The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
SURPRISES WITH Ms.
sHARPERS Faxed BIZ A GRAVEYARD
FROM CASS COUNTY.

tery OF y NOTWITHSTANDING OF Some hsoaa
ARohus VINO UNDERTOOK 70 80" n shoF'"'
what is known as a bad man in the far West
is not necessarily u man Of an unvaryingly evil
disposition, or of disposition evil at all; he may
be uniformly and cussodly bad. or bad only in
the sense of being dangerous TO those who offer
him unjustiflablo provocation. / have met many
varieties Of the species in my twenty years Of
travel west Of the Mississippi" said q former
commercial traveller.
"one OF the occurrences that amused me most
with an old man on a Kansas railroad. At tho
station in Atchison one afternoon, just before
tho Santa Fe train pulled out for Topeka, the
sharpers tried to work a game on some one, but
we're interrupted, and thor scheme fell through.
They piled aboard the train as the bell rang,
and set in TO work Off their Ill temper by chatting
and maltroating the passengers about them.
Presently there entered at the rear door of the
coach n typical Southwestern farmer, a tall old
man. with n grizzled, patriarchal board, stecple-
crowned hat, and long linen duster. As no
strobe along the aisle, his gaze bent on the coach
ahead. ono OF the sharpers reached from behind
and pulled him back by the coat tail.
"'Hold on. old fellow" he said. Don't hurry!
Dye think YOU'RE bound somewhere, or going to
stop awhile with usf'
The old mar turned, his beard bristling, his
eyes flashing fire. His hand went down to his
hip pocket and came back clutching the butt of
an extraordinarily long.barrelled revolver.
"'I'm from Cass county, Missouri '-he said,
but got no further. The sharper let go the coat
tail and throw up his hands.
"'I see you are he gasped. Il only wanted
to find out. For Gods sake. lot the rest of that
pistoI st,v vhere Il 10 and ~, olonp M soo, no
~ "s 10
you want to. Mover mind u.s.
M all rxar I-~al - ,As,. -. H. --
adence men as II undecided ybetbcr IN lot tho
~. ~" 40 :. "no'' '. ~
pistol back where II came from, and. still keep.
inc bis hand On ,bo butt NJ Il went On tbr,,rh
the car. The sharpcrs subsidized. and were per-
fectly orderly during the rest Of the trip.
At was in the train in which it happened,
although 1 did not see the occurrence, when two
thieves camo to grief in trying to rob a cattle.
man II wosi l., tho e u and q station In ChI.
"a " !" y. ID III " St".ioh III Uni
cago. or rather Just beyond the station. The
thieves evidently had planned the robbery be.
'''"" "'"i' '""' W hau II
large sum OF money with him, and they
had followed him to tho train and aboard n
800, 10 Nd s,o,oa hin,so,, 80. .tas",,n.
coach. nc u seated hlinSoii near inc middle
got under good headway. one OF tho thicves
sudaonIv gronplel him from h.hird n,niontna
his arms to his side. while the other drew his
pocketbook from his inner breast pocket. Then
IL .... T..
thc thie'cs II III opposi'e ways toward the car
doors. with the intention. of course. OF jumping
from the moving train. But they hadn' t reckoned
rishty on inc qu'ckness Oh 'he cat,ie'nan s
pistol. Drawing his revolver. he brought down
o.nv y - ,,i,, nn,,n, .". W. hn,, .'o T0As
"ouauou' ~ VI t"touRh h's oach' urn
idR oSr ne sb nred at b 5hS q 3hror;F !Sst tb aaSSs snri o gu lat at the he
fell dead on the platform.
The whole thing was dono so quickly that
that anything unusual WAS going on until tho
pistol shots rang out; Then. naturally. there
The cattleman. pistol in hand, went at once to
the first thief ho had shot, searched him. and.
ths e ina tn where has p 1be o,bsr ib Msn I,S Sa Se,d 5h orc tSs
along the aisle. you can bet. AT the door a
the thief had dropped when he fell. The cattle
man ran his eye over the contsints. satisfied him
his scat where he remained quietly until the
next station, was reached. Hero he got out.
that he was waiting FOR them TO arrest him and
stayed until they came. The Coroner's jury ex-
onerated nm Tor the Killing and his case. II ever
met him afterward in wyoming. a quiet every
day sort OF man OF no particular reputation as n
lighting way before and, after his exploit at Chi.
cago. But he showed himself great at this one
time when nerve and promptness and good
II saw a rough fellow taken down by n man
VINO was not q DIT. rough, to look at once on n
passenger train of the southern Pacific road.
west OF DcminG. 1t WIS in a parlor car. and the
tough had arrived at the stage OF drunkenness
where he felt IT necessary TO get out his pistol
ana shoot at Telegraph poles, along the side OF
the track. He got, ugly when the conductor
spoke to him and allowed he'd do pretty much
as he pleased and that the man who intcrfcred
with him wouldn't fmrn up for his victnals next
DAY or at any time after. II IS probable that the
train hands eventually would have brought him
to rights, but n passenger. n slim. quiet, refined
looking man took the business in hand and
saved a. them the trouble:
INC FUN began when the touRh's pistol went
of in the car. by accident quite likely. At,this
the slim man got up and walked back TO him,
carrying a slender walking stick in his hand.
There has been enough of this business he
said. Put that pistol up.
Tho tough jumped up from his seat.
Damn YOU! nc shouted, DO you know who
you're talking tot You git!
He started to cock his pistol rs he spoke. but
the hammer didn't get half way up. The thing
was done too suddenly for my eye 10 follow. but
the pistol changed down on the floor between
them, knocked from the fellows hand by a blow
VIII ne stick. The tough swore and clytGhed
win tho other hand at his hand that had been
80 smartly raped; the slim man stopped, picked
up. the pistol; ana threw II out or Inc window.
NOW VIII you behave yONrSeIfE he asked,