The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25
GUN RULE AT CALDWELL.
THE rows ToUGH EARLE DAYS
AND TOUGHER MARsHALS.
One Marshal Arer Another was Barred
Untu Henry Brown Volunteered and
Proved Too Tough Even for Caldwell.

West was Caldwell. Those who remember the
palmv days OF Pembina or Abilene or Dodge
City may doubt this. They may tell how Limpy
Stutzman played a game OF cards for what Is
now the town Of Pembina, OAK, while the
Speaker Of the Legislature and the
on Lands stood by to see fair play. They may
tell of eleven lynchings on the day OF
the christening OF Abilene, or of a gem
eral shooting in which a Judge. a hotel
keeper, a minister, and two miners were
bowled over when Dodge City blossomed
out into a city. But when George Flat became
Marshal OF Caldwell on the Kansas border IN
1850, Caldwell was the king bee of tough towns.
Abilene, Pembina. and Dodge City had had their
day. Stutzman had deserted Pembine, Wild
Bill had civilized Abilene with n cutoff shot
gun. and bat Masterson was engaged in ruling
Dodge City with a pair of heavy six-shooters.
Caldwell being on the Indian Territory border,
was headquarters for Dave Paync's oklahoma
boomers, and the Cherokee Strip aud Texas cat
tlemen and cowboys, ~ well ~ n paradise for
bad men with killing records and for gamblers.
Unless n man carried an arsenal, swurc like n
pirate, and gambled like n fcnd. he was not in
good standing in society. and In n short time
either left town of his own accord or was car
ried to the graveyard on the hill.
For a long time the bad men ran the town,
and no Marshal could keep alive or in the town
long enough to preserve order. Then George
Flat turned up. His chief and only recon-
mendation was his nerve. lie was known as a
bad man. To show the people that he proposed
to run the town on border principles, he started
in for n reign Of terror. This he brought about
by killing three cowboys one day and two In
dlnns the next. Then he lined up'' the Mayor of
the town and made him eat crow. That settled
II. and the toughs gave him n wide berth. A
plot was fixed up to get rid Of n man thew
could not control. and one dark. rainy night
some one let loose n charge of buck
shot which struck the Marshal in the
back. lie dragged himself up against
a building, pulled his six-shooters, and was dis
covered dead with n gun in either hand. Mrs.
Flat sent TO Chicago for n Pinkerton detective
and offered a large reward for the apprehension
OF her husbands murderer, but to this day the
killing is n mystery.
The vacant place was taken by Frank Hunt,
FLATS deputy. Hunt lacked the nerve his chief
possessed, but was on the bad-man order. One
night he went to the Texan House to n dance.
After many drinks he went inside and sat down
near a window to cool Off. Suddenly the lights
went out, some one shot a hole through Hunts
head, and once more Caldwell was without a
policeman. The ball went on and Hunt was
buried the next day with proper and becoming
Half the town got drunk and the
next morning three men were discovered dead
in one saloon.
Bat Carr succeeded Hunt. and escaped with
his life. He was a handsome gambler, but
lacked the nerve to run such n town. The
Mayor and City Council were powerless once
more. The cemetery on the hill grew larger.
The bad men had things all their own way.
One day a Texan rode into town over the old
Chisholm trail. He was a bronzed blond with a
two six-shooters, and a record as a
He had been engaged in the John
Chisholm war in Texas and had been a partner
Of Billy the Kid. His name was Henry Brown
and he was " broke" He had heard that Bat
Carr wanted an assistant and he hunted him up.
Il hear you want a man TO do n night shift on
the police" he told Carr that day. III you do,
I'm your man."
We bury a Marshal here every forty-eight
hours" said the Marshal with u laugh at the
,rowd. still, IL you don't object to that fea-
of the business you can have the place"
suits me to a dot" was the laconic reply.
Shall l get to work right away -
Certainly; wade right in" said Carr.
The boys learned that a new man was on duty
md prepared to have some fun at his expense. {
he next day the town turned out and buried
wo of the would-be jokcrs. Brown was proving
tough customer, .
Hell get his nil, though said the boys. !
A week went by and a minstrel show struck :
own. They ad yertised to wear plug hats, and :
sandy Jim and his crowd proposed To have some :
Igcr heard this and decided TO omit that part Of ,
he programme; but Brown also learned OF his '
leclsioh anu insisted that the parade must take i
tx-shooter was so prominently displayed that I
he minstrel men were between the devil and :
he deep sea, and concluded to go ahead as they d
lad first intended. "
I'll take care Of any one who shoots at your +
rats" Brown said. and he kept his word. !
As the procession passed down the main street n
andy Jim was sitting on, n store box. With a J.
ole through a high hat. Before S"ndy'ss COM :
adgs could initiate his example Brown was i
made him throw away his guns. Then he or !
.snSy h s,nr, to run Rro There e, was nothing else to DO; v
anGe. then quickly raised his gun and shot him y
ORDER. lie decided that Rat Carr was no man ii
Or Marshal and ordered him to resign and leave. :
:" :, Suppose ] don't CO. said Carr. h
Then they'll carry you out, but only as far as ~
he graveyard" said brown. "
n a chum named Hen Wheeler as his assistant. Il
he Council were compelled 10 endorse this az A.
and even brave Mike Meagher, the Mayor. a.
some time sf,er this Spotted Tail, an inoren- II
n nS eS% ons i day. and GAl ths S%SG sIoT Sbot q him TSri s0 p
~ OF holes that there was barely enough Of him ="
II :" bury; Ben Wheeler followed his chiei's
ewto1 B99yce, a popular gambler. fell under
th diSplsssnre' and Vas locked up by =
rdly murderer, and tho Marshal ordered
turned loose. As Boyce left the city prison
hester rifle in his hand. lie opened IRE upon III
le defenccless gambler, and before he stopped m
lmped five bullets into the mans body. m
This was too much TO overlook. Mike "
as Mayor, called the Council together. !"
nj they proceeded to deposs King Brown vi
heller Informed the Marshal Of what was N,
Iing on in the Council chamber. and accom- :"
.nlsd brown to the meeting. The two dcs- m
RADIO onlCials took possession Of the Council. -
them Ia rescind the order removing Ia
rown as Marshal, and actually forced them 10 "
'ss resolutions endorsing his course and giving AZ
order for a new Winchester rifle for him Al
MS done, he let them adjourn and go home. bo
went from bad 10 worse. until one day A,
@ Marshal and his assistants rode out Of town ~,
wing they were going down intothe Strip after I'll
me outlaws. They stopped at a COW camp and W..
70 cowboy joined them. The next morning ha
four rode into Medicine Lodge and up To ths nnuu
lors OF the principal hank. The cashier had az
81 opened the big safe door when Brown, M
heeler, ana a cowboy named smith entered II
@ room. Brown ordered MIN 10 throw mn his oh
.nds; but he refused, and started toward the dn
le. The desperate put a ball through him, Sa
II, the brave cashier Crawled To the door o.
shed u shut; and threw ON the combination m,
Tore he died. Wheeler shot the President as
he ran Duf nj lIa ndl,a 49, -