The silver lance., 1899-05-19
TALE OF THE FRONTIER.
.necdote of Joe Lowe, Formerly of Wich
ita and Denver.

ita and Denver.
Tho correspondent Of a Chicago pa-
nor rebearses the early scenes in
Wichita. Kansas, as follows:
Il haven't been in Wichita before
sipce it was the end of the track, and
the widest and wickedest town in the
West. 1t 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
had been driven across the ranges of
indian territory We're loaded on the
cars every week to be shipped to the
eastern markets. verything was wide
omen then with a vengeance, and the
cowboys were kings.
zone night 1 attended an entertain
ment in the Palace opera house, or a
nlace with some such name, kept by
aRowdy 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-
tion as the toughest man in Kansas
Mr.. Lowe kept drinking place, a
gambling den and a dance house COM
bined, and Mrs. Lowe, who was better
known as 'Rowdy Kate was his cash
Ter and first lieutenant. Together they
made 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 it then, and there
has been nothing to beat it since.
"On the evening of my arrival-it
was in the spring of IA attended a
vaudeville entertainment at this ia
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 was oc-
cupied by gigantic drover and a 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 it takes to
tell it,
The audience was furious at 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 at
bay. Then bedlam broke loose, and
pretty soon nearly everybody began to
SHOOT. IuoSe WHo ulu nOt care 10 par
ticipate in the battle started for the
door, and their flight was FASTENED by
a hysterical individual, who, in leap
ing from one bench to another, struck
a big kerosene lamp with his head and
sent it flying into the midst of the pan
demonium.
How 1 got out of the place never
was able to decide, but 'Rowdy Joe's'
palace was heap of ashes two hours
afterward, and there We're rumors of
numerous lost lives.
"'Rowdy Joe passed in his checks
at Denver only a few weeks ago. This
town got too tame for him and he
went out to the mines. Then. after he
reached the age of 20, he decided to
settle down and enjoy a peaceful life.
During the last blizzard he drove into
town and left his horses hitched in the
street without blankets. A policeman
of humane instincts took them to a
stable, and Joe expressed his views of
that Interference and Of policemen in
general in a saloon where he had TAX
en- refuge from the cold. An ex-mem-
ber 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"