The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-05-18
A FAMOUS FIGHT.
a Story Of the Early Days In
Leadville.

No man in Leadville in the early
mining days enjoyed a more deserved
popularity than little Bob Briefly. He
was a bright fellow, genial and So
liable in his disposition, warm in his at
tachments and courteous and obliging
to everybody. Nothing was known of
his antecedents except that he had been
driven west by domestic difficulties,
had settled down in Leadville, opened
a law Office, and had rapidly acquired
about all the practice hat was ahoat
in those days. Hank Mclaughlin
lived in an adjoining camp, where he
enjoyed the reputation of a desperate,
n was a frequent visitor at Leadville.
lie was a big, savage fellow, the very
opposite of Bob Briefly, who was be-
low the medium size, delicate and gem
tlemanly. From the first the two
seemed to hate each other. There was
a natural antipathy between them.
Instinct taught each to see in the other
. deadly and dangerous enemy.
One day Mclaughlin struck the little
mining town in an ugly humor and
proceeded'to make himself very nurner-
Gus, and people knew before he had
been there two hours that trouble was
brewing between him and Briefly.
They had met up the country some
time before the discovery of rich silver
rock in the Leadville district and came
very near having a difficulty then. The
fact appeared to be that Mclaughlin,
who was anxious to be thought a
fighter, was insanely jealous of Brier-
ly's well-established reputation in that
respect. The first night of his advent
into camp he got on a jamboree, flour
ished his revolver and swore hat no
man who wore a billed" shirt and a
plug hat could make him take
water. As Bob vas the only n in
town who sported such evidences of
civilization as a white shirt and a high
silk hat, of course all knew that Hank
meant him. But Bob only smiled on
the riotous demonstrations of the big
rough, and quietly walked off and
went to bed. From that hour, however,
the town felt that something serious
was going to happen. Strangely
enough, in a place where shooting
scrapes were of daily occurrence, Lead
vile got excited all over at the pros
pect of a quarrel between Bob Briefly
and Hank Mclaughlin. The death
dealing merits of the men were dis
cussed freely, and money vas wagcred
on the final results. Notwithstanding
McLaughlin's size and bloodthirsty
talk, Briefly was the popular ~favorite.
The little fellow had Won his spurs in
many a hard-fought scrimmage, and
many of the miners were ready to bet
that he would kill his opponent or
drive him out of camp.
Leadville had among its cosmopoli-
tan population in those days quite a
sprinkling of men who believed that
the right way for gentlemen to settle
their difficulties was according to the
code. Street fights and barroOm en-
counters were well enough in their
way, but the proper thing was a duel
according to the code of honor. Lead
vile pore testimony to the handlwork
of these gentlemen in this respect.
Time and again had her high-toned
and ~pugnacious citizens, actuated by
the true spirit of chivalry, gone out and
shot each other in the most approved
fashion. Why not arrange a regular
affair between Mclaughlin and Brier-
"? With Bob there was no trouble,
and he at once checrfully acquiesced
in the proposal of his friends to avoid
the vulgar barbarity of a street ARRAY
or a saloon encounter.
Mclaughlin, however, did not take
the thing kindly, SO it was said, and
gave his oficious interviewers such a
stormy reception as came near start
ing q riot in the camp, For this rea-
son, to the sincere regret of not a few,
the proposed duel had to be abandoned,
and the town was left in a feverish
condition of expectation, ilnpatiently
waiting for the fray. Fortunately,
they had not long to wait. A difficulty
among some miners led to a lawsuit
before Judge Stead, a judicial autocrat
of the place, and Bob Briefly appeared
as attorney for one of the parties.
Happily, OF unhappily, as the fact
might be viewed from different stand
points, Hank Mclaughlin a a wit
ness against the side represented by
Brierlv. and when this condition of
affairs became generally known it was
in the air that the time had come for
one or both to pass in his checks, as
the sports phrased it.
When the belligerent witness took
the stand all eyes were turned on him.
With an angry glance at Briefly and a
suggestive hitch at his hip pocket,
where the handle of a big six-shooter
could be plainly seen, he proceeded
with his testimony and for a time got
along smoothly enough. The cross ex-
animation, however, was too much for
the witness. Repeatedly he was
admonished by the justice to answer
the questions and avoid insulting per-
sonalities. Still he vas ugly, cross
and abusive and INDUCED in a vicious
sheer when Briefly quietly remarked
that nothing he might say could make
him forget he was in a court of justice,
At last, losing all patience and find
ing restraint next to impossible,
Briefly insisted mat the u should