Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-05-13
MARK TWAIN'S DESPERATE.
An Old Stage Drivers Account of the Kill.
ing of Jules by SIade

ms VI - uIeS Dy Slaue.
eve liked to work for Slade He
knew how to use good men well, said
Jack Wells, the stage driver, as he fin
gered the lines that guided the for
horse team. He had been one of the
henchmen Of the Slade immortalized by
Mark Twaln-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 the stage rolled
over the 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 he
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 'em 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 rifle beside
me, not knowing what was waiting
along the way in shape of Indians
road agents. Yes, Jim Slade was a good
deal of a desperate and did good bit
of killing I don't think he'd have kill
ed SO many people if it hadn't been for
his wife She 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 a mother.
"About that affair with Jules? l sup
pose that's what gave Slade his reputa-
ton more than any other thing. Jules
kept store at the station where Slade
made his headquarters. He had a boy
that worked for him. and one 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.
Shade heard of what Jules had been say
ing and came in to see him about it.
6" You ought not to talk like that
about me, Jules, he said. won't stand
ought to know it.
" I'll talk about any man l 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 made Slade angry, be-
cause he knew it was meant as slur,
he being a very dark complexioned man.
Then he slapped Jules face. When he
turned to go out of the door, Jules
picked up gun from behind the coun-
ter and shot him in the shoulder. Slade
fell terribly wounded, and we all
thought he was done for. We carried
him into the house. and then one of the
hostlers and l arrested Jules and were
going to hang him. We'd already got a
wagon tongue up and the rope round his
neck when the sheriff and some of the
other men took him away from u.s. They
got up some kind of court and jury,
and Jules was acquitted. He didn' stay
there for Slade to get we'll, but went off
down the road upon another division
and went into business there. Slade
came round all right at last, but instead
of going after jules as 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 the 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 the station, and so up he came in
company with the sheriff to see about
them. l guess Slade had something to
do with having that report get to him,
because he wasn't away, and he walked
in on Jules and the sheriff as they stood
in the barroom at the 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 Siade said to the sheriff:
''What do the Indians do when
they've killed an enemy?'
1.-The sheriff said, They scalp 'em
and cut their ears off.
''Slade took out his pocketknife and
cut Jules ears off, They say he after
ward carried 'em about in his vest
pocket. About that I haven't got any
thing to say. New York Sun.