Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-04-06
MARI .vsAiN's uesrerADC.
An Old Stage Drivers Account Of the Kill
in. of Jules by Shade.


An Old Stage Drivers Account Of the Kill
Ing of jules by Shade.
"We liked to work for Slade He
knew how to use good men well. z said
Jack Wells, the stage driver. as he fin
gered the lines that guided the four
horse team. He had been one of the
henchmen of the Slade immcrtalized by
Mark Twain-the man killing Slade,
more feared ON the plains of the far
west than any other man of his day
Now the old time driver was minded to
talk Of his old chief as TIE stage rolled
over tho Santa Fe trail
when you talk of Shades doings,
you must remember that those were
tough times that he lived in and tough
men he had to deal with No soft man
could have kept things straight as no
did when he was superintendent on one
or another hard division of Ben Holli-
days stage lines across the plains and
mountains. There were red Indians and
white outlaws TO deal with right along,
and you had to fight EN- with their own
weapons. Many's the night I've been
walked out Of my sleep to get up ON a
stage box with my Henry rife beside
me, not knowing what was waiting
along the way in shape Of Indians or
road agents. Yes, Jim Slade was a good
deal of desperate and did good bit
of killing. | don't think he have kill
ed SO many people if it hadn't been for
his wife. Sho was high strung Texas
woman and was proud to have hus-
band who was famous among men for
his deeds. But Jennie was kind friend
to all the boys who worked for her hus.
band and would tend them in sickness
like q mother.
"About that affair with Jules? / sup
pose that's what gave Slade his reputa-
ton more than any other thing. Jules
kept store at tho station where Slade
made his headquarters. He had a boy
that worked for him, and ono day Slade
sent this boy off to do something or 9th
er, and it made Jules angry, and he used
pretty hard words about Slade, damning
him up hill and down for not sending
some man Of his own on his errands
Slade heard of-what Jules had been say
ing and came i'll to see him about il.
" You ought not to talk Lire that
about me, Jules, be said. Iwon't stand
it to have man damning me, and you
ought to know it.
" III talk about any man please,
said Jules. I'd like TO see the color Of
the man that I'd be afraid to speak my
mind about.
well, that nado Slado angry, be.
cause he knew it was meant as slur,
he being very dark complexioned man
Then he slapped jules face When he
turned to 60 ont Of the door, Jules
picked up gun from behind the coun-
ter and shot him in tho shoulder Slade
fell terribly wounded, aud we all
thought ho was done for We carried
him into the house, and then one of the
hostlers and | arrested Jules and We're
going to hang him. We'd already got a
wagon tongue up and the rope round his
neck when tho sheriff and some of the
other men took him away from us. They
got up some kind of a court and jury.
and Jules was acquitted He didn't stay
there for Slade to get well, but went off
down the road upon another division
and went into business there Slade
came round ALI right at last, but instead
of going after Jules, rs people might
think he would, he just kept ON his di-
vision and looked after his stages and
stations.
Jules had some cattle that he had
left on tho range round the station when
he went away, and word came to him
that they were being stolen or killed
At last he heard that Slade was away
from tho station, and so up he came in
company with the sheriff to see about
them. | gness Slado had something to
do with having that report got to him.
because he wasn't away, and he walked
i'll Oh Jules and the sheriff as they stood
in the barroom at tho station
Now, Jules, said he, I'm here to
have our quarrel out. Pull your pistol
and get to work.
jules refused to draw his gun. Slade
asked him once again to do so and then
shot him. As jules lay there dead on
the floor Slado said to the sheriff:
What do the Indians do when
they've killed an enemy
''Thc sheriff said, They scalp 'em
and cut their ears off.
"Slade took out his pocketknife and
cut Julo's ears Off They say he after
ward carried 'em about in his vest
pocket About that | haven't got any
thing to say. New York Sun.