The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-18
THIS MAN WAS FROM TEXAS.
HE MADE II HIS BUSINESS To
EVEN Up 4 SCORE.
Then He Mounted His Pony and
Rode AwHy-The Moral Is That
Most Native Texans Know How 90
Use small FIrearm..

Indiana town on the banks of the Ohio.
We were smoking our cigars on the We
randa and exchanging "reminiscences OF
oy-sone days. The conversation had
drifted 10 the use OF firearms. and the
startling prOmptness and efficiency with
which they were still handled in certain
sections of the country. Among the lis
teners was a man known by the name OF
Tom Turner. His life had been a most
eventful one. BY turns rancher, horse
breaker, cowboy, miner. teamster. news
paper correspondent and gentleman. he
had lived in every style in every state in
the union. besides having roughed it in
Mexico, South and Central America and
Cuba
"Tn tell you what It is. gentlemen"
said Tom. " you may talk about the facil-
ity shown in some Of the states in the
matter OF handling shooting irons. but
when II comes down to the mastery use
of a gun the native Texan is the superior
Of any man living
In the fall of rs I had been working
in small town in Montana. preparing.
In collaboration with its editor. a 'souve-
mir edition Of a paper. Ny work COM
fA~NNNts 4 AAAlANA MY Aatt lbN aAh hNAANA
Gate. with no well-dehne1 purpose in
view save that OF enjoying myself while
my money lasted
by easy stages had proceeded as far
as Mojave. a small California town, num-
bering about two thousand inhabitants,
composed mostly of miners gamblers ad-
venturers. and that nondescript preda tory
class invariably to be found where there
Is hone nj gain n he derived from
pundering, gambling, or scheming. The
form of law existed. and. in a perfunctory
manner. its processes were occasionally
executed. But theft and murder were every
day incidents, rarely punished except by
individual retaliation and reprisaL
Il had strOlled into the principal bar
room OF the town to Stake my thirst with
a cooling drink. the afternoon being blaz-
ing hot The place was conducted by a
fellow who was known among the COM
munity by the sObriquet of Red Mike
a burly, beetle-browed, powerfully built
man Of about 30 years Of age. an ex-prize
fighter and a bully, who, by reason of his
physical prowess, had achieved some rep
utation as a slugger. Lounging about the
room were a number of inhabitants of the
place, smoking, drinking. card playing,
and discussing plans for the accomplish
ment of new villainous schemes.
My glass had been almost drained, and
1 was preparing to depart, when there en-
tered the room a young fellow, almost q
boy, who, from hts appearance, / judged
to be a section hand, a new railroad being
then in process Of construction a short
distance from the town. He placed upon
the bar an empty pint bottle, and asked
the proprietor to fill II with his best Whis-
key, at the same time laying on the coun-
ter silver half-dOllar in payment
Just at this moment several Of the
loungers In the room gathered In front
of the bar, one Of whom, either In spirit
OF deviltry or from his thievish proclivi-
Ill Cd cd frnn
while the purchasers attention was tenn
porarily attracted to something outside.
Upon being handed his bottle, the young
man was departing from the room when
the barkeeper called to him:
"Hold on. you; those games don't go
here, and you'd better not try them on!
What do you mean? said the stran-
ger, turning back.
You know very well what l mean; l
want you to pay me for that whisky
said Red Mike
I've paid you for your whisky an
swered the railroad man, in no wise daunt-
ed by the fierce aspect of the bully be-
hind the bar, and l don't intend to pay
you second time
with a bound the saloon man stood in
front of the young rallroader, his sleeves
rolled up and menacing scowl on his
ugly visage.
"'Youll either hand me over half a dol
lar or I'll lick the life out of YOU he
shouted. putting himself in an attitude Of
offense.
+" Since you're bound to fight, come on.
then, replied the plucky young stranger,
throwing off his coat and squaring himself
in a thoroughly pugilistic attitude.
AT II they went, hammer and tongs, but
it took only a short time to demonstrate
that despite the greater size and strength
of Red Mike. ne was not a match. pro-
fessional though he had been, for his an
tagonist. And science always tell in those
things.
Before two miutes had elapsed the bar
keeper had measured his length on the
floor a well-directed blow under and at
the point of the chin having felled him
like an OK at the shambles. But he soon
regained his feet, and, with a below of
rage, made for his opponent again. A sec
ond time he went down before the supe-
rior skill of the young man. Now thor
oughly Infatuated, and realizing that he
had met his master his cowardly in
stincts predOminated, and the saloon
keeper started for a box in which frewood
was kept intending to brain his sturdy
adversary with a billet. At a stride the
railroad man was upon him, and, getting
his head in chancery, proceeded to adj
minister some severe punishment. Strik-
ing with one arm to ward away the blows
being rained upon him, the barkeeper
stealthily reached for his hip pocket with
the other, and, producing a pistol of the
bulldog pattern, placed its muzzle against
the stomach of the other and pulled tho
trigger twice in rapid succession.
with groan the railroad man sank to
the floor, exclaiming: My God, boys, he's
killed me- These were the only words he
spoke. A few seconds afterward the
breath had left his body.
"Of course there was an inquest No
town in that country, however lawless
but goes through the form of a quasi-tu-
dicial inquiry as &c the cause or causes
of an unnatural death.
"Of course also, the saloon man was ex-
onerated the verdict being to the effect
that the killing had been done In self-de-
tense.
"On the afternoon following the inquest
several persons we're standing around In
front of the hotel discussing the occur.
rences of the day. In the centre Of +,
group composed of the rougher elements
of the community stood Red Mike en-
plotting as though II had been a meritori-
GUS deed the episode of the killing.
while thus engaged a man who had
been noticed as a newcomer in the town
for day or two preceding the shooting
sauntered up to the group in which the
saloon bully was holding forth He was
a finely formed specimen of manhood.
broad, muscular, sinewy, dressed in the
fashion of the country and looking every
inch a fighter. His face was swarthy
like that of a man accustomed to spend
ing his days in active exercise IN the
open air. His eye was keen and piercing.
and under a. heavy black mustache could
be traced a mouth indicative of fndomi
table courage and resolution
II n no aaIa