La Junta tribune., 1899-05-20
ArALE OF THE FRONTIER.
AsseAess Of Jes Lowe. vsrasssy Of wlea
lea ond Dsnv0g.

Aaseaess Of J>s Lowe. Ssr.sssy of wiea
isa aad Dsnvss.
The correspondent Of Chicago pa
per rehearses the early scenes In
Wichita. Kansas, n follows:
Il haven't been In Wichita before
since It was the end of the track and
the widest and wickedest towpAiu the
West. II WAS the center OF the cattle
trade In those days. the shipping point
for the Texas herds; the end Of the
trail. where thousands Of steers which
lad been driven across the ranges OF
Indian territory were loaded on the
cars every week TO be shipped to the
eastern markets. verything was wide
open then with n vengeance, and the
cowboys were kings. 70
"One night attended an entertain
ment In the Palace opera house, or n
place with some such name, kept by
"Rowdy joe" a famous character who
had formerly been known as Joseph
Lowe Of La Sale. Illinois. He was a
boatman before he came to this coun-
try. and had won an enviable reputa
ton as the toughest man in Kansas
Mr.. Lowe kept a drinking place.
gambling den and q dance house COM
bined. and Mrs. Lowe. who was better
known as 'Rowdy Kate was his cash
made q powerful team, and the attrac-
tions OF their place OF business were
well advertised between the Missouri
river and the Rocky Mountains. There
was nothing to beat 1t then, and there
has been nothing to beat 1t since.
'.On the evening of my arrisal-it
was In the spring Of I'll attended q
vaudeville entertainment at this fn-
nous place, and the great attraction
was 'serio-comic artist OF the femi-
nine persuasion. whose pictures were
plastered on all the dead walls in
town. At the close of her first number.
while waiting for the applause to sub
side, she leaned against the side of
one of the stage boxes which wps oc-
cupied by a gigantic drover and q par
ty OF friends. With his long arms he
reached over the rail, grabbed her
around the waist, lifted her into his
box and placed her calmly upon his
knees in less time than 1t takes to
tell 1t. =
The audience was furious Mt the ia
miliarities taken with Its favorite, and
there was a rush for the stage. The
big drOver dropped the girl, and. draw
ing his revolver. held the crowd ut
bay. Then bedlam broke loose, and
pretty soon nearly y-everybody began to
shoot. Those who did not care to par
ticipafe In the battle started fer the
door, and their flight was hastened by
hysterical Individual, who, In leap-
Ing from one bench to another, struck
big kerosene lamp with his head and
sent 1t flying into the midst Of the pan
demonium.
How got out Of the place never
was able to decide. but 'Rowdy JOe's'
palace was Il heap OF ashes two hours
afterward. and there were rumors of
numerous lost lives.
.Rowdy Joe passed In his tAecks'
at Denver only few weeks ago. This
town got too tame for him and he
went out 70 the mines. Then, after he
reached the age Of 20, he decided to
settle down md enjoy a peaceful life.
During the last blizzard he drot into
town and left his horses hitched In the
street without blankets. A policeman
Of humane instincts took them to q
stable, and Joe expressed his views of
that interference and OF policemen In
general In saloon where he had tax
en- refuge from the cold. An ex-mem-
Der of the Denver police resented the
criticisms 'Rowdy Joe Is In the ceme-
terry and the ex-policeman Is In Jail
awaiting trial for murder"