The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-07-23
BAD BILL JONES

professional bad men nearly always
come TO grief, and their regulations are
usually smashed In some unexpected
and often ludlcrous manner said
Western mine owner to a group Of
friends
Il was working claim at a mining
camp IN the Black HIS in 1879, when
professional bad man from the head
waters OF Bitter Creek came along put
down stakes, aud proceeded to make IT
interesting for every one around, es-
peclally the few tenderfeet who had
not been long in the West our bad
man was a big. strapplng fellow more
than six feet tall, with a face that
would convict him before any intelli-
gent jury.
He hailed from somewhere In Mis-
souri, and said that his name was BIZ
Jones. He also let It be known that he
preferred to be called Bad Bill Jones'
as that was the title he had earned by
whipping every nghting man In four
townships back in the States. Jones
celebrated his arrival in camp by clean
ing out the only saloon in the place at
that time He carried a six-shooter In
every pocket and Bowie knife in his
bootleg.
'"rhe fellow knew how TO shoot;
there was no mistake about that. He
marched into the saloon the night of
his arrival and ordered the bartender
to set up drinks for the crowd. When
~ o. l..,. =, a
the color of his money in advance
Jones let out an Indian war-whoop and
promptly shot out all the lights in the
place. after he had perforated two or
three hats and broken the necks off a
few bottles with bullets.
"Some Of the miners present got I'M
der the only table in the place and the
others escaped by n side door. Jones
helped himself to all the whisky he
could drink then went out and march
ed up and down the main street of the
camp for an hour. firing off his pistols
and yelling for some one to come out
and fight him. Some of the boys were
disposed to oblige him. but the bad man
was then an unknown quantity. he had
demonstrated that he could shoot, and
wiser counsel prevailed.
'Thls one nights performance estab-
llshed the reputation of the man, and
for time he had his own way. The
fellow knew little or nothing about
mining and failed to strike pay dirt.
In fact. he spent most of his time loaf
ing about the saloon. looking for a
fight. He was a loud talker, and at
swearing he could beat any dozen men
In the camp. We soon found that he
was bully and dead beat. He would
borrow money from the boys who were
flush. and never repay them. He was
careful, however, to obtain loans only
/ from men who were afraid of him, and
for that reason would not press him for
payment
For month Jones was not inter
rupted in his career Of chief bad man
OF the camp. Long before the end of
that time he was thoroughly disliked
by every one in the place. but rs he
had not killed any one. nobody re
Quested him to move on. One reason
why he succeeded so well In the role
he had set ont to play was that every
other man In the place was too much
occupied In the scramble for gold to
pay much attention to him. The Inn
preston that Jones was AT heart a
coward was gaining ground. hut as he
kept In constant practice with his pis-
tolls no one volunteered to put his cour-
age TO the test.
"Such was the state Of affairs when
one day the wagon train from the near
est town brought to camp the oldest
specimen of the tenderfoOt ever saw.
The newcomer was tail. but as thin as
rail. with a hatchet-lke face. and
pale. watery eyes lie was dressed In
an outlandiSh rig. no garment Of which
came anywhere near a it, 4 worn
SLOUGH hat. with a hole on the top. Gov
cred his head. and was pulled down to
the eyebrows in front.
The only baggage carried by The
new arrival was small bundle done
up in piece OF faded blue cloth. The
fellow had lost two front teeth. and q
third one long and yellow. protruded
beyond the lips. on his chin there was
large black wart and a smaller one on
the nose.
The odd-looking tenderfoot climbed
down from the wagon in n clumsy.
hesitating way. and stood around for
several minutes without speaking a
word Finally. he stepped up TO the
storekeeper. and. in harsh. piping
} voice. asked:
ais this here the camp where Will
lam Jones has staked a claimr