Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-09-13
DEATH OF "oLD JUDAS"

"Old Judas" is dead, says the Chica-
go Chronicle.
Judas came to town as Colorado
steer about ten years ago. His horns
were short and rskish, and his hide
was nottled after the fashion of Ne
braska cayuse. When he was poked
out of a car at the stock yards Phil
Armour's men saw that the beast had
more intelligence than the rest of the
herd, and 80 they prevailed upon the
executioners to spare him. Judas had no
name that at time. Men larruped him
with sticks and poked him about until
he gave an awful roar of disapproval.
Then his keepers began to train him
for the work he was to do through life.
They saw that the animal had head
full of brains and they needed be-
trayer. Day after day long trains filed
with cattle from the Panhandle and
the knobs of Texas rolled into the
yards. The wise and solemn ooking
steer from Colorado would meet his
brethren and lead them with winning
grin and q confident toss of his horns
to the executioner, who stood at the
top of the ehutes. Then the mottled
steer, who was then known as Judas or
"Bill, the Steerer," would leave the
column and return to his place near
the railroad tracks.
The stories told about Judas are quite
as numerous as the yellow and blue
flowers on the prairie. He was a
wise old fellow, who knew that his
shanks and ribs were spared by his
wisdom. He cared but little for the
thousands of steers that came to the
yards. He was steer himself, but his
life had not been to his liking. He
was taught the trial to the executioner,
and, while he always took good care
not to get too close to the knife of the
blood-stained butcher, he would lead
his southwestern brethren to their
death with all the grace of Chester
field at swell social function. Event
ually the mottled steer became known
as Judas. 1t is said of him that, having
led 8 carload of long horns to the exc
cutioner, he would suddenly fall out of
line and laugh as he wabbled down the
runaway TO meet the next train. Judas
drew no isalary from Armour, and vet
his function such that no employee
of the millionaire could attempt to fill
his place successfully. Judas was a
prime favorite among the people of the
stockyards. He roamed about the
streets without fear of molestation. He
was called the s'con" boy of the yards,
and the men and women would go out
of their way to toss morsel to the wise
and owlish beast.
Judas led his fast batch of victims to
the executioners last Saturday after
noon. 1t was rebellious lot, fresh
from the bunch grass of northwestern
Nebraska, but with confident toss
of his head and meek and solemn
air which he never forgot he led the
! troops of horned Westerners along the
runaway to the room where the bare
armed executioners stood with their
keen and greedy knives Late that
night Judas fell I'LL. He rolled over on
his side in his pen and closed his eyes.
When morning came the men about the
yards found him dead in the straw. He
left no word, nor bad he given single
grunt OF repentance for all the mean
work he had done. It was said that
Judas died Of old age, but there are
men about the yards who say that the
willy old beast was affected with a cold
and was sneezing when he betrayed his
| last bunch of brethren. -