Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-25

self mixed up with BIZ Dalton's gang of
cutthroatsE What the devil do you mean by
IL, hey? I've got a good notion to pull YOU
on that horse and spank you like I've done
many a time before
The young fellow recognized me. and
had the grace TO look a bit ashamed of
h.mseif. He called me out by name. gave
me his hand impetuously and 1 guess he
was pretty glad TO see me.
what Kind OF a game Is this you've
got yourself tied up with? | asked him
after while. How'd il happen, any
how?
With iiiIl DaIton's Gang.
But he wouldn't give me any Informal
ton whatever about himself. and told me
that the gang. Bill DaIton's. with which he
was connected. was being closely pressed
by posse on account OF a big bank rob-
berry down in Longview, Ten. and that
they were pretty short of rations, which
was the reason he had rubberucckcd
around our schooner when We hove in
sight.
We'll. my lad sand 20 him. YOU can
jump in here and feed till you bust even
If you have gone back on all my teachings
ana become a robber Of honest men. II
nothing worse. But nary a bite do your
pardners with You get, and you don't tote
any stun out Of this wagon to your camp
of killers, either
Clifton, who was already known
Dynamite Dick, although 1 didn't know IL.
wards rode away with the Two men along
with him. Right here II ought he said
that the account given in some OF the
territorial papers of the way Clifton came
by the name Of Dynamite Dick was pure
fColishness. These accounts stated that he
was in the habit of boring holes in his
cartridges ANA i.ling them with dynamite.
He never did anything of -se sort. L
happen to know. That yarn was based
upon the merest supposition, for the rea-
son that all of the men Clifton killed IN
close duels-and he killed nearly a dozen
men in this way-had their carcasses badly
shattered and torn. Clifton was dead
shot. and in close fights he always aimed
for his mans throat or abdomen. and thus
his bullets made bad, gaping wounds. But
the dynamite story was entirc notion.
Appeared In Guthrie.
"A couple of years after 1 had gone into
brsiness in Guthrie when the town was
boo ming along fit to take rank with New
York, a good many OF us thought,
Charlie Clifton walked in on me one day
with a nice-looking girl on his arm. This
was right after the big bank robbery at
Ii gals, Okla. which was committed by
the Dalton gang, and | felt pretty certain
that Dynamite Dick, this former chubby
faced boy Of mine. who 1 now knew was
regarded as the worst desperate in the
two territories, had been mixed up in the
robbery. His appearance in Guthrie like
to have taken my breath away.
- You were in the Ingalls, affair" 1 said
to him when he got away from the young
woman moment. Don't you lie to me.
bcy,' L Went on, for / saw him wavering a
hit.
He owned up to ii.
We'll, what have YOU come TO Guthrie
fcr-to get hung" l asked him.
He replied that he wasn't known in
Guthrie, and that nc had come there to get
fis wife, the young woman with him,
whom he had married in Kansas City
when the girl was only fourteen years
old.
Docs she know what you are% / in
CURED of him.
" No. he answered, and she won't,
either if 1 can help it
He was put to the issue on that ques-
ten not ten minutes later. He left my
store with his wife for a livery stable,
where he was to get a team and pull out
Tor some point he wouldn't mention TO me
and didn't particularly care to know, as
far as that's concerned As the two went
down the street Turk Hackctt, the pro-
prietor of a faro layout in Guthrie. and
pretty dangerous man, stumbled out Of
a saloon drunk and bumped hard against
Clifton's young wife. If Clifton had been
alone, Hackett would have been a deal
nan in three seconds As il was. Dynamite
Dick, with his teeth hard set. some
men who saw the incident told me, simply
turned and looked at Hackett. Hackett re-
turned the stare, and then. with the i'm
prudence of drunkenness-he did not know
Clifton from Adam-he walked up to the
desperate.
A Foolish Thing to Do.
Dent like the bumpin' game. eh. BIZ
be said. But you'll get used to 1t down in
this country. Here's one for yourself, and
he gave the worst man in the two terri
tories a shove with his right shoulder that
almost threw him off his feet. Then he
ste Cd and laughed maudlinly. Clifton walk
ed up TO his wife.
3" Come on, Grace he said, and the two
walked on down the street
Three months later Hackett moved with
his flyer faro layout TO Southwest City,
Mo. 1t was only a week after he made The
move that Clifton walked in on him one
afternoon before the game had opened up
for play. A lot of hangers-on were stand
ing around. Clifton approached Hackett
ire m behind and tapped him on the Shout
der.
Have you any fighting tools on your
Clifton asked him.
That's monkey sort of question to
ask replied Hackett I've always got
EN- on me. What's it to your
BECAUSE said Clifton, Il have always
made IL a practice never to kill an I'M
armed man If can help it, And I'm going
to kill you as soon as you get to your feet
and face me-
"Hackett was on his feet and facing him
in half second, and he was dead in about
the same space Of time. The hangers-on
never made a move. Clfton's horse was
outside, and he got out of Southwest City
in a mild canter, with nobody after him
for only a few months before the Dalton
gang had robbed a bank in Southwest City
and killed a number of citizens in the
breakaway. and the people of the town.
ship had got pretty nearly enough of bad
man chasing.
Il don't believe that Clfton's wife ever
learned what sort of man her husband
was. He married her under the name of
Foote, and the last L heard of her she was
living with her two children in Kansas
City. Dynamite Dick made occasional
quiet visits to see his family.
Duel With Dalton.
1.-THE story about Cliftons handkerchief
duel with Bill Dalton is genuine. The
two men had been growing over the divi-
sion of plumber for long while. until,
about five years ago, the quarrel came to
a head, and the two men shot at each
other in hot blood down in the Choctaw
both missing because their shoot
Ing arms We're thrown up by members of
the band. Then both Clifton and Dalton
made declaration. There wasn't room
for both of them I'm the same gang. They
were a unit that point. Clifton an
that he would quit the outfit and
start a gang of his own. Dalton wouldn't
g.. n.