The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-04-30
TURNER AND HIS GUN
DOUBLED Eek, THE COWBOY, AND
HIS MODEST RECORD CLAIM.

nGrW4 NoAuAGT " tAM - " MAnNnNAAFNs
Now and then a bad man. tries to |
cultivate something which he mistakes |
for humor. One of these dovotces Of lev |
ity used TO haunt the cattle range Of |
western Kansas. and every fall and |
spring he appeared in Dodge City at tho
general 'ruundup." Every time he
came TO town he left some proof Of n
facetious mind. and was very SURF of be-
ing talked about by every idle man and
most Of the busy ones who remained
when the rush was over.
His name was Eek Turner, though
Dodge City will best remember him by
the title " "Double-L Eek. the duplicated
capital being Leonard & Luughr.lin's
brand, aud he being one Of their tcst
riders. In fact. Turner might have been
foreman il he had cared for the position,
for he could ride well. and there were
few more expert with the rope AMI prob
ably none who could bear fatigue and
hardship more patiently than he.
But the trouble was he wanted recon-
pense for the dull life Of a cuwhoy. lie
didn't care for money. Any wages going
were acceptable 20 him. But when the
cattle got rounded mp and there WAS half
days escape from the tetlium Of labor
Eek Turner wanted his fling. And he al
ways went into town and had il.
Now. foreman cannot do these
things. He must stay by the herd all the
time, preserve clear head and firm
place in the saddle. he is the represent
ative Of the owncr-the custodian Of
much wealth-and dissipation is not to
be Thought Of.
One of Eek Turner pct bits u hu-
NOR was to pick ont people whose ap-
pearance displeaSed him and shoot just
near enough to them 10 express his sen
/ timents. He particularly dislikcd TO SEQ
/ horsemen go by ON the trOt. IL was in n
cowboy country. and cowboys galloped.
I whether or not they were in hurry.
/ And If the rider had habit Of IRIS
ing" in the stirrups. as conventional
/ trotters often do. Eek Turner hated him
I violently. SO that when ne came down
/ Main street one day and saw n rather
wen dressed man Eo by trotting and
rising with the motion of his horse
Eek called general attention to the spec
,acle.
Really the trotter was not very good
horseman. II was possible. rs Eek OBJ
served, to "See daylight under him" ev.
cry time lac ru>e in the saddle. And the
glimpScs of that recurring daylight"
provoked Eek to a bit 81 pistol practice.
Il bet. said he. watching the rider
and reaching for large revolver. pretty
well back ON his belt. Il bet can shoot
between him and the saddle and never
touch a feather -
He had been drinking in 80 dec0rous
manner as 20 b. dangerous. and 80 no
one intcrfercd. The rider was half o
block away when Eek fired. and tho
bullet must have gone true. for the rider
passed ON unconscious. while a sign di-
agunally acruSs the street was shattered
by the shot.
He tried il again later in tho day and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iraculuusly-csrapcd the
infiiction Of injury. Dodge City talked
about Doubled Eek and his new joke
all summer. and in tho autumn he came
in and tried it again.
The first shot he made he hit a man
in the Lex and was very indignant be.
cause they would not give hin. another
chance. assuring the crippled victim il
was an accident, and urging him q
mount and trot past just one time more
rising no higher than he had done. anC
guaranteeing 90 put three shots cut oi
. five between him and the saddle or buy
the drinks for the crowd.
But il was the uncertainty ab0nt th,
other two shots that irterfcrcd with ne
gotiations-that and the trottinr mani
, persistent cndcavor TO enjoy the freedom
Of his own pistol arm while Eek re
manned in his presence.
, Eek thought il was funny. and tha
, hallucination grew ON him till he 20
into trouble. When the wave II ''Texa
fever swept over Kansas IN 1880. kill
ing OF so many Of tho Kansas cattle.
state law stopped those drives" whicl
had been the life Of western Kansas. an,
: Eek Turner lost his occupation. He wen
. farther west and south and tried O. shoe
the top of a mans plug hat in Colorad
! Springs because ho insisted the fashin
4 was two inches shorter than the ma
= was wearing.
At In Neta he took exception 60 ia
{ suffering sound occasionally made b
an electric lamp and went about shoe;
= ing the carhuns in two till the cit
marshal engaged in rcpartce and she
) of the end Of Eck's thumb. alleging q
: n sufficient reason the fact that no ma
4 with two good thumbs could be real
q ly bad man. Eek replied in kind. an
D there We're no applicants for the positio
D the marshal's demise loft vacant until
= was known that Eek had left that regiu
and gone Co Arizona.
At Fort wingate no had tho misfoi
tune 60 shoot into an ambulance drive
! by very mild MANFRED private 50
! dicr. who pulled mp a winchester an
3 crippled Eek for life. destroying the us,
9 fulness Of buth shoulders and incidcnta
q n. r..,tIar,.r ~ Ii. rir.I.t -.