Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-03-20
A DEAD SHOT.

patrOnymlc, and he bObbed up IN that
miscellaneous assortment Of humanity
that locked to Leadville in the first
flush Of the silver excitement. Tex was
an Apollo Of the plains, a mere boy,
with long yellow curk, blue eyes and a
woman's complexion and with a frame
that lowered six feet in his stockings.
He had been a member of an immigrant
train in his teuderer years, which the
Indians had attacked and wiped out Of
existence. Tex had been adopted by the
tribe and had spent some years in this
savage society, until General McHenry,
commanding regular troops, ono day
swooped down on the camp and seized
Tex and restored him to civilization.
And then Tex became n cowboy, That
was his history down to the time that
he went to Leadville and became n ia
miliar figure about the gambling houses.
Everybody, with the possible excep-
tion Of the parson and few women and
children in camp, in those days wooed
the tickle goddess Of fortune in roulette
or at faro, poker and even keno, and
Tex's occupation rs q professional gam
bier did not lower his social standing
by one degree. AS a matter of fact, Tex
was a great favorite. He was IL big,
kind hearted boy, with n quiet manner
and good natured smile, but, withal, q
man-a man, too, capable of being
aroused at times and in that condition
one of tho most dangerous men in the
west.
Ono day Tex sat down in The Gold
Room, q popular resort on Chestnut
$3.50 - 4, 1sH&1. 49,. - wrf1-. n1n
stakes were high, and Tex was steadily
losing. When he discovered that his
partner was playing with Il double deck
Tex put his hand ON the jack pot and
called the other a cur. That party
whipped out n six shooter, but lay dead
in his tracks with q bullet hole through
his heart before no could bring his pis-
toll to a level. Tex was such an expert
with his gunl
Bret Harte relates that tho gamblers
in Tuttle's grocery calmly continued
their game the day hat French Pete
md Kanaka Joe shot each other to death
over the bar in the front room. The
game in The Gold Room ON this occasion
must have been less absorbing in inter
est, for the crowd made a rush for Tex,
who calmly turned around at the door
and quietly advised his pursuers to re-
sumo their peaceful occupations at the
table if they did not want to fill q COM
mon grave over on the other side Of
Capitol hill. And very wisely the crowd
acted ON Tex's advice. And 50 the mat
ter apparently blew over without any
serious annoyance to the young man,
who continued to walk the streets in his
l~eisurely way, obviously none the worse
in conscience for having assisted in the
premature taking off Of n dishonest
gambler. How many men Tex in his
short but eventual career had killed no
body knew, but his bearing ON this &C.
casion indicated that he was no novice.
BE was greeted respectfully by passers,
and he smiled as ~benevolently and kind
ly upon those he cared TO notice as
though the process Of shooting a man
through the heart was an accepted act
Of ethical propriety.
And nothing more would have come
Of it If people had not begun to twit
Town Marshal O'Connor on his failure
to do his duty. The marshal had nc
hankering after Tex's society, no vault
ing ambition to arrest him. Tex had
been somewhat informal in his admin.
istration of justice. He might have
waited for his opponent to shoot first,
and then allowed the regularly elected
Justice of the peace to try the case aft
erward, but Tex, in his youthful mex
perience and very vague acquaintance
with the proprieties Of civilization, ha6
not stopped to think Of that. A cold
deck and a suggestive movement toward
the seat of wa On the part of an adver'
sary had always been his signal fol
prompt action, and his triggerless sis
shooter had ON such occasions always
been the arbiter of justice, from which
no appeal lay. The merciless INVITING
10 which O'Connor was subjected hnC
made it necessary for him TO do some
thing to maintain the dignity OF the
law.
When Tex that evening walked int
The Gold Room. O'Connor was there
They saw each other at aglance. O'Con
nor ~leisurely walked toward Tex, anC
the boy fastened his keen eyes upol
him as though no would read hi
thoughts.
TEX" said the marshal, ''you'V
killed Skinner, and you know what Iv'
got 10 do with you"
ARREST meY" said Tex quietly. TIT
conversation was conducted in subdue'
tones. Don't try il, " continued Tex
"I like you, and 1 haven't got a thin
against you. l don't want 10 kill you
O'ConDor. Now you go about your busi
ness and leave me alone. When tn
grand jury meets you'll ind me RICH
here In The Gold Room, aud I'll g
with you and stand trial, but / won
be arrested.
but, Tex" said the marshal, NV
got 10 do my duty"
and I've got to do mine. I" said Tea