Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1894-11-08


Filled with anger at the unjust
treatment, the young follow would
have sought another interview had
not older and cooler heads advised
him to keep away for time and
therefore, he retired to the cabin of
another miner not n mile away, wait
ing until Selden should end his de-
bnuch and be in condition to meet
without danger.
But that condition did not ensue; on
the contrary, no sooner had the elder
man broken with his partner than he
plunged into deeper eXccsses than be-
fore. gave up his work, finally sold the
claim at great sacrifice, and spent
all his time in savage drunkenness,
constantly swearing that he had but
one thought left in life and that to
find and kill Jermyn.
Too often the man who has done
another II wrong hates him for that
very reason, strange as it may seem,
and that was the condition of mind
that Selden had now reached.
Meantime, Jermyn, advised by men
who had known Seldcn for years, hid
himself and waited from day to day,
hoping against hope that u change
might come
But no change came, and one day by
some chance Selden learned that
Jermyn was still in the camp, and the
rage with which he began a house to
house or cabin search for him led the
latters friends to at once smuggle
him as far as Granite Springs, twenty
miles over the divide.
They hoped that this would satisfy
Selden, but the man had become
crazed; one idea filled his mind-the
murder of Jermyn-and with all the
cunning of lunatic he sought the
trail of the fleeing boy. Threats of
death. curses and oaths of the most
terrible form, rage that knew no
bounds filled the air about him where
ever he paused, and the story OF his
determined revenge spread among
the mining camps in the desert, so
that Jermyn was warned and con-
tinued his flight from point to point
to avoid his pursuer.
Imagine the situation; mere boy,
unused to the wild lawlessness of that
border land, friendless and far from
home, pursued by one who should
have nothing against him, but whom
he knew to be u murderer and willing
to do as he threatened is it any Won
der that his nerves gave way?
Well, they did, and after being
driven from Granite Springs to Grant,
and in turn to Cottonwood, Point of
Rocks and San Bernadino, he finally
sought cover in Los Angeles itself,
hoping that his enemy would not fol =
low him into that city lest he might
fall into the hands of the law.
But he did not know Selden.
Crazed with liquor and the one idea
that he had turned within his seeth
ing brain for u month, he learned
with fiendish joy that Jermyn was in
the city, and thither he went post
haste, seeking for himself lodging
in one of the third rate hotels upon
lower Main street, and searching the
town each day for his selected victim.
For week or more the other lodged
him; men who knew them both warm
ing him and helping him to conceal
himself Why he did not call upon
the authorities for protection is not
known, but they could do little for
bail to keep the peace would have
been a straw bucliler to save Jermyn
from the bullet or knife of his enemy.
Day by day and night by night the
boy watched and lodged and listened
and started, unable to rest or sleep,
or eat; frightened more by the horri-
Bile uncertainty of when the end
would come than by that end itself,
until his brain, too, was turned, and
for the time he became as crazed as
the man who was following him.
He reached one conclusion, either
he must kill Selden or Selden would
kill him. and life seemed too sweet
with all it's terrors, to lose it at TWEEN
ty-three; and this is what he did:
Finding where the elder man wa
staying he engaged room in one o
the small two.storied buildings oppo
site. The room looked upon the stree
and commanded the entrance to Sell
denis hotel; and, having secured q
shot gun which he loaded with buck.
shot, he took up his station in tn
upper window, behind half opened
blind, and waited the coming of hi
former partner.
For some reason two days passed
without Jermyn's seeing Selden. Dur
ing this time, with only pause for t
few hours of rest and a bite to eat
the half-crazed boy, gun in hand
watched, with flaming eyes and hear
that tIrobbed as if it would suffocat'
him; watched and waited the chanc
to kill the man whom he feared
Each moment that passed burned int
his seething brain greater fear eac
hour scorched him with more terri