Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-08-23

the holiday fesfivtiies 81 1917.
,.Big TOM Henry, "Big Randall ".
jimmie w, Ct, and their couk, Dorsey.
The first three we're protest. nal rob
beers, men of mark and consequences In
the mountains; men too famous. Ms
well for reckless daring as FOR their
many aRgressions against the law.
some twelve miles up In the mountains
from Las Vegas, they had q log cabin,
u~npretentious TO look at, but COM
manding a view from every direction
well stored with arms, and impreg
nable to ordinary assault. To tbis
rude, but safe, home they repaired
after every depreciation, TO epj ~ the
fruits Of their forays, and to escape the
pursuit Of those disposed to follow
them. And, up to this time, no man
or men had ever sought to disturb
their possession, or TO take them
from 1t.
In "Big Tom" Henry, the a%cknowl-,
edged leader, the ~ferocious courage
and giant frame of Msximin lived
again, and, IL his presence, the aver.
age bad man forgot his proves MS =
fighter aud became as harmless as .
dove. Wherever the smoke OF battle
arose, his instincts and his habits ] d
him, and, wherever horses WIRE 70 be
stolen or stages robbed, his activities
we're displayed. His lieutenants we're
worthy Of their leader, and proved the
quality Of their daring and tho cool in
diff renee with which they regarded
danger, by the constant hazard OF
their necks to the halter. OF Dorsey
little need be said. He belonged 10
that vagabond class, so numerous 10
the west in early days, that drifted
aimlessly from one new town to an
other. doing no good for themselves
aud no particular harm, above small
larceny, TO Others, but cursed with a
fatal love of whisky and a still more
fatal love of low company. !,
The town was not large, nor were
the attractions many, ana, as was nat
ural with such men, they were soon
enj Tying the play, the dancing and the
drinks dispensed at Closes.
For o season all went well. Police
Regulations, as waste be expected 10
such q new aud Heterogeneous com
immunity. were lax, and, SO long az o
/ gentleman kept sober, he was also per.
mitted to keep his gun. But the mar.
shall had learned, by a large experience
Fin handling hard characters, that
fwhisky and guns breed trouble, and
had wisely adopted a rule which de.
ftermined at once the condition OF the
treyeler and the time for disarming
him. Boisterous hi'arity excited sus.
thst the line was nearly reached
but the reckless and indiscriminate
drawing and furnishing Of pistols. evsn
In the very exuberance Of fun, ,Cas the
line of demarcation. Beyond this line II
was not considered safe to entrusi
gentlemen Of sanguinary p~ropensities
with their And, in the in-
Jerest Of chandeliers, glassware and
mirrors, perhaps, too, In the interest
of life, although this seemed q minor
Q consideration, when loud tones and
fierce oaths gave evidence OF the added
recklessness which too much liquor
had gwen to an always reckless and
desperate character, the discerning
process began.
And, at this point, too usually began
the trouble. For, in a community 10
which the recognized arbiter OF dispute
il the IL .shooter, the surrender of one
is q serious matter-so serious, indeeo'
that many o killing has occurred IN
attempting to compel II.
On the particular night that We are
considering, the fun was fast and
furious. Dance succeeded dance, and
drink succeeded drirk, at a rate
deemed lively In ever that gay throng.
The cautious and .imid had retired
from the scene early in the evening. as
the wild conduct and boastful defiance
Of Henry and his gang clearly indi-
Gated an approaching storm. &
Emboldened by the tact that the
officers were trying TO avert a fight,
and. doubtless, thinking that they had
them intimi lated. their insolent de-
fiance OF authority exceeded all boundp.
With hands upon their revolvers,
Henry, Randall and West strobe NJ
and down the hall, inviting q CONFLICT
"They had come TO run the town.
they said, sand the officers had better
hide out" Now, hiding out was
strictly out OF Joe Carson's lire. IN
man or men could run his town." be
said, and SO the issue was Joined
Without another word, five men drew
revolvers, and the battle was IN.
The first shot from Henry brok'
Carson's right arm. Without speak
ing, he changed the weapon to bis lef
hand. The sec md shot broke bis lef
srm, and. without having fred a shot
he stood defenseless, receiving the
volleys Of Tom Henry
With eight, bullets in bis body. wi
both arms and both legs broken, b
walked to the door and f-Il dead there.