Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-14


The death Of Outlaw Bob Rogers and
his wife. Louise. recalls the rapid rise
and fan OF Ratuesnake city, Greer
county. Texas. All that now remains
Of this place Is i've grass-grown
mounds. the graves Of the victims OF
the big killing, and on a stone in
the center Of this group is the following
inscribed in rude lettering Rattle
snake city Graveyard. \ Modern
He'll"
a mushroom city had grown Up In n
week down in Greer county, in the
fall of 1887, which the government was
disputing as to whether this land be
longed to the Indian Territory or TO
Texas. First, big follow, calling him
self "Rattlesnabe Joe,' had gone
through Kansas and Missouri making
speeches to the Oklahoma boomers, and
inducing them to stop trying 10 force
an entrance TO Oklahoma and TO 80 TO
Greer county, The paradise Of Amer
lea" as Joe called 1t. incidentally Joe
lectured and took up collections.
Somehow the people got the idea that
Greer county had unworked gold mines
and diamond fields Of fabulous rich
ness. Perhaps Joe told them so. At
"uS rae, bop huEeFS Hllu l-ou 1.l '''9
pretty VIZ; ITtl 'Iie pooi I
IiumheWel, III NuNAoS' uhu' VII ~
OF tle nome seeNels, my tIu,iu.eu Oh
down the Ola Kansas ana ieNas run
into the promised land once there
tItS LVu'I ilat UtnJt9 nay n, Soiiie ~,
rom lne i ihullh ierf''oi!' AeN"9 anu
even CIu ieNlvo. A.. W.,
IN some manner peculiar 10 the west
lttle shahty, wagon ana tent Town
sprahs lHtp existence, a Ihlu IHey Sal l.y.
lhe place N'Vt Il,,. Slty. 10y com IN
mon consent ItNas ben jones' Pc
came marshal No one proposed his
hatlG m GonEeutioll' nor WaS tncIt
an IN tIectl2h nelu. hen Simply p5cllIle
InS Ih3ishal because ne ulu' anu pro
pAOIy because ne was bigger PulGNtr
on Ine ur1W; ana ready 10 20 mo
uSHt any uuy OF hlsnt o. me year
i isasllgSnahs wns ualsy WINE s i,!
iual'l, 9uu the boomers were usuahy
i"M SD'u'"s-
mike mining camps there was
Holnl's 10 Keep up the toWh' no one
WoIheu' because lheie was no work TO
10. Almost every one had niue
money, ana Sainplhs became the
Iyg'-ill"eu tIdue OF hatueshahe, WINE
tI' men pl1yed poker ana Ducked the
uSef lne women pltched pennies Tor
cash. Every shanty and every wagon
mao layout Tor EainhllnE' ana soon
the uesperate oahus OF highWaynfh,
mo 'Ishlhers ana catue thieves lhat
infested thls country began 10 come INTO
pay quite monte CARO- was mus
ou nn, up b. , ,...,.. -, -
ipop hogeIs ana Louise had peen
TnlSeu IN ONO ana came OF good STOCK.
Bob had gone TO college long enough to
pay poser ana swear lie soon be-
came leader IN the colony about
INattlesHahe nechuse OF ms nerve
ptaIins ana GOOD looks. Louise was the
ucuuly OF Greer county ana by virtue
thereot me queen OF border society.
ane leu IN all the dances held In the
center OF the canvas ana snack city
once week by degrees Rogers Won
a e the money OF ms neEhbors' ana as
laSI US ne became broke the unsuccess-
lul payer LOOK ms outht ana moved
away Not always though, for some
times ne would wager his wagon and
tealll anu lose them also IN that case
ne NalNed out OF Rattlesnake'
AS NoSers won money ne took on
Importance. He opened big gamb-
mig mouse IN tent and called the
Plute rogers faNlllon.' He now
Nulually owned the city. RMS tent be-
CaHe inc center or attraction for all
mat part OF texas. Louise objected to
tne opening OF this house, but her hus-
pln4' carried away with the fever of
s.nlD''S, iauBned AT her fears.
He mat INes by the sword shall
pellSh ny tne sword she told him
n,nIe nun once, but Bon went right on
NIuH'ns tHe money OF the people VINO
Pluygu there' IL appeared that he
Suul9 not lose one day Texas Ben
S SIsoue ~ ana took u seat at table
where three strangers We're preparing
20 pay poker Ben was ugly and had
zen Hrinhihg, ne picked up the cards
aiu joined IN the game. Bon had
money ana so did the other people.
HS Iiu DS, Wheh pig jack pot was
IN ~, sisllt, only Sen ana dapper little
map ielliaineu IN the game. Ben drew
~ ~ Galu, the Stranger three. Then
me- went 10 DettlhE ana raising until
a. az NY casH the ieNan had was in the
~ ~ Try one IN the room had Quit
800 ~ X ms ~ piay; cal you,'
~, ."S nlE IuhtshaI' and II you
NJ ny manu- you've got to night
~ "e t'ie ,eloW on me other side of
- ~ 'aIto uhfy glanced up with side
, M,SS snt Yer IN nus eyes. Bob Rogers
Iuai'vt "is way throuSh the crowd ana
'.,.,,''.i Gu tnGS the game was on the
slu"Ie' anu II there was any killing in
M, PI,iII"h ne u nave hand in II,
~, - mptt peacetul boomers moved
ss,"s, nu' tle gamblers and outlaws
31a''I Ienalneu' BOD tried to get
I.uu.Se 70 go away nut she refused to
N"llllS uHlcsS ne would go with her