The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-15

America" as Joe called It, incidentally
Joe lecuIred and took up collections.
Somehow the people got the idea that
Greer county had unWOrked gold mines
and diamond fields of fabulous richness.
Perhaps Joe told them so. AT any rate
Bob Rogers ana Louise, his pretty wife.
left the boomer camp at Hunnewell in
Kansas, and with others of the home
seekers, they trundled off down the OLD
Kansas and Texas trail into the prom
ised land. Once there, they found that
others had come IN from the Indian Ter
ritory, Texas and Mexico.
IN some manner peculiar to the west
little shenty, wagon and tent town sprang
into existence, and they called the place
"Rattlesnake City" BY common con-
sent Texas Ben" Jones became the mar
shall No one proposed the name IN u
convention, nor was there an election
held Ben simply became the marshal
because ne did. and probably because he
was, bigger, quicker, on the draw, and
read 10 go into a fight any day or night
Of the year Rattlesnake was a daisy"
while she lasted, and the boomers were
usually law abiding,
Unlike mining camps, there was moth
ing to keep up the town. No one worked,
because there was no work to do. Almost
every one had a little money, and gam
bling became the recognized trade Of Rat
and bucked the tiger, the women pitched
pennies for cash. Every shanty ana
every wagon had layout for gambling,
and soon the desperate bands Of high
Waymen, mOCnshiners and cattle thieves
that infest this country began to come IN
10 play quite Monte Carlo was thus
Bob Rogers and Louise had been raised
In Ohio and came Of good stock. Bob had
gone TO college long enough to learn to
play poker and swear. He soon became
a leader in the colony about Rattlesnake
because of his nerve, bearing and good
looks Louise was the beauty of Greer
county and by virtue thereof the queen
of border society. She led in all the dances
held in the center Of the canvas and shack
city once a week. BY degrees Rogers
won all the money of his neighbors, and
as fast as he become broke the unsuccess-
full player took his outfit and moved away
Not always, though, for some times he
would wager his wagon and team and
lose them also. Then he walked out of
Rattlesnake.
y AS Rogers won money he took on impor-
lance. He opened big gambling house
in tent and called the place Rogers
pavilion" He now virtually owned the
city. This tent became the center Of
attraction for all that part Of Texas.
Louise objected 20 the opening of this
house, but her husband carried away with
the fever of gambling, laughed at her
"He that lives by the sword shall perish
by the sword" she told him more than
once but Bob went right on winning the
money Of the people who played there II
appeared that he could not lose. one day
Texas Ben strobe in and took q seat at a
table where three strangers were prepar-
ing to play poker Ben was ugly and had
been drinking. He picked up the cards and
joined IN the game. Ben had money, and
so did the other people.
BY and by, when a big jack pot was in
sight, only Ben and dapper little chan
remained in the game. Ben drew one
card, the stranger three. Then they went
to betting. and raised until all the Texan
had was in the pot. Every one in the
room had quit to watch this play. 'TII
call YOU swore the big marshal land
If you beat my hand you've got 10 fight. .
The little fellow on the other side Of the
table only glanced up with sidewise
glitter in his eyes Bob Rogers pushed MS
way through the crowd and declared that
the game was on the square, and If there
was any killing done in the pavilion he'd
have a hand IN IT. The more peaceful
boomers moved away, but the gamblers
and outlaws generally remained. Bob
tried TO get Louise to go away, but she re-
fused to comply unless he would go with
her
Still the big Texan glanced across the
table at the little player on the other side.
and the little one smiled back at him.
Every one smelled tragedy IN the air.
Texas Ben was a known KILLER" and the
little cuss facing him had all the indica-
tons of a killer" himself.
Three kings and a pair OF queens. -
roared Texas Ben, laying down his hand
on the table.
-Four aces" cried the little man. drop
ping his cards ike hot cakes. and catching
a knife from MS sleeve. In a moment a
tree-for-all fight was In progress. Ben
Jones was killed. Louise tried to drag
her husband away and was shot through
the nose. Bob was bound to defend his
place and shoot the matter out The
| dapper stranger was one OF the slain,
proved to be woman in disguise.
In all five were killed and Louise was
disfiguered for life. Rattlesnalse CITY had
had shock that made the people awake
as though from hypnotic trance. They
shouted that the place was accursed The
shooting occurred at noon, and by night
not even dog was left to tell where Hat
tlesnake City had stood. The dead were
hurriediy buried, and the wounded were
carried away in wagons. The tents were
folded up and the shacks were burned 10
the ground. When the United States Of
ficers heard of the big killing" as It was
called, they went to the place where the
town had once stood. but found nothing
but few heaps Of ashes and five newly
made graves.
ulation returned to their hiding places in
the hills. The gamblers sought new pas
lures, where money was plenty, and the
boomers" slowly trundled back toward
Ocklahoma. They had had enough Of
Rattlesnake Joes earthly paradise Poor
Louise Rogers, her beauty gone forever,
was inconsolabIe. bob was sorry hut
consoled himself with some money he had
left out Of his winnings At Purcell he con-
tinued to play until this money had gone
back into the gamblers golfers from
whence IL sprang.
When Oeklahofna opened he got a claim
and was elected sheriff OF his county
BY degrees he became estranRed from HE
disfigured but faithful wife and took up
with a neighbor's. He was ousted from
Office by Disguised constituents, and his
wife remained on the claim while he
drifted away with the other woman Next
he flashed up in the territory as a deputy
marshal, and finally a reward was set
upon his head for murder and robbery.
They killed him last Friday near Coffee
Vile, after he had had almost as exciting
a career as the Daltons, STAIRS, and Dool-
ans On Monday 10 was learned that
Louise, his WIFE being blind almost, and
loving Rogers as she did had either died
OF a broken heart or had sucided. The
man who once owned Rattiesnake City
died a fugitive and a pauper.