The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27
JUSTHlD TO BE A BAD MAN.
CAREER or JIMMY CdTRON WHOSE
SUOoTING DAYS ARE OYER.

FnAy-IhCh'tu "cNtChub anu
ry,n Kegulars-He Got Seventeen In All.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Aug. rs, OF all tho
w.s,c.n characters who have achieved prom
,nonce bv Heason OF intimate acquaintance
III al, shnotcrs and rifles and cxtcrous manipu-
,,,,, thereof perhaps the least known 10 readers
- ,.wsoopcts Is Jimmy CatTon. This may be
h.rsuas A combination OF events and strange FOL
looir- Of circumstances forced upon him the title
:, .,.d man Certainly in his modesty he would
Mayer have chosen IL, and although seventeen men,
and i, tuey I've more have crossed the divide full
clad md boot shod in front Of his gun, and he en-
iova the distinction ofhaying battcd almost single
handel against a troop of cavalry 1t was none OF
b,s own choosing The hand that stood of
Mysterious Dave Mathcs and his band Of claim
claim Jumpers near Dodge City has lost its Gun.
ming for that hand was Jimmy Catron's and
Jimmy Ca,ron is paralyzcd and being cared for
on his claim in Oklahoma
IL were better thus than TO have travelled and
finished life a. Clay Allison did, who. with twenty
nj, men 10 his credit rolled from a wagon load Of
lumber in q drunken stupot and broke his neck
while on his way 10 kill his twenty seventh. ALI
enn was a bad man from choice Catron was com
pellod to bear the title. In 1877 Catron was a cow
boy in the San Luis valley in Colorado. Three
wears of plains life served TO transform Missouri
farmer boy into tho typical be pstoled character.
He had also two men to his credit had passed the
pont whore man life Is the OF worry for II
IA the Killing of number that causes mental
trouble which ceases with the passing Of number
two This at least Ia the story Of all whom
tho writer has met
A sudden dispute nothing moro weighty
than the number Of flap jacks eaten by Jim Mountz
for his breakfast al tho tail board Of the chuck
wagon Of the outfit was begun one morning south
Of Alamosa and that night Mountz was sleeping
n .t,oC L-1
chosen to deem personal joking sentence from
Jimmy Catron; and Jimmy had got his first
man" The reason of 1t was that the bullet from
Mount six shooter drilled hole through the top
of Jimmy hat in stead Of his forehead, as MountZ
had intended ,Iimmy's response was quick and
resulted in bullet through Mounts heart
Men who were present say that young Catron
stood in supcfacton and gazed upon his work.
Although purely case of taking life in defense Of
his own he was filled with such grief that for days
he spoke to his companions only in monosyllables,
end chose for his task daily that work which would
take him farthcst from his fellows
Assured by his companions that he was in the
right and with the lapse Of days, Catron became
more like his former self and as they ncared Ala
Tnosa thcrc happened that which brought hin about
thoroughly A rider halted at the outfits camp
one night with tho news that George Mountz was
only twelve hours behind and that II was his ntcn
ton To kill ii mmy Catron on sig hi for the death Of
his brother. The news created a ripple of excite
ment in the camp among the older hands to whom
the sight Of dead men in settlement OF quick dispute
was not novel For the proposed victim il brought
a sense of awakening TO his Eve feet four inch
franc and one hundred and thirty Ave pounds
weight While he said nothing. II was noted at
the camp tina, fresh cartridges were placed in his
six shooter before he rolled mp in his blanket that
night and that plunger. lock and eiector of his
rifle received each touch of oil.
The next day about eleven o'clock. a rider was
seen approaching the party Of which Catron was Q
member As he drew near word was passed that
II was George Mountz As though inviting the
contest Catron bore the right from his post in the
rear OF the driven herd. Mountz singled out his
man and bore to the left When within firing dis
tance he raised his rife A pun Of smoke and
Cauon's horse jumped sdewse while his rider
veered in his saddle Only an instant though, and
his gun, pointed toward his opponent, spoke and
Mountz pitched forward on TO his horses neck his
gun dropping to the end Of its sling strap. Catron
worked his lever and throwing another cartridge
into position, continued forward, keeping his eyes
on Mount to detect possible strategy. 1t was all
over with him though. for Catron's bullet struck
him just below the heart and he died within twenty
minutes Mountzs shot a. Caron passed between
his horse and his right leg. cutting his sirrup
leather aud raising welt along the horses side
Until about 1880 Cat7on followed the trail work
Ing south in the San Luis over into New Mexico
and up TO Durango Col He had succeeded In
keeping out Of trouble Of serious nature. doubt
less because Of the reputation he nod acquired in
his fights with the Mouau brothers His liie
however, was not uneVentflil froE. a cowpuncher
viewpoint as the following, recorded In the ann ais
Of Durango will show. Ho rode into Durango
one day from camp and, meeting friends no pro,
ceeded to moihe, few "straights" and several
mixed" In that rare atmosphere intoxicants
take quick effect ard. Jimmy's power Of resistance
being no greater than the average, he was in
condition 10 do things Riding along the edge Of
the mesa Just above where the citizens hanged the
unknown stage driver who accidentally killed a
prominent citizen while intentionally shooting ur
the town, Jimmys eyes rested upon q fat ".
seated upon a rock. There nothing unusual
about the Indian, suCh but those wards of the
government having received their annuity only the
day before. members Of the tribe had into thu
town TO buy things. This particular Lo hat
bought large blue umbrella and big fan Of rec
feathers. There was drizzle Of cold rain falling
and he had raised his umbrella, while with Grca
dignity he waived his red an back and forth befor
his face This too much for Catron and h,
threw his six shooter down, "cut loose" and knock
ed handful of feathers from the red fan.
The Ute cast but terrified glance over hi
shoulder at the man with the smoking gun in hi
hand as he chased down TO his fellows. yelling
In his language, the whites of their reserva
ton" There was quick mounting OF ponies an,
hurried heSra Of Utcs. Jimmy In paroxisn
OF laughter at the result Of his shot, fell an cas-,
victim to the City Marshall and was duly incar
crrated in the city prison. which in that day wa
an imposing structure Of cedar logs, IA by 10 feet
About the middle Of the afternoon was the hou
OF Timmy's capture and, inasmuch as the polio
Judge also the dispenser Of goods at the ba
Of the Silver Brick" and only took hour In tn
morning to lay aside his apron and assume tn
dignity encircling the city Judiciary, Jimmy wa
doomed to pass the night the guest OF the munic
pality. He ruled otherwise. and after nightfa
proceeded to dig his way out hunt up his pom
and ride out to camp.
That he did not intend to beat the city out q
fee for his amusement evidenced by the fac
that he rode into town the next morning, cntcre
plea of guilty to the charge of "discharging firt
arms within the city limits and paid fine of S2i
There was up to the time Of the advent Of Jimm
Catron, nothing very rapid about Old Coneos br
after he dropped into its life. which was a shoI