Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-08-06
NEW SERIES, VOL. xxx, NO. 50.


from my friend, the surgeon general,
saying he had Just been called on for an
important surgical case and asking If I
would not accompany him and adminis-
ter the anasthetic. Ny California com
rade and myself voted our new found
acquaintance most charming man and
a capital fellow generally, though after
ward remarked TO myself that I had
not as yet found ont anything about
where he came from or who he was.
Busy for the next few days, 1 Thought
but little more OF. this entertaining
stranger. About week later, however,
dropped into The Palace, Just TO see
who was there, and the stranger, quiet
and uncommunicative as usual, was
over any one table for more than two or
three minutes at a time. From here
stepped into The Capital, and Bert, the
head man, not being busy, began
conversation with him. Presently the
well dressed stranger came in, and
noticed Bert's eyes take ON a rather de-
fant flash as he watched him pass to
the rear of the room.
''Bert, who is that man?" I asked.
''I've seen him about for some time
now, but he never seems to speak to any
one. He must be some easterner here
for the winter, isn't he7''
"Why, don't you know that fellow?''
was the quick response. "He knows
better than to speak to me. He's the
blank of blank who killed Jim Fallon
in Prescott five years ago Why, you
remember his murder, don't you, gem
eral?'
"No; I don't recall it, Bert. That
was when 1 was in Montana, and 1
reckon the trial and all took place be-
fore my return. -
"Well, it was the most cowardly muir
der ever knew, and if that duck had
his deserts he'd have stretched hemp for
it long ago. You knew Fallon, of course,
who used to run bank in Tombstone,
and after the flush days there he moved
to Prescott?''
nodded assent, and he went ON:
''This fellow, Jack Underhill, Thimble
Jack, who was nothing but low down
tin horn anyway, got full one night
and raised such a disturbance at Fall
Ions table that he finally got up and
kicked him out of the house.
"Underhin was furious over this
method of election, and for several days
went around threatening that he was
going to get even with Fallon. Some of
Jim's friends told him he had better
look out for Thimble Jack, as he was a
treacherous cuss and would probably
stab him in the back. But Fallon laugh
ed at them, declaring that Jack was too
big coward to attack child, let alone
a man
$50 the matter run along for almost
a week and nearly every one had for
gotten about it, when one night about
10 O'Clock, as Fallon was standing by
the bar talking to some friends, this
cowardly dog shot him in the back with
out the slightest warming. In the cun-
fusion he managed to get away and hid
in the house of frai1 woman. Talk of
lynching was SO strong the next day
that he sneaked over to the sheriff's Of
fee and gave himself up. Fallon inger-
ed along for three weeks before he died
"When the trial came, this fellows
family or some of his friends, or some
one in the east, put up the money for
him, and he had half dozen of the
best criminal lawyers in the southwest
defending him. For myself always
believed the jury was tampered with,
too, for they only brought in a verdict
of manslaughter and he simply got a
sentence of five years. and what with
good time he's out now.
"I hope you haven't spoken to him,
for no self respecting white man like
you ever wants to speak to such cow
ardly dog as him.
And so this was my entertainer of
few evenings before. Then it dawned
upon me why his face he'd always seem
ed familiar to me. AS territorial Off
cial 1 had often visited the penitentiary
at Yuma, and here had seen my friend
of the Riviera, my friend the gambler.
General Edward S. Gill in New York
Recorder.