The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-19
TURNER AND HIS GUN
oOUBLE-L Eek, THE COWBOY, AND
HIS MODEST RECORD CLAIM.
How He Showed His Dislike For n Horse
man Who Rode at ~ Trot-Finaily His
Spirit Was Conquered by a Mild Man
nered Soldier with Winchester.

Now and then a "bad man" tries to
cultivate something which he mistakes
for humor. One Of these devotees of lev
ity used TO haunt the cattle range OF |
western Kansas, and every fall and
spring he appeared in Dodge City at the
general roundup. Every time he
came to town he left some proof of u
facetious mind, and was very sure of be-
ing talked about by every idle man and
most Of the busy ones who remained
when the rush was over
His name was Eek Turner, though
Dodge City will best remember him by
the title Doubled Eek, " the duplicated
capital being Leonard 81 Loughrain's
brand, and he being one of their best
riders. In fact, Turner might have been
foreman if he had cared for the position,
for he could ride we'll, and there were
few more expert with the rope and prob
ably none who could bear fatigue and
hardship more patiently than he.
But the trouble was he wanted recon-
pense for the dull life of cowboy. He
didn't care for money. Any wages going
were acceptable to him. But when the
cattle got rounded up and there was half
days escape from the tedium of labor
Eek Turner wanted his fling. And he al
ways went into town and had it,
Now, a foreman cannot do these
things He must stay by the herd all the
time, preserve a clear head and firm
place in the saddle. He is the represent
alive of the owner-the custodian OF
| much wealth-and dissipation is not to
| be thought of.
One Of Eek Turner's pet bits OF hui
NOR was to pick out people whose APP
pearance displeased him and shoot just
near enough to them to express his SEN
timents. He particularly disfilled to see
horsemen 60 by on the trot. 1t was in
cowboy country, and cowboys galloped,
whether or not they were in hurry.
And if the rider had a habit of "ris-
ing in the stirrups, as conventional
trotters often do, Eek Turner hated him
violently. So that when he came down
Main street one day and saw rather
well dressed man go by trotting and
"rising" with the motion of his horse
Eek called general attention to the spec
tacle.
Really the trotter was not very good
horseman. 1t was possible, as Eek OBJ
served, to "see daylight under him" ev-
cry time he rose in the saddle. And the
glimpses of that recurring daylight"
provoked Eek to a bit of pistol practice.
~ bet," said he, watching the rider
and reaching for large revolver, pretty
we'll back ON his belt, Il bet 1 can shoot
between him and the saddle and never
touch a feather.
He had been drinking in so decorous
a manner as to be dangerous, and so nc
one interfered The rider was half @
block away when Eek fired, and the
bullet must have gone true, for the rider
passed on unconscious, while sign di'
agonally across the street was shattered
by the shot.
He tried it again later in the day and
ortunately-miraculo usly-escaped the
infection Of injury. Dodge City talked
about Doubled Eek" and his new JOKE
all summer, and in the autumn he came
in and tried it again.
The first shot he made he hit MAI
, in the leg and was very indignant be-
cause they would not give him another
chance, assuring the crippled victim II
, was an accident, and urging him II
, ! mount and trot past just one time more
. rising no higher than he had done, ant
. guaranteeing to put three shots out O
, five between him and the saddle or bu.
the thinks for the crowd.
But it was the uncertainty about TIT
? other two shots that interfered with ne
gotiations-that and the trotting man.
? persistent endeavor to enjoy the freedom
of his own pistol arm while Eek re
, NAMED in his presence.
' Eek thought it was funny, and tina
: hallucination grew on him till he go
I into trouble. When the wave OF "Texa
a fever" swept over Kansas in 1880, kill
q ing off so many of the Kansas cattle,
\ state law stopped those "drives" which
had been the life Of western Kansas, ant
q Eek Turner lost his occupation. He wen
4 farther west and south and tried to shoe
h the top off mans plug hat in Colorad
a Springs because he insisted the fashion
/. was two inches shorter than the ma
o was wearing.
At La Veta he took exception to tn
suffering sound occasionally made b
an electric lamp and went about shoot
4 ing the carbons in two till the cit
n marshal engaged in repartee and she
9 off the end of Eck's thumb, alleging a
A sufficient reason the fact that no ma
4 with two good thumbs could be real
n " "bad man" Eek replied in kind, ali
4 there were no applicants for the postio
the marshal's demise left vacant until
q was known that Eek had left that re2io
a and gone to Arizona.
4 At Fort Wingate he had the m:sfol
n tune to shoot into an ambulance drive
h by a very mild hammered private so
; der, who pulled up winchester an
q crippled Eek for life, destroying the us'
: fulness of both shoulders and incidental
o ly putting out his right eye
!. After that Eek Turner went to Flat
v staff and developed a remarkable hab
y y of winning at faro and taking care {
}. his money. He confessed to record
L. ,rn fi