Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-30

that those gpntry delight in the name OF
'spostss and have m gntlpathy to hcing
called gamblers. while to intimate to one OF
them that no was murderer would DO sure
10 result IN his killing tho insuher to provo
that he was not. Prominent among tho dcs.
peradocs who fiockod to Croedc In its early |
days was Kentucklan. who In bis 'own
state bore the name Of Charles l.. Greek, but |
who owing to his having had his features
badly carved upby bowie kniio and his nose'
alashcd out OF shape. came to be known MS
'Brokcn Nose Crock. Curiously enough, |
Kentucky has furnished more q these out
laws, than all Of the other states put to-
gclher. Greek served In tho Union army
during the war. and unlike most q the men
In his native state was a rampant hepub- |
lican, IL seome to have iN,on the rule in those
now towns and mining camps to SOLICIT for
their marshal or chief OF police, a man who
had already made n reputation as killer
| Before Crocdo was dreanpt OF Greek had
/ qualified himself Tor the position Of innr-
shR by killing four men, In seli-deienee, he
explained. The beginning made In civil ITO
he kept bNvcly up rs an oficial. and 10 him
belongs the distinguished honor OF having
supplied tho corpse 70 start the graveyard in
tho new city. After Crcedc became more law
abiding IL needed higher typo Of city Of
ilcialsi "nroken Nose Crook was elected out
Of oiice and is reported 10 have boon suhso-
Quently shot In n mining town on the 6unul-
son.
have said that the native born English.
man took more naturally 10 the calling Of
"bad man. than did tho genuine Yankee
One OF the most striking examples Of thie
was Bon Thompson. an Engishman, who
was brought out 10 Texas by his parents
while no was yet child. Thompson began
his Vicious cnraor while II III In his teens and
before he was thirty he had Killed. eifhtoen
men, record that warranted his SEEING
elected marshal Of the capital city OF Austin.
Had Thompson boon native horn Texan,
with honnga OF frontier ancestors running
back for many generations. he could not have
shown mora SKIN as q rider and shot Ho
was ono OF tho few men OF this class who
, came nearrr being devoid OF physical fear
than any know OF, On ono occasion, learn
, ing that two barkeepOrs Ia certain ostah-
I llshmcnt had sworn they would XIII him u
4 no ever came into their place he boldly
\ walked In alone. As soon rs he reached tho
I middle OF tho room the two men, ono on
@ each side and not more than twenty foct
Q away, raised their shotgins and fired at the
a same instant, but they were so frightened
q that they missed thuir mark whereupon
,s Thompson who had been grizzly amlling NJ
u thom drew his rovolyor and killed the two
Ir 1t was the same desperate recklesaness that
ID led him into u quarrel with tho proprietor 81
ID a theatre IN San Antonio. Thompson would
~ havo killed. the theatrical manager had moi
5. hoy named Sims, who was hia assistant
So drawn his pistol. stepped between the two
a. and sent throe bullets through tho deepen
no dos brain.
Tho James, Fords, and road agents Of tina
a class, while red.handcd murdorera, do no
u deserve TO be claBsod with the western ba
r. man who rather prIdas himself on hts hon
or esty, that Ia, he will not hold up a otage or
he railroad train for the purpose OF looting I
n but he does not hesitate to make money b
VI, cheating icnderfeot and manipulating card
ne 80 as to win few years ago Harley Nc
II" Coy, also II Kontucklan, having Killed tw
pc men In his native state and mastered the Al
w. OF poker, folt himself qualified for the rank
at OF tho western bad man and 40 went out
Colorado. Here Mccoy at onco boenme
protoge OF the famous. or Infamous "Bal
Mhstorson. tho prince OF 'killors" and Il
Napoleon OF western sports. Harley MoO'
"a now about thlrty-siy years OF age, Ia
1.-the and active. Ho has dark, curling hal
blnck eyes, and Wholesome olive compile
ion. and IA he dresses well and Ia excclloi
tnste. his handsome person is sure TO attra
attention whoreyor he goes, Under the gui
aneo OF Masterson. Mccoy has learned pr
dence, and while ho stlll keeps mp bis ok
Ill with tho revolver, no takes care 10 avoid
III quarrel and deyotos himself 10 money ma
ing through his gambling establishment
Denver.
The most noted Of all tho western bad me
perhaps because ho has most murders 10 h
credit, Is Bat Mastorson himself Mastera
was born In Middleton, H., about thirty-s
years ago. His father was well-to-do ia
iner but tho boy did not avail himself OF
educational opportunities, While his col
panlons were studying at school young Mn
terson could be found IN the woods prAet
ON Ing with revolver, and 10 this early tfeinil
'ost Is no doubt due tho phenomenal skin wi
'@'' that weapon which he has displayed III
iSs' number Of deaths credited 10 Bat Masteral
uit range all the way from Ave to twcnty'eisl
was Perhaps fair average would be sixtef
In Masteison had established u reputation az
ana ahooter when he was made marshal Of bod
'teu CITY Kansas. Hero, IN tho early soyeni'
was his brother, who was tho sheriff, was XII
inc by Ayo Texas cowboys, As soon as \
law learned of this he sought out the men and
Q o. once shot tho whole five down. lie distln
uha uished himself in those days as an lpdi
ana fighter aud buffalo hunter, but while no
tea practising with bis ri1o and revolver ho q
am not cease to perfect himself in his skin vi
an the cards, When the railroads opened
the Colorado to tho world he went thiiher,
tablshing innumorable gambling places, y
ave bocAnso Of his foarlossneas and his skin WI
"a the pistol was elected marshal ut dihere
per times Of half dozen infant cities, In each
ood. which there Is NJ loast one grave In tho Gel
and etcry nled by the victim Of his reyolv
ass, Maslsrson ~ u man Of medium height, vi
light an intellectual face, strange as u may soe
rom aud 4 not addicted TO profanity or iilnl
rom Ms friends ciatm and with show 81 lustl
M, that he never drew his revolver except ~
car interest Of law. NELSON ASHLEY
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