The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-12-14
WESTERN BAD MEN
Two Specimens of This Glass of
Humanity.
RUSTLERS DRIVEN OUT
Description of jim White, a Texas Sheriff.
and Sam Saunders, Nervy New
Mexico Custom OHicer.

Paso, Texas, was the best type of the
genus bad man l ever knew, says writ
er in the Post-Dispatch. ] met him
first in 1892 when he was an inspector
OF customs at I5l Paso, Texas, and to
look at him no one would have supposed
that beneath that calm exterior beat as
brave heart as ever throbbed, that
fear was an unknown emotion 10 him
and that he had frequently faced death
against fearful odds and came out vic
torious. Once, when John Kinneys |
gang of cattle thieves or rustlers rode
into Ell Paso and in pure wantonness of
crime began shooting al d killing on the
principal street of the town, some one
ran to summon White, who was then
acting as town marshal. There was a
delay in finding him and in the mean
time the business men barricaded their
doors and closed their shutters. Three
dead and wounded citizens lay in the
street.-the rustlers had found shelter
behind the cottonwood trees which
stood along The sidewalks. Here and
there some venturesome householder or
merchant was endeavorfrfg to pick the
scoundrels off with his rife from behind
closed shutters, but the town was prac-
tically in possession of the desparadoes,
; iA~- --''ss-. only the opposition <of Mrs.
Burns, who, with dlsheveled hair, raved
up and down the dusty street, cursing
the air into blue vaPor, as she poured
out her wrath and execration ufon the
scoundrels. Then jim White appeared.
Alone with a 45 calibre six-sho1tcr In
each hand, he sprapg into the middle of
the street shoutr &, "Jlm White does
the rest of the killing today" This was
boast, but he made it & cd. His first
exposed it in an attempt to bring White
down with rife. With the other hand
he almost simultaneously sent bullet
into the shoulder os another rustler.
The remaining half dozen desparadoes
made a dash from their hiding places
down the street in an effort to reach
the place where their horses were tied.
White never moved from his position in
the center of the street and he sent bull
let's after the fugitives as long as they
were in range. Four out of five of the
missives found their mark, and the rust
lers who escaped never returned to El
Paso again.
KEEP1NG DOWN FEDERAL EXPENSES.
An entirely different and much more
numerous type of the western bad mai
could be found in Sam Saunders. l frs
met him In Deming, N. M. A desparadt
of the name of "Docn Kane had JUS
killed an inoffensive man, a railroa,
conductor, named Richard Taber, ant
Saunders, who was then in the govern
ment employ as an inspector of custom
and engaged in riding the Mexican
boundary line west of the Tres Her
manas Mountains south of Deming, wa
asked by the citizens to notify Kane tha
l. he must leave town. Saunders accepte
the task without any hesitation, an
. walking up to Kane said to him: 'Ge
" out of here now; pll blow d hole throug
i you if you are in sight more than thre
= minutes" Kane looked into the sma
- black eyes of the speaker, and thei
- without a word, started west along tn
. track of the Southern Pacific RAILROAD
} He was heard of next at little ranc
% close down to the Mexican line, whel
= the horse thieves and cattle smugglei
10 found safe harbor
n Finally a considerable number of ste
en- and smuggled horses were reportt
to have been gathered at the ranc
~ Saunders heard of 1t and rode off alol
- to investigate. After an absence of fl
- days he returned, bringing a doz'
horses which he had "stolenr out of Il
" smugglers' corral at night. 1t was &C
r tainly unique way of of making sc
" - ure, but the treasury department W
- not liberal in the matter of expense {
- counts on that border, and, as Saunde
put 1t to the deputy collector at De
E, ing, 81 didn't know whether we col
make the case stick or not, but {
." know that the department would refr
to pass our expense vouchers If we did
so just stole the bunch of horses wi
out help, so as to cover accidents"
the readers Of this article know a.
thing about the desperate character
r. the cattle smugglers along the Mexic
' border they will be able to pass iu
ment upon this achievement of Inspe
or Saunders. The event so enra,
iA the people at the little camp wher,
occurred that they sent word up to d,
ing that Saunders would be made
'Ds say his prayers If he ever rode into t
- camp again"
om- soi0A "iiiIp AND sohE-foorSp'
on When this reached Saunders ears
promptly saddled up and put out for
boundary line.
"There's no necessity for your
air ming into danger there now," said
ing deputy collector.
will eyes, there is,n was Saunders re,
can ''lf there's any camp along the
are which ! cannot ride Into l may as
throw up my commission"