Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-08
HE TANED COYOTE PETE"
Bad Man Comes to Grief After a Long
staggering Career.
SCENE IN A CRIPPLE CREEK DlsPENSARY
All Hands Ordered to "Licker Up"-A
quiet Nan Rejects the Invitation
and CnImIy Rcnds the Riot
Act from History.

Act from History.
He was a typical bad man, a modernized
edition Of the Terror OF Bitter Creek" half
horse. half alligator" a survival OF the pc
rioI from AZ to the early '7Qs, when it was
good form to at least claim man for
breakfast every morning. This particular
bad man was an initiative relic. to be sure,
OF his predecessors in the days Of prairie
slhooners and pioneer railroad building in
the west and his name was Coyote Pete"
for want Of a better.
Pete's early education, as well as his later
knowledge acquiring. had been neglected,
relates the New York Sun. He did not read
the newspapers and he still called parsons
gospel sharps." He usually herded by him.
self The average cowboy OF today has little
use for men Of Pete's stamp. The cowboy
OF the present is intelligent, sober and hard
working. Pete was not
Pete had been engaged in the fall roundup
in Routt county, Colorado. At least. Re said
so. At the same time there were those who
had doubts Up across the line in Wyoming
the cattle "rustlers" had been unusually ac-
tive that season, and many cattle mar and
rancher was seeking revenge for losses
from his herds.
II Is uttllfSot uONtNtlf " SpllL mans b'tl
this somewhat delicate question. BE it
as it may. Pete had money. His buckskin
boasted nearly $63-more than he had ever
accumulated at any three former seasons
OF his lazy, vagabond life. So Pete was
going to have a good time, "a ripsnor.iu'
galoot of a time" as he expressed. it; only
Pete was a protane bped, and said more.
From his alkali retirement Pete had enyi-
ously contemplated the rise OF Creede, when
there was mo night at Creede," beside
being day all day in the daytime" as the
engineer poet has correctly and felicitously
expressed it. The faint and exaggerated
rumors that reached him of the exploits Of
Bob Ford who shot Jesse James from the
rear, filled him with jealous delight, and
when Bob himself was filled with uncere-
monious buckshot and relegated to the new
but well-iled cemetery to which the enter
prising citizens of Creede pointed with just
pride. Pete felt that the mantle of the late
unlamented ought by right to fall on his
own narrow shoulders. Now Pete was by
nature and custom a rank coward, who
seldom reached the falsely dgnified grade OF
bully. In fact, the whiskey had to be un-
usually vile and the victim unusually meek
in order to allow him to play the buny at
all and those who knew him generally
kicked him about the time he reached the
bullying stage,
Pete's Opportunity.
But Pete's opportunity had come at last
His purse was full and so was he. Hard
riding on his bucking cayuse had brought
him from ROutt COunty-or Wyoming-tC
Wolcott, where the Denver and Rio GrandC
railroad stretched toward the peach orchard!
of Grand Junction on the one hand ant
toward Denver on the other. But Pete was
not going to Denver. The capital city hat
got TO be altogether too slow and orderly
There gentleman was not allowed 10 eX.
plode his gun nor to yell on the streets II
token of good feeling and an excessive flow
of spirits. Cripple Creek was the only place
in the opinion Of Coyote Pete. Denver was
not 10 be thought of in connection with
cowboys vacation. It did not occur TO Pete
who did not or could not read the news
papers that he held mistaken conceptions
regarding Cripple Creek, All he knew o
cared about it was that it was a mining
camp where things were supposed to be wild
Open and where man got his own kim
of an inning for his money,
So now behold Coyote Pete in all his dirt
and drunken glory prmed and Cinched 70
an evening of enjoyment on Bennett avenu
I'm Cripple Creek. He was a little the wors
for wear Several sturdy and unappreciativ
brakemen had effectually demonstrated wit
him for insisting upon yelling at the to
OF his voice all the way from WolCott {
Colorado Springs, as a black eye and
sprained nose bore evidence But Pete care
little for these drawbacks now. His spre
was in the bullying stage and he mean
business, 1t was in the days before the bi
fires; still Cripple Creek had several saloon
which the local papers called "palatial.
wabblng UP to the bar he began his gloroa
career after the fashion, as he Coully i'm
agined of Bob Ford in the palmy days {
nightless Creele
'Whoopo' waugh! Look at me, I'm Gov
ote Pete from Poutt county. and was uevC
licked in my life, Thirteen notches on m
gun an 'aChin ter insert more. Les licke
No gentIl refuse ter drink with me, Coyot
Pete"
Every saloon has its loafuG contingen
and half n dozen men ranged thCmsClvt
promptly in front Of the bar. Pete thopGN
they ought to look scared, but they appeart
joyoi rather than othewise, while the ge.
tlomanly barkeeper frowned severely as
placed a thick bottle containing the brar
OF n0uor ropularly known as "hackman
whisky in front Of the thirsty gang. /
did not care for such custom. Pete was
little surprised and a little nonplussed
reception, but did not despair. He had n
PLAYED all his cards and now looked for
chance to place the trump.
Waking Up Stranger.
Looking foggIly around, he espied a mi
sitting dreamily beside the glowing stove
the back part Of the room, apparently lost
his own reflections. Here was Pete's chauC
He lurChed over TO where the man sat al
trOd heavily on his toes.
Pardon me-" said the man, withdrawn
his injured members.
Look yere, stranger Yer c'ntronu
Coyote Pete, ther champion Of Routt count
who has aNed yer to drink with hi
Stranger, no man ever refused to drink vi
Coyote Pete and lived. Step up an lick
with ther boys er take the consequence
which will be that you'l be the fourteen
victim OF Coyote Pete's unerrin' aim"
The stranger stared at Pete with a 10
OF dazei surprise Then he reached
right hand slowly toward his hip pocket |
Pete was too quick for him. In an insts
the stranger was looking into the gapi
muZzle OF q revolver held in the unstea
hand Of the selt-confessed terror OF Ro
county. He did not appear to be alarm
greatly to Pete's surprise He disregard
the revolver and drew forth from his pocl