Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-13

Around IL His Body.
"My first meeting with Dallas Stude-
meyer was at Las Vegas. N. NJ, in the
summer of 1882" said a southwestern civil
engineer. 81 had taken the morning train
that day from Albuquerque to Las Vegas.
In the car few seats ahead of me sat Fat
Garrett, the tall sheriff of Lincoln county,
the slayer of Billy the Kid. Seated beside
him was man of equal height, wearing a
black sombrero ard black frock coat His
profile as he turned now and then to left
or right showed thin, aquilinc features and
a long mustache of a reddish tint. The
two men were talking earnestly together
and occupied the same scat all the way to
Las Vegas, where we arrived at noon.
son the station platform was standing
Fred Leach, then superintendent of the
/ lower division of the Atchison road. AS
the passengers alighted from the train he
shook hands with Pat Garrett and his COM
panion, and a moment afterward said aside
to me:
"'You know Dallas Studemeyer, don't
you? No? Then I'll introduce you.
$50 was duly presented to the famous
CITY marshal of FL Paso He was at that
period ex- marshal of that lively town ow-
ing to a recent falling out with the city
council. He greeted me politely, as is the
fashion Of men of his kind toward strangers
with whom they have no quarrel. l no.
| ticed the peculiar tint of his eyes, the pu-
pills of which had a reddish hue that had
never seen in any other human eye. De-
| spite their strange and ominOus tinge, his
| eyes were not unpleasant, at least in his
| peaceful mood, and his look was fearless
| and direct. Pat Garrett l knew and had
already spoken with on the train. Garrett
and Studemeyer took the next train, as
did, to the Hot Springs six miles from Las
| Vegas, where the railroad maintained fine
hotels and lighthouses.
"Studemcyer was haggard and very nerv
Gus from the effects of overwhelming and
the constant danger to his life during his
| last month in FL Paso, and his hand shook
SO that he could not sign his name on the
register of the Montezuma hotel. The tall
sheriff and the ex-marshal, although re-
served and unpretentious of manner, were
noticeable figures among the crowd of
fashionable guests at this noted pleasure
resort, and it did not take long for the
people to find out who they were.
"In the afternoon Studemeyer went over
to the bathhouse and took a Turkish bath
The head attendant came up in astonish-
ment to tell the superintendent at the
springs about the strange man whom he
had just attended.
"'He bears the scars Of 81 wounds, he
said, and three bullets are still in his
body. One recent wound that he got when
he killed three men in FL Paso is still I'M
healed.
"Whcn Studemeyer came up stairs after
his bath, the superintendent invited him
into his Office. The ex-marshal talked
frankly and without hesitation OF his ca
reer in Eel Paso and made no concealment
of the fact that his nerves were badly shak-
en- by what he had recently passed through
1T was q tough experience to live
through he said and it kept getting
worse all the time. was pretty nigh sin
gle handed against the town and every
body trying TO get the drop on me to kill
me. 1t got so that if q man had charge
in his gun that he wanted to get rid of
he'd wait round d corner to fire it into
me. didn't mind shooting scrap when
it came T. was the suspense that Wore
on me. I never know now when I NAV
be attacked uuawares. 1t might happeil
in q railroad train or anywhere that l
chance to be. I've had the offer of two
different city marshalships this week. l
don't know what I'll do about them Go
back to FL Paso maybe when get straight
ened up.
HE was native, he said of the noun
tain region of Alabama and had served
in the Confederate army. Since the war
he had led an adventurous life in the
southwest. Though undoubtedly he was
armed, there We're no signs of weapons
about his person as he walked or sat in
the superintendent office.
1.-The constant sense of danger of which
he spoke and anticipation of attack from
any quarter was shown when clerk at
work in the same room had occasion to go
behind him to overhaul some papers piled
upon the floor At the sound of somebody
moving behind him the nervous sudden
ness with which Studemeyor jumped from
his chair and whirlcd round to see what
was meant WAS an effective illustration OF
the suspense under which he was living.
Like many other men of his kind who
lead n life of constant danger, Dallas Studio
meyer was a fatalist.
IL believe said he, that when Il man
is born the time when he is to die is fixed
and appointed, and he can't be killed be-
fore that tilna comes round don't be-
lieve the bullet was ever nodded that will
kill me-.
But the bullet was nodded and waiting
that should kill Dallas Studemcyer. He
lefs the Springs that afternoon and went
down the road the next day. He stopped
drinking, got into good physical condition
and went back To FL Paso in the course of
week or two, where he was again APP
pointed city marshal. He got along all
right until he again took to overwhelming.
His old feud with The three Manning
brothers was revived, and one day he en-
tered their saloon ana variety hall for the
purpose, he said, of having talk to clear
up matters of difference between them and
bring about friendly understanding. Doc
and Jim Manning were at the saloon, ard
Jim started ont to go up the street to find
John Manning, so that all three of the
brothers might be present at the confer
pnce. Jim got as far rs the corner of the
building and stopped and waited In
minute more two pistols We're cracking at
lively rate inside the saloon, and Dallas
Studemeyer came, backing out of the
doorway as he exchanged shots with Doc
Manning whom he bad xvafJndef At+i,n