Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-06-27
AN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.


Bill Burt rested his horse a moment
AZ the crest OF a foothiil overlooking
Stakeyiile. There was yet glow ON
the top OF the ragged peaks which was
more than n hundred miles from the
Sangre de Crisfo range. but the twi,
light had faded In the valley and The
clustered lights OF Statewide glowed
cheerily in the distance
Bin Burt looked long and earnestly
in the direction OF Statewide. Dis
hounting. he leaned against the
guarded stump OF n pine aud slowly
filled a blaekenea bFiar pipe.
There Is Stakeviile, and II looks
good for man who has seen nothing
but cow punehers and greasers for six
months" said Bill as he impa t.entsy
kicked loose stone and sent Il IA Hing
down the slope. THAT brightest light
there Is Tom Garney's joint. Bel hat
Tom Is hack OF the bar right this Ia ia
ute, Can almost smell that hot Scotch,
Six months: That's Il long ,ilne aith-
cut drink. Bet I'm drunk is.fnre
midnight"
For half an hour Burt pulled away
silently at the black pipe Ills eyes
were liked ON Statewide. whose lights
cleaned brighter in the gathering sia.k-
ness. but his mind was on the past. In
memory he reviewed the last ten years
Of his life. Thirty-two years old hid
not rest lightly ON Bill Burt. True.
the welEbuilt shoulders and powerful
limbs showed no signs Of iife's desper
ate battle, bur the black curly hair.
which fell In abundance from beneath
/ the faded s0mbrero. was fiecked with
| gray and the tanned face was that OF a
man well advanced In the fOrties, Al
| twenty-five. elected By a biz majority
10 a responsible legal Office In a papa
| lons Eastern city. az twenty-faiir a
/ member Of the legislature and one Of
/ the acknowledged leaders of the holSe.
l al twenty-five a drunkard aud { Seif.
| constituted outcast from The seems ~
/ his early triumphs. Ayear aatar Rrrt
/ was on the frontier. and for six years
/ led a wild and desperate NE as i ccw
4 boy. prospector, ranger, guile AMI Tor
/, several months as faro dealer, 4 hese
! six years had been spent its'ug
I struggle against whisky. once In reach
Of liquor. Burt was drunk. SUD My
he would disappear. and for months
I would be buried on the plains ar In
the mountains Here he was safe.
When there was no whisky 10 he had
Bill Burt had no desire for Ii: but the
return TO camp or a town meant a pro
tracted debauch
six months II a long time" reflected
Bill as he placed his foot In the stlrrup
and beaded his pony toward Stakeviilc
"Mebbe I've gotten over H. III take q
chance anyhow. Bot you can bet I'm
not going 10 stay away from any sa.
looms or other places of entertainment
on that account. A man who cant
stand on liquor when he In stacked up
against Il might as well quit, II | find
want drink I'm going 10 take Il. II
don't want II there is no sucker IN
Stakeyille can force II down me"
Blll Burt found that he wanted q
drink. and that he wanted several oi
them. Long before midnight he VIA.
drunk. and an hour later celebrated hit
return to civilization by .winginx' j
man and incidentally By demallshing
part Of the back bar Of Tom Carney,
cafe. At the end Of week the saving
" six months hard work had beer
squandercd. Bill awoke one uioFnins
feveFed. penniless and desperate.
hSFe - u18AiHA III IltS hiWN OF
life for me-" said Burt as Fe surveyed
swollen face and red eyes m tbs
fragment Of a glass which decorated
his room in a lodging house Il Nigh
as Well end II now as any time.
He picked up his gun aud examined
II carefully. Standing In front ~ tile
glass, he placed the muzzle against hfi
forehead. He held IL there moment
lost in thought. and then placed 4
back in his belt
That's no way for a man 90 die
said Bill Burt. n man II a coward
10 kin himself. especially when he Il 1
big husky brute like me. How can
fix IT. I have IL" and Burt smiled
grimly. II remember last night thai
some one said Big Jake was in town
Jake is a bully good slot Guess can
fix II to have Jake shoot me Ii would
be water on his wheel. and let me on
OF bad job
Big Jake was in town. and stakevitlt
was on It's good behavior. so far ~ h.
was concerned. No one knew how
many men Big Jake had killed. but