The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-11-05
TURNER AND HIS GUN
DoUsLE-L Eek, THE COWBOY, AND
HIS MODEST RECORD CLAIM.

nercd Soldier with n Winchester.
Now and then a "b1d man tries %
cultivate something which De- mistakes
for humor. Ono ~ thcsc dcvotecs cf lev
ity used 10 haunt the cattle Iause q
western Kansas. and every fan and
spring he appeared in d lcc City nj the
general roundup" livery tirne he
came to town he left tomc proof of n
facetious mind. and was very sure Of be-
ing talked about by every idle Inan and
most Of the busy ones who remained
when the rush was over.
His name was Eek Turner, though
Dodge City will best remember him by
the title Doubled Eek. - the duplicated
capital being Leonard * Loughrain's ;
brand, and he being one II their hest
riders In fact, Turner might have been
foreman If he had cared f0r the position.
for he could ride well. and there were
few more expert with the rope anil Prob
ably none who could bear fatigrc and
hardship moro patiently than he
But the trouble was he wanted recon-
penso for the dull life of q cowboy. He
didn't care for money. ANY wages going
wore acceptable Co him. But when the
cattle got rounded up and there wits bali
a days escape from the tcdium of labor
Eek Turner wanted his fling And he al
ways Went into town and had IL.
Now. foreman cannot do these
things. H must stay by the herd all the
time. preserve a clear head and firm
place in the saddle He is tho rcprc.Cut-
ative of the owner-the custodian II
much wcalth-and dissipation is not 10
be- Thought Of
One If Eek Turner s pet bits ~ hu-
NOR was 10 pick out people whose ap-
pearance diSplcascd him and shout Just
near enough TO them 10 express his sen
timents. lie particularly dislikrd to scc
horsom 3. go by ON the trut. Il was IN n
cowboy country, and COWBOYS gIllupcd.
whether or not they were in a hurry.
And IL the rider had habit uf iris
ing n the stirrups. as conventional
trutters often d.. Eek Turner hated him
violently. 50 that when b. camc down
Nam street one day and Saw rather
wcll dressed mau ~ by trottn. ami
rising with tho motion II his horse
Eek called general attention tothc sfcc-
taclc
Really tire trUtter was .:ar very good
horscmJu. II was possible. q, Erk ob-
served. o. '>"c dJyligh, under him cv-
cry time ho r1sc ia tire saddle And Tho
glimpse ,c that recurring daylight
provoked rcis tu 81 bit ~ pistol practice.
4 bcr. = .H'd hn. s..'rIfi:s fhc rider
and reaching f.ra large revolver. f.-rity
we'll lssci. ,n l.a hole. Il la.. csu shoot
between hin uii thc saddle and never
touch f.gflc~.
Hc hab hrH drinking ia 50 J,crr1us
4 manner as tp l,e daI-...us. ald ..p no
onr iutcrf,rcl. Tine rider was half a
blo.k away whoa Eek frcl. ami the
bulls, must Ea.c couc tfu". f.rtlc Tilcs
pa' e.i al U.cu. -i.l-. w..Ilr g -igu lii
ac.lllly arto>s tie street was shattered
by 90" sh.t.
H. tried 80 aeain later in tho tiay aud
ortuul',iy-mirsrul.u~ly-' .;ls.l the
iufliet..l of injury. ID rl-c City t.lhDd
about I'D uL,,-L E-l ..i his new joke
all summer. and iu ,lc autumn Lc came
IN and tried 10 again.
Tile first Shot De made he hit man
in the lcg and was very indignant be-
cause thCy wuuld not give h.m another
chance. assuring tho cripp',d victim IL
was an accidgu:. and uraiug hln 20
mount and trut past ju>t one time moro.
rising no higher than Dee had dome and
guaranteeing To put three shots uut ~
five between him and the saddle or buy
the drinks for ihc crowd
But il was the uncertainty about the
other two shots that iEtcrf,rcl with me-
go;iations-tllat and the troiting man 5
persistent endcavor 10 enjoy tIc freedom
Of his own PISTOL arm while Eck re-
maiuCd in his presence.
Eck Thought II was funny. and that
hallurinatiou grew Cn him till hc got
into trouble. Whom the wave of Texas
fever swept over Kansas in ls~O. kill
ing of 80 many uf tho Kansas cattle. "A
state law stopped those drives" which
had been the life 81 western Kansas. and
Eek Turner lost his occupation. Hr went
farther west and south and tried b. Shoot
the top un a mans plug hat IN Colorado
Springs because Lee insisted the fashion
was two iLehcs shorter than the man
was wearing.
Al L. Neta he took exception To the
sputtering sound occasionally made by
an electric lamp and went about shoot
ing the carbons in two till the city
marshal engaged IN rep1rtcc and shot
OF the end Of Eck's thumb. alleging as
q sufficient reason the fact that no man
with two good thumbs could b. a real
" bad man. Eek replied in kind. and
there were no applicants for the position
the marshal's demise left vacant until il
was known that Eek had left that region
and gone TO Arizona.
At Fort Wingate he had the misfor-
tune TO shoot into an ambulance driven
by very mild hammered private sol
dicr, who pulled up a winchester and
crippled Il, for life. destroying the use
fulnc-s Of both shoulders and incidental
ly putting cat las right eve
After that LEX Turner went % Flag