Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-14
LUCK AGAINST A BAD MAN
Queer Things that Happened to Toothpick
Davis, Tough Sport.
UNPRoFlTABLE DEAL IN TEXAS STEERS
His Last Attempt to play Even with
IL Butcher knife Checked
by the Faro Dealers
Gun Action.


Gun Action.
one evening at a hotel in Denver, relates
n CORRESPONDENT of the New York sun, one
of party of men happened to read aloud
an article relative to John Wesley Hardin
now in the Texas penitentisry. Them ne
remarked.
"Spcaking of Hardin and bad men in gem
eral reminds me OF Jim Davis, Toothpick
Davis, as he was more familiarly called, IN
whom used to take a great deal OF interest
when he was in Austin, Tex. Afterward
used to see him a great deal in Galveston,
where he ran a faro game and general
rambling house. Davis was the hardest
man | ever met, and have seen few He
was a giant of a man, over SIX feet IN
height, broad and burly as we'll. one time
was out tarpon fishing, possibly mile OF
two from shore when l noticed ToothpicK
and another man cruising about at little
distance from me. Suddenly Toothpicks
partner who was stepping gayly about IN
r. boat, fell into the water. In wild en-
deavor to save his friend Davis fell after
him Tue boat, which was sailing ot
free at the time, went something ike lOO
yards, and then got her head into the wihu
and stood there tapping her sails. When
without waiting for orders, at once headed
TO the rescue When Davis fell into the
water he was if anything, nearer to us
than his friend. We pointed for him to
pick him up but as we approached he waved
his hand and yelled:
Don't stop for me. Save my friend. lie
can't swim lick, and he owes me $l,6OO.'
"Of course, we kept on and captured his
friend, who had about tub of water IN
him and didn't have anything to say for
an hour. Toothpick, who could sustain
himself we recovered safe and sound. 1t
was perhaps three days later when CHANGED
to meet Toothpick Davis in the bar room
of the hotel and, after thanking me Tor
saving his life, he said:
But about my friend. You know that
yelled to you that he owed me 81, 900. Well,
that's straight; but what does the fellow
do? As soon as he recovered his breath
he lands on me and says that he must
| be in a streak of good luck because he
didn't drown and that If I'd stake him
against faro bank he could win 100000
The worst of 1t is that he actually made
me believe it. Well l coughed up $1,000
| and he now owes me 81 500, see? 1t would
have been better for me financially If he
had drowned, so I'm not so grateful as
I was "
| n Deul III
II think" said a man from the south
| west, that ! used to see something OF your
friend Davis out in Texas, too. 1t was
when the Missouri Kansas & Texas railway
was extended in 1872 from Parsons, Kan, to
| Dennison. 1t went through a section prac-
| tically pre-empted by the marauding half
| breeds. the rustlers and criminals who sub
| seuuently had to emigrate to No Man
| Land While the road was in construction
the monte men and fine a gang OF Grim
| nals as ever went unhung swarmed about
| the tent towns to prey upon the railway
| laborers Shooting was common, and the
| saving was that it was exceptional If man
| wasn't served for breakfast. The officials
| lived in cabooses with extra timbered SIDES,
| sort of fortresses on wheels. Colonel Ed
ward Lynde had the contract for the road,
not an enviable one, considering the coun-
try from which he had to secure his sup
plies. He was a fine looking man, tall,
| 1.-THE. alert, and a stranger TO fear. He
| made an engagement with Davis for trans
| porting the supplies. Toothpck promised
| bv contract to bring 100 yoke Of oxen to
! the present city of Eufaula to carry sup
| plies south; but what does Toothpick
| do? He simply went out and rounded up
| some Texas steers, and, yoking these up
with difficulty, started out. The novelty
| wore out for the beasts after the first two
| days out and there was a grand stampede,
in which wagons were overturned and the
steers broke away. Toothpick made not
! the least attempt to rectify matters and rode
away south.
"Lynde soon heard of the confusion and
started after Davis with a big muleteer
named jim. fftymile chase brought them
up with Davis, who was accompanied by
| Mexican. Toothpick reached for his guns,
but was covered by Big Jim. The Mexican,
who attempted to throw knife, dropped it
| with an oath when he got bullet in the
wrist. Toothpick was tied up like trussed
chicken thrown in wagon and carried
| back to the end of the line, where he was
made to square accounts. Davis didn't relish
| this and swore that Lynde's life should pay
! for the inconvenience of that long ride and
made a promissory notch for Big Jim.
| Scared to Death.
| Zone night, about month after this
| Colonel Lynde drove into the hamlet of
| Avoca and jumping from the blackboard,
hastened into the hotel. The bar room was
redolent OF smoke and full Of border men and
nl Nav 10