The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-05-11
STARR OF THE S|LkEN MIS-
A Famous Desperate With a Goo
Eye" Meets Death.
A Desperate Character Who Proves
Mystery. No One Ever Saw His
Face, Which Was thought to
Have Been Badly Disfigured,
His Territory Home.

in 1882 or thereabout. One peculiarit
about the man was the singular way h
had of shading the upper portion of h
face and eyes with the rim of 6 inc
solnbrero, whilo the lower part OF Il,
face was always covered by Il heavil
lined mask of silk. This mask cause
the man 10 be known rs Starr of g.
Silk Mask
No ono ever saw Starr without Ii
hat and the mask. At first he was
boomer, and the boys We're all anxior
to see the color Of his eyes, as D.
Darrell said when he tried to pull III
silk mask to one side. They buried pou
Dan the next day.
No one paid much attention to Star
after this until he suddenly turned II
in No Mans Land at Bear CITY in lSs
and opened n gambling den called Il
Half Way House. Ben Smith of Colo
RADIO, who played there one night, said
ought to have been called tho "s,u
pop place As Ben thouSht Of his lossc
he began to drink. Finally he strolo II
to where Starr was dealing faro I'M,
Seached for the sombrero silk Mas
Jack" always Wore. The man mt I'll.
faro table made one quick pass and she
Ben dead. There was an uproar and
cry for vengeance, but when the nois,
subsidized and tho body Of the dead Col
oradian had been carried from the roo
the man with the silk mask wns sti
coolly dealing the cards.
During the days preceding the open
Ing of the Cherokee strip Jack Starr ac;
ed as go between with Kansas horde,
sheriffs, who were willing that all sort
Of gambling devices should run if the
operators put up $50 each overv morn.
ing. 1t is said that Starr collected ST.
600 every Gay in an hours ride alonp
she long line of wagons, tents, shack
and dugoutS.
Johnny Dodge, Flat Nose" MS the
boys called him, allowed that "a MAJ!
who hid his face" had no right to collcc,
money, and he refused to pay toll. Flat
Nose" was buried that night.
When the rush came for claims, John
Starr had big roll of cash and secured
good farm near Wharton. This place
was near Perry and was a gambler.
paradise, Here the man with the mask
fiourished for months. Eventually STAR
began to develop into a sort of detective
ana one night was shot in the back b,
some would be assassin. Nellie Bell wa
girl who had made a race for IL home
and got claim next to STAIRS. She al
ways appeared 10 have Il sneaking regard
Tor the man who hid his face, and wher
he was reported to be dying she had him
taken to her home and began to nurs
him. In the end Starr recovered. The,
1t was that people began to notice ::
change in him. He quit gambling ana
killing and began to dress ND. Tho
mask, however, he still chung to. That
was where the mystery lay, and this fact
made him famous
About a year ago he disappeared, after
hrst selling his claim. Shortly after Mel
lie Bell also disappeared. Later on came
rumors that the two were living toseth-
or In the Creek country, and there they
were lost sight Of until few days ago.
when they came to light again in a sen
sational manner.
When the announcement was made
recently that John Starr had been shot
out near Eufala, no one paid much at
tention to It. Bill Smith, a deputy mar
shal, stated that he thought Starr had
been stealing cattle.
And know Nellie, too" said the
deputy. "She has been living with John
quite time. No, I'll tell you secret
that has been kept for years. Starr was
really quarter blood Cherokee, but did
not exhibit much sign Of his blood He
was well educated. In q trouble with
come of his people he was shot in tho
lever part of the face, and part of the
jaw was torn away. The wound was
neglected and healed in very insight
" manner. Starr was vain and proud
he became embittered at his disfiQure.
ment and turned gambler and desperate
linen be was shot and met Nellie Bell,
who fell in love with him. They never
married, but che is out on the ranch
and miss my guess if she don develop
into another Kate Daniels, or rather,
Rocky Kate, who led the female boom
or crowd and was killed only month
ago. New York Times.
Would Cut on His Nose to Spite His Face.
A cynical Frenchman has proposed to
abate the theatrical hat nuisance by hay
Ing men and women sit On different sides
OF the center aisle of playhouses. For
ourselves we would suffer ali the discom
fort possible rather than consent to such