The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
WHITEHEAD PATTERSON.
4 BAD MAN OF THE YES VINO
WASN,T WHOLLY BAD.
re Did Not XIII Everybody who Tried TO XIII
Him, and when Ho Set out TO Right n
WIRING re Did II In etyle-Hc Had Nerve
md an Occnnlonnl Tnste for Classic Juatice.

tory as icing had men in the early days on the
Pacific slope said Major Edwart: ItnGsdale of
Topeka, Kan. But some of the most dan
gerous men,, who were greatly feared In their
day, are little heard of now. They were not
theatrical enough in their WAYS OF killing or
they had no gang TO crack them up. They
never got tho great NAMES that some men did
who were afraid OF them. Such n man was
Patterson from Observation-Disclosures Patter-
son-who figured In San Francisco and Nevada
and a%ftcrward in Oregon. lie waS what is
known In the thr West as n white eyed man
that Is, his eyes were OF a gray tint, 80 rRle ms
20 seem almost white. He was a powerfully
huilt man, handy with weapons, and he came
as near being perfectly fearless ms n man can
he. I remember him Mt his trial for the.kill-
lug Of Can't. STABLES at Portland, Ore. The Cap
tain had headed n crowd to lynch. Patterson
,or his secession sentiments. Feeling ran high
agninst Patterson, It being In the time of the
civil war, and the sentiment in Oregon being
for tho Union. When he was acquitted, az he
was. after an exciting TRIAL, on the ground Of
selt-defence. It was believed that he would
never leave the c)urt room alive. out he passed
through the hostile GRO Nd without n sian OF
car. with such n presence that no one moleste d
him. l can compare his look only with that
of a lion. His shooting OF PinEham, the min.
ing man, was another IA nous killing. IL ne.
gun By his insulting Pinkham for his North.
crn Pinkham pulled his nistol
and nred. Patterson stopped, lodging the
fash, IA tho saying IL, and then sent In the
mortal shot. He VAS a bully through and
through. Yet le was capable Of being mag
unanimous. On ono occasion a man fred Mt
him. the bullet striking him fairly In the fore.
head. Instead OF dronping. as any other man
would have done. he grarplcd with the man,
;hrew him.. and took away his pistol.
Spare Eie for my w,fe's sake he cried.
Patterson let him IN. Run for q doctor
you - he commanded. II ! die,
Iii haunt YOU
THE story that partisulnrlr wanted to
tell when I began to talk about Patterson
shows his character in It's best light. II was
In Montana and thee had been q mining town
started In the region then known as the Bill
MCGOWAN country. People were nockinR
there and the roads we're strung with all sorts
OF outfits husaiing along to be frat on the
ground. was on my way there to start a
faro bank and had stopped t- dinner at u
roadside place wheio a man had n sort of no.
tel. Among tho dozen or more wagon outfits
drawn up before the corral was n rickcty. cam
vas-topped concern. belonging to an old man
who was coming out with his family To begin
life anew In n new country. There were the
'fs f'hh"e FtaA hhii - eS6'i ~ p" JIM
one son. a weak-lookinr stripping perhaps 10
wears old. who didn't count In what took place.
1t was IL pretty poor looking outfit, bat they
had a pair OF good horses, which vas a bout all
they had in the world. for the rest of their
equipment could at have been auctioned off
for $50. / had passed them on the road, and
now. when | came out doors Of or dinner. |
found them in a peck OF trouble, tho women
GIVING and the old man looking forlorn and
eipless. In place of the two horses I had seen
them drivilg back on the trail. there stood two
broken-down pllgs that had been next to
worthless to start with, nd had been driven
nearly to death besides.
They were good sort OF people. so ! asked
them what the trouble was. and they told me.
were Just hitching the horses TO the wagons
ready to start on again. when three men. who
with them. came over leading the two plugs,
and had lef' their broken.down horses and
taken awav tho Two good ones. When the
old man protested against being rob ed. one
of them drew a pistol and threatened to smash
hi over the head with 1t II he didn't shut up.
This was tneir story. and ! had only to look 1t
them to know tlnt they told the truth. There
vas no law in the country then, they had no
defend themselves: 50 there they We're 're.i blum.
do ed and the came as left a;oot on the trail.
with no help fer it that they could see. AS
in full. vie ~. getting ready to harness the
Stolen horses into their wagon and laughing in
nlRn Rlee tLnOllx themselves.
Il didn't like to leave the emigrants In that
plight. and | had no crowd with me. and |
couldn't very we'll go up against three men.
par. itulRrlv in another party's quarrel. But
] talked with the family y little TO cheer
hem up, and had Just handed the old woman a
s. gold piece, when Ferd. Patterson came rid
ing up. having stopped 20 water his horse at
the well, He nodded 70 me. and was going to
lad h han; D ent stoned so tSs em him; nn4 told him what
"'Ferd.' ! said. I'm not equal TO .tackling
three men like these. hut you are. Can't you
a - At,ta n tN aba arr Eri,.n tIAA IL r~a-
his horses back AGAIN.
He listened to all l had to say without n
through speaking he gathered up his Bride
rein and started on. He won't interfere. |
said to myself, It's all up with the old mans
horses But In a minute more he turned of
the trail. dismounted. threw his bride rein
ovei a part OF the corral. and walked hack to
wnere we were as deliberate and calm as. a man
Are those The men. and are those horses
yours he asked the old man. looking over 10
They he before God said the old man.
with the same GOODNESS and delIheration as
men were. Two Of them were Just going TO
lead the horses 10 The wagon 70 hitch them up:
the seat. Al Of hen, we're toush-iookinE Gus
toners: we'll heel-d with firearms:
What are y1n doing with those horses
was something In his tone that nnde ,he two
men by SSs the isa horse r"". s, to- az and loo At him as II
" What In he'll have yon got 10 say about
IT. said one Of the men. But. hold as hs tried
To be. his voice fell and trembled before the
look In Patterson's eve. The man by the
wagon WIS fumbling under the seat.
" You stole the n from that old man! Take
them back To HIN id quick, = fHid Patterson,
ard as he spoke the man by tile wagon pulled
n shot gun ont from under the seat and cooked
II. I've no doubt Patterson WAS watch nc
him from the corner OF his eve, but he did not
tura his lead from the two men he was talking
TO. Like n flash Lis pistol, came out and
cracked, and the man went down across the
wagon tongue, with the gun under him. AMI
lay there I'll they took him up To bury him.
PA ~.terson's eye never left thu twO men. who
s.ood pale hnd shaking, afraid tn draw their
guns. shifting HIS pistol To his left hand.
lie reached up 10 the wagon hoN and took down
the whip. With It's heavy leather braided
lash he cut ,nrh OF The TWO men ACROSS the
fnre with AL his force.
Take thUrc horses hack 10 ,he O yner,' he
commanded, And the Two men lci the no: scs
back to the old rams wagon. Patterson fol.
Living. lashing them nith the whip at every
stem. IL wns n great sight the way those irl.
lows Jumped and writh-d and yelled and begged
COR mercy, u T. great welts rising on their heads
and faces whore tie who toll. The horses.
frightened Mt the swish 0f the whip. were rear.
ing and jumping , but tho men OH their lives
didn't da-e let them hreAk AWAY. ;or Patterson
'arried MIA pistol III his LEFT hand, and they Ind
inst seen what had happtned Tn their %rnrtncr.