The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-05
THE MAN WITH THE AK.
An Episode In the Early History Of
NeYada Town


San Francisco Chronicle: In n COM
munity thrown together as that in Aus
tin, New, was in it's early history. many
( episodes. tragical or the reverse, were
bound TO occur. One of the most
noted in the annals of the young town
was the one that was long known and
spoken of as the tragedy of the man
with the AK In the fall of 1868
party of five men from point some
where in California, arrived in Austin,
and pitched their camp in Cedar ra-
vine. close to the town. They put up
their tent near their wagon and did
their cooking at their camp fire in the
open air. This gypsy way of living was
rather the rule than the exception at
this time. as few had had sufficient time
to erect more substantial and COM
Portable quarters, and at night the ra-
vines and hillsides were aglow with
/ the camp fires of the emigrant. On
man of this party OF five had been 81
lent. mOrose and irritable for several
days. as had been observed by his
companions. They thought him, as
they expressed il, "a little nutty," but
dreamed of no danger at his hands
After dark one night the different men,
bers of the party, except the moody
/ one, were engaged about the camp in
preparing for the night. He sat by the
camp fire silent and gazing into it.
/ One of the party was bending over it
/ preparing the evening meal, when,
without warning, the silent one spranS
to his feet and with a frenZied yell.
seized an ak and sunk it into the brain
of the man engaged in preparing the
supper. Another of the party sprang
toward him, when he. too, felt the keen
edge of the AK in the hands of the mad
man. and with another Economical howl
the murderous maniac vanished into
the gloom of the night.
In an instant in and about the camp
all was horror and CONSERVATION
Parties from adjacent camp fires
crowded around, to find one man dead
and another wounded and liable to die.
and the perpetrators of these crimes-a
man bereft Of reasOn-gone, none knew
whittier, out into the murky night,
with the weapon of destruction still in
his hands. Above and below them could
be seen the glow of many camp fires,
about which fitted the forms of men,
women and even of little children, all
unsuspecting of danger. These must
be warned at whatever risk. Soon the
clatter of swift-running feet was heard
rushing through the ravines and up
the hillsdes, and stentorian tones
voiced the warning on the still night
air: Look out for the man with the
ak. A man down in Cedar ravine has
gone crazy and has Drained two Of his
partners with an AK and has escaped.
No one knows what direction he has
taken. Look out for the man with the
AK" At the warning men sprang TO
their weapons. and pale-faced women
gathering their frightened children
about them, retired to the recesses of
tent, wagon or shack. while husbands
or fathers stood vigil by the camp fire,
for none knew at what instant from
out of the Plutonian blacknesS of the
night would rush the demented demon,
leaving death and destruction in his
wake. Every football was sternly chal-
lenged. and such challenge was quickly
answered, for the approaching party
knew full well the danger of delay. In
the business part of the town conster-
nation also reigned. Merchants closed
and barricaded their DOORS In the
saloons and gambling houses the faro
poker and other games came to a sud
den stanGstill. The crowds were there.
but all were silent and expectant Wea-
pons were furtively examined. for no
one knew how soon they would be
needed, and it was as well to have them
in working order. There was very lit
tie gregarious drinking, but every little
while pale-lipped man would Slip up
to the bar and take something by him
self to steady his nerves. Every eye
was fixed on the door, and when a new
lace appeared. every mans hand in
voluntarily sought his pistol pocket
seeing which the newcomer would hast
en- to remark that he wasn't the man
with the AK, but had just dropped in
to ind. out if anyone knew which way
he went
There was an hour or more Of sus-
pense, when a man dashed breathless
into the principal saloon with the news
that the man with the ak had gone
down the grade toward Reese River
valley, and on his way had killed John
ME Boulay, the French gambler, whom
he met coming up the grade 1t ap-
peared that Johnnie was coming up the
road from Jacobsville, where he had
been paying a professional visit. all
unconscious of danger and with one leg
thrown over the pommel of his saddle
was hghtly carroling a chanson of Ia
belle France and thinking if thinking
at all, of the appetite provoking cock
tail and the subsequent supper await
ing IN the town whose lights he saw in
the distance. when out of the gloom of
the night dashed grizzly figure. With
a maniacal yell the mailman crashed
the ak into poor Johnnies thigh and
disappeared down the road into the
darkness An artery was severed and I
the Frenchman had just enough of life
left to reach the first house on the out |
skirts of the town We'll, thank God. /
we know at least which way he has !
gone said the brawney livery stable
Keeper. Some of us must go after him |
and stop his doing further mischief if /
possible" Soon half dozen weIl-armed :
men were mounted and Gathering down
the trail, and word was sent to the anx-
ious watchers around the campfires In |
the gray of the morning the pursuers /
dust-covered and spent They /
were remarkably taciturn when ques- /
toned as to the result of their night (
ride. The most that could be got out 4
Of them was that the man with the ak
would trouble them no more. After !
ward it was whispered that a stock 4
herder, riding across the sage-cOvered I
valley of Reese river, ran across a /
corpse with lariat around it's neck |
and full of bullet holes. For many a |
day thereafter the mothers of Austin /
had in the story of the man with an .
AK" one to conjure with when they I
wished to keep their children in O.
nights.
BruralifU