St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-21

Bandera were very much worked up
over the presence in their midst of a
long-haired desperate by the name of
Arizona Bill. Everybody in Texas
knew Arizona Bill by reputation.
Scores of men had fallen before his
unerring aim. He had made record
for himself in California, out of which
state he had been driven by the cele-
brated vigilance committee. The
stranger was Arizona Bill and none
other, for Smoot, the old stage driver.
had seen that noted character in Cali
fOrnia and identified him at once.
Bill, as we will call HIM for short. did
not get into any personal difficulties
while he was in BaIdera. He didn't
have any occasion to shoot anybody
The officials were brave men. but they
hesitated about tackling Bill. They
| were not afraid of any ordinary des-
| perado, but they gave the right of way
| to man who had the reputation of
pulling a gun quicker than mule
could kick, and was never known to
have shot twice at the same man, for
| the same reason that lightning never
strikes twice in the same place. 1t isn't
necessary. Bill put up at the local
| hotel, and lived on the fat of the land,
| but the landlord refrained from asking
| for settlement. William had every.
thing his own way. He dressed we'll,
| lived high, smoked the finest cigars, and
always had his pockets full of money.
! One day there was new arrival at
the Bandera hotel. He hailed from
/ New jersey and registered as Mel
ancthon Tompkins He was a young
man and an invalid. His lungs were af-
| fected, and his object in coming to Ban
dera was to be benefited by the cli-
mate, which was dry and ,bracing. He
was timid man cOnstitutionally, and
| his bad health had made him even more
nervous than he was by nature. Final
| ly the landlord persuaded Tompkius to
carry pistol in Difference to public
sentiment, but on reflection Tompkins
| removed the pistol from the holster.
! Nobody would know but that there was
! a pistol i'll the holster, and he would not
be regarded as defying public senti-
ment by going around unarmed. He
| put the pistol in bureau drawer. and
utilized the empty holster as a re-
i ceptacle for his money.
| The landlord increased Tompkin's
nervousness by telling him all about
Arizona Bill, who was liable to make
the acquaintance Of the invalid from
New Jersey. and request temporary
loan. The landlord advised TOmpkinS
not to eXasperate the desperate beyond
endurance by refusing to accommodate
him. Tompkins made up his mind to
get out OF Bandera as soon as possible,
as the climate did not come up to his
expectations; but before he could carry
out his intentions the Arizona terror
stalked into his room and asked for the
loan Of fifty dollars. Tompkins had
made up his mind to turn over his
money on demand, so when Bill made
his demand Tompkins although tremb-
ling all over, jumped to his feet. and
nervously tumbled at his holster to get
tn money he kept there. The holster
was buttoned down and Tompkins
tugged at it in vain.
But the strangest thing was the con-
duct of the tantalzing terror from the
sulphur coated plains of Arizona.
When Tompkins sprang to his feet and
reached for his holster. the terror
turned as pale as piece of old tripe.
and he backed toward the door,
'Pll give you what you want" ex-
claimed Tompkins, still Juggling at the
holster. With wild cry of dismaY,
Arizona Bill' disappeared through
the open door. Tompkins, believing
that the desperate, angered by the de-
lay in getting the money. had gone for
gun, rushed after him.
''l'll give it to you in minute" said
Tompkins. still pulling at his holster.
Don't shoot-don't shoot!" howIed
the desperate, as he fled down the
street, his long hair swapping in the
breeze. Before Tompklns could over
take him, he had disappeared in the
mesquite bushes. The citizens of Ban
dera could hardly believe their eyes
when they saw The consumptlve tender
foot from New Jersey chasing the
| tantalizing terror. They cheered
| Tompkins wildly; he was the hero of
the day.
| Tompkins' reputation as a bad man
:, man arrived in Bandera who looked as
much like Arizona Bill as one taran-
| tula looks like another. He arrived
J during the n light, and the first thing he
did was to hold private Interview with
the astonished landlord. The new arrival
explained that he was the real Arizona
Bill, all wool and a yard wide. with the
makers name blown in the bottle, so to
| speak. He had heard that a bogus
| Arizona Bill, who looked very much
] like him, was passing as the original
| desperate of that name, and blackmaiI-
ing the citizens of Bandera. He had
| come to Bandera to have little bust
ness talk with his double. There was
an ominous glitter in the eyes of the
new arrival that BODIED no good for the
| duplicate. when found.
The landlord explained that the
| duplicate had been run out of town by
a tenderfoot from New Jersey. The
| II ew arrival expressed his admiration