Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-18
NAVAJO JOE.


vile. His frequent appearance in its
single street in voluntary exhibition
of nice feats of horsemanship, coupled
with an exhibition of pistol shooting in
which old tomato cans and passe bec<
bottles performed as targets, has hither-
to excited no more baleful sentiment in
the Wolfville bosom than disgust
But today it is different Camps, like
individuals, have moods At this time
Wolfville is experiencing wave of vir-
tue. 1t may have been excited by the
presence of a pale party Of eastern tour
lists, just now abiding at the o. K ho-
tel; gentlemen which the rather SAN
guine sentiment of Wolfville credits
with meditating an investment of treas
ure in her rocks and rills. But whatever
the reason, Wolfville virtue is certainly
aroused, which makes it bad day for
Navajo Joe.
The angry sun smites hotly in the
deserted causeway of Wolfville The
public is within doors The Red Light
saloon is thriving nightly Navajo Joe,
rendering himself prisoner to Jack
Moore, rescue or no rescue, has by order
of that sagacious body been conveyed
by his captors before the vigilance com
mittee and is about to be tried for his
life
What was Navajo Joe's immediate
crimeY Certainly not grave one. Ten
days before it would have hardly earned
a comment. He has killed Chinaman
Here is the story
"Yere comes that prairie dog, Navajo
Joe. all spraddled out, says Dave Tutt.
'It looks like this campnever can as
soome no airs, remarks Cherokee Hall
in distempered way, shut this yere
miser' bic Joe comes chargin up to queer
it,.
AS he speaks that offending person
age, unconscious of the great change in
Wolfville morals, sweeps up the street,
expressing gladsome and ecstatic
whoops and whirling his pistol on his
forefnger like wheel of light
One of the tourists stands in the door
of the hotel smoking pipe in short,
brief puffs of astonishment and reviews
the amazing performance. Navajo Joe
at once and abruptly halts. Gazing for
a disgruntled moment on the man from
the east, he takes the pipe from it's
owners hUrrifed mouth and places it
in his own.
''Smokin of pipes. he vouchsafes in
condemnatory explanation. ''is onele-
CANT an degradin. an don't you do it
no more in my presence I'm mighty
sensitive that way about pipes an /
don't aim to tolerate 'em none what
eyer. -
He sits putting and gazing at the tour
ist, while the latter stands dumbly
staring, with morsel of the ravished
meerschanm still between his lips.
A Chinaman, voluminously robed,
emerged from the New York store,
whittier he had been drawn by dint cf
soap.
"Whatever is this Mongol doin in
camp I'd like for to knowy' inquiries
Navajo Joe disdainfully. 81 shore
leaves orders when I'm here last for the
4
mind it, but with strangers visitin us
this away it plumb mortities me to
death.
Then comes the short emphatic utter
ance of six shooter. A puff of smoke
vanishes quickly in the hot air and the
next census will be short one Asiatic.
In moment arrives brief order
from Enright, the chief of the vigilance
committee, TO Jack Moore. That gentle
man proffers a Winchester and the re-
quest to surrender simultaneously,
Navajo Joe, realizing fate, at once ac-
cedes.
'sOf course, gents, . says Enright
apologe as he convenes the com
mittee in the New Y ork store. Il don t
say this Joe is held for beefin the Chi
naman sole an alone. The fact is he's
heen havin mighty sight too gay a
time of late, an so | think it's good,
safe play, bein as it's hot day an we
has the time, to sorter call the commit
tee together an ask its views, whether
we better hang this yere Navajo Joe
yet or mott
''Mr. President, responded Dave
Tut, ''if I'm in order. l moves we take
this Navajo Joe an proceeds to stretch
his neck. / amt basin it Oh ncthin in
partic lar, but lettin her slide under
the general head Of bein adapted to
public good.
'.Do | hear any remarks2' asks En-.
right ''If not, takes RIr. TUFTS very
excellent molten as the censrs of this
meetin, an it's hang she is.
''Not inteHdin of no interruption,
remarks Texas Thompson, 4 wants to
say this Pm a quiet man myself an
nacheral aims to keep Wolfvills a quiet
place likewise. For which all | shorely
favors a-hangin of Joe. Like INIT, I
don t make no pint on the Chinaman.
We spares him too easy But this Joe
is alters a-ridin an a-yelln an a-shoutin
up this camp till I'm plumb tired ont
So says let's hang him, an suggests as
a eligible nook tharfor the windmill
back Of the dance hall
"See yere. Mr.. President. interrupts