The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-12
TIM SMITH OF ABILENE.
VAS CITY MARSHAL OF THAT
TOWN IN THE EARLY 7O'S.

His Life.
FROM The St. Louis Globe-Democrat
.-..-- ,rout nerve" said Col T. c. Hen
~ formerly The wheat king" of Kansas,
49,, nov, The president of little private re-
..sli, down in odd Mexico, as he sat with
small circle of friends who were calling
,.miniscences of border days in Kan
sss II think the man who possessed ii
"a Greater degree than any one whom /
.,..r. knew was Tom Smith, city marshal
IF Abilene, in the early seventies. I was
rnsvor of the town at the time, and as ii
mas me md of the cattle trail it was about
rho toughest town on the border. City
or5inances would be posted only TO be
,o.red and speedily perforated with bu-
lets. would appoint city marsha.s and
coon receive their res. gnations. mailed at
me first stopping place where they rested
,.bt,a viueing their fight 10 a more-son-
Genial cline. until the better element, which
pos sadly in the minority. was almost in
despair
cone day I received a visit from Tom
Smith who was then living at Kit Car
san. who said he had come to apply for the
r,stion Of city marshal. which was at
me moment. vacant. smith was known 20
every one ON the border as a killer. Al
,ra, time had not become convinced that
f. would lie necessary to employ a known
5ssperldo 10 control the lawless element
s-d declined the proffered services and
semi 10 the chief of police at ST. Louis,
who was personal friend, request that
h. send me two of his bravest men TO fli
II j
deputy They came and were no sooner
irsf1ied than a preconcerted effort was
made TO frehten them out of town. The
u.u8l result followed and I was again
lao5uC for city marshal We started 10
tnId calaboose and had it nearly COM
p.etad when the gamblers and cowboys
made an Onen daylight raid and RACED II
10 the ground. We rallied a force, rebuilt
and completed il under strong guard. and
That night placed in it negro who had
amused himself by shooting out the street
lamps Later in the night a crowd from
the uegros cow camp rode into town.
shooting in every direction, tore down the
ell8boose and took the negro away with
them.
smith Takes the Office.
That was too much, and in desperation
t6legraphed Tom Smith to come at once.
He reached Abilene the next morning and
presented HlIlStl d. the ma VI - OluCt. 4
requested that, before accepting the posi-
ton he spend the day looking over the
situation, asking him TO report In the
evening. Shortly after supper he strolled
quietly in and said he guessed he would
tackle the Job l asked him to outline to
me his plan of action, a>d he replied that
be had none In particular, but that the
first thing TO do, in his opinion, was to
enforce the ordnance prohibiting the car
Of within iVpi <
7 looked at him in amazement for the
exposed reVolvers were considered as nee
essary a part of the average cowboys
make up as the sombrero or the knotted
handkerchief at the neck.
You see remarked Smith, we could
stand guns alone or whisky alone, but
when there is combination of these 1t
usually means bloodshed and as there is
no chance to suppress the whisky, we
must get rid Of the guns
That night new copies of the anti-gun
ordinance We're posted, and the next
morning Smith took the oath of office
ana was ready for business, but long be-
fore he appeared on the street the gang
had heard of his appointment and read
IN" ordnance, and many of the more
boastful had declared that the man did
not live who could make them give up
tneir guns. Smith was a man of about
feet II inches in height, of magnificent
hd'ld deep chested and with snews OF
steel He was an expert boxer, and, in
TACT, thoroughly trained all-round ath-
lete. Under the most trying circumstances
ne never was known to have lost his head
'or single instant. He had the killers
eve. that indescribable steel gray before
"hcn a bully would always quail. He
was dead shot quick with his guns
uut quicker and more certain with his
,sS' showing that he had work before
lIn' ne fortified himself with a hearty
breakfast end strolled down the street.
An Example of Hank Hawkins.
>, Ihe first person he encountered was
H'uA Hawkins a big COW boy, who had
made himself particularly obnoxious 20
former marshals and one who had been
lne ioudest in his boasts that he could not
=" IlSaimed. Meeting Smith on the side
wax Ne opened the bah by asking him if
ue was the fellow who had come down to
80" tile town? Smith replied that that was
n0' ms purpose. that he had been en-
poYed as city marshal, and would simply
tN"e5Nor 20 preserve order and see that the
'Ns were oboyed. Hawkins who was
Vp'HH wearing two big navies, asked what
was gong TO do about enforcing the
~" gun ordinance. That, replied Smith
~ ono or the laws which must not be vio-
=" '''' ana, he quickly added L shall be
.''Sea 10 trouble you for those two guns
''" ave IN your belt
VIII not give them up to any live
man. was Hawkins reply You have read
'"PE OF the ordinance that has been post
""I kho" that you are disobeying The
W, S'ld Smith. Yes. and what arc you
lug 10 do about it?" replied Hawkins.
g.. am not looking for trouble said
,'''Ni' and for that reason have treated
a.I. No decent and gentlemanly manner
nave requested that you give up your
%,''l''os' you have refused, and il is now
~ ar E my duty to enforce an observance
.lo Jaw The words, spoken in a quiet
NV zone, were hardly out of his mouth.
49, IKE a tiger, he sprang forward and
II, ' terrific blow with his fist square
No., ~, 'he forehead of big Hawkins, who
~ measured his extreme length on
S.. II'' walk. In The twinkling of an eye
,.'l.,H mad secured his weapons and stood
~ MN with one of the guns in each
INC III give you ten seconds to start
sst4 tIe city limits and get out of range
si,..,.. oillin' Who now seemed to have the
h 1SSed fury of a tiger raging within
49, bis Hawkins took one look in the
WIS eyes and had nine seconds 70 spare
11rf Fgs-