The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-02

Instantly his left hand flew to q
second weapon, for Bill was ambidex-
trous and VIGOROUSLY proficient. But
Kyle's gun was in his hand, and he
shot again. This time he struck the
pistol guard, and the weapon was
torn from it's sheath and flung on the
door.
The officer was now aroused, and
Bill could see that he thought of end
ing life and the quarrel with a single
shot So he temporized.
you've got me-" he said. Don't
Shoot"
'"Then don't knock over my whisky
with your hat" replied the officer, in
some heat.
did 1 knock over your whisky?" In
quired Bill, suddenly grasplng sufil-
Gent cause of offense.
You did"
"Then 1 beg your pardon, and l
don't blame you for throwing the hat
on the floor. My name is Wild Bill, and
you are"
Lieutenant Kyle Of the army"
"Glad to meet you. WhatH you
have?"
the barkeeper said to himself.
This is a dream, or I'm a China
man.
The men were friends while they
lived, writing to each other occasional
~, for Kyle was assigned to the First
regiment of cavalry, and went on to
the coast Among the effects of each
were discovered letters from the other.
Though if a thousand miles had not
divided them it is barely possible they
might have met less pleasantly.
Importance of n Bit of CIOthesIine
in "a COuntyseat War.
In the border ruffian days of early
Kansas Joe Duddles, though he man
aged to keep out of either army, laid
up record of eight men killed in open
brawl, and then went away about war
time because the brother of a man who
had disagreed with him in politics
came up to Coffey county from Lynne
with the first repeating rifle that ever
crossed the Missouri river.
Joe was gone fifteen years, but
scraps of history drifted back from
Arkansas. where he had maintained
his Kansas reputa ton, though at the
expense OF some half a dozen Offend
ers. He reached Leroy just on the
eve of its county seat fight against
Burlington.
Loyal to his old town, his politics and
his past offenses were both forgiven,
for he was likely to be a valuable
man. Burlington people heard about
him and his ominOusly visible gun,
ana 1t bothered them.
One day Coffey county held an cleo
ton, and an overwhelming majority
of voters, living and dead, decided on
moving the county seat from Leroy
to Burlington. The newly elected
sheriff and clerk started down to LIE
Roy after the records.
The old sheriff at Leroy put the
papers in gummy sack and started
away with them, leaving Joe Duddles
and some others to cover his fight.
The Leroy contingent waited at the
corner of the square for Joe to appear
and lead them, but he did not come;
and when the Burlington crowd gal
loped past after the records only a, few
Intellectual shots were fired.
Next morning Joe Duddles was
found lying in the back yard of Mrs. !
Ward, with whom he had been board |
ing. His gun was in his hand, but he
could not speak. And there was a |
dark blue mark across his throat. !
They carried him into the house and |
he wrote on the wall paper:
81 hit my chin on the clothesline."
The man had dashed from the |
house, armed. to join his fellows, and |
the patent wire clothesline had thrown |
him.
He might have recovered from the /
physical injury. He might even have /
lived down the effects of that Novem- |
per night exposure; out ne could not !
survive the humiliation of such a /
tumble, and at the end of a week he |
died.
A later wife came up from Arkansas |
to the burial, and the funeral sermon |
was all even her eXacting tastes could |
require. His g-ravestone is silent as
to those deeds of which he was proud |
est; but then there are compensations /
in all things. 1t says nothing of the
clothesline which conquered him
LIE ROY ARMSTRONG