his companion that he was on
his way to find Juan Muriata and bring
his head down to Kern in a bag.
"Did you ever see the outlaw" asked
the priest.
| 'No; but I've had him described so often
that feel as if Icould tell him by his track
| or by his sha.lder," said Jake.
"They tell me he is brave" said the
priest.
"Brave, nawthin," rejoined Mr.. Will
| liams. "IIc ken skeer wimmin and chill
| len, but / guess he'd kinder crawl and
hunt his hole eff he was invited to look into
the bore of a six shooter with an American
engineerin it from behind"
| Cajon pass was long days ride from
Kern, SO the sheriff did not object when, at
noon, his companion suggested a rest for
an hour, during which they could eat some
| lunch, sample" the aguardiente again
and let the horses feed.