The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
AWKWARD FIX OF TEXAS rERRoRs
A PnrnlyzinE Remark by Roy Beams Child
When Fingers Were on Triggers.


WASHINGTON. June 1.-THE group known as
the Gunroom Mess was holding post mid
night session at the Army and Navy Club Just
after the returns from the Fitzsimmons JEFF
fries passage-at-arms had been received. and
the talk naturally turned on the careers of the
PRINCIPALS. Makers quick trip to Hasbeenvile
through the agency OF the eX-champion
brought up the name OF Iangtry the little
adobe town on the banks of the Rio Grande
that might have remained forever unknown to
fame had it not happened to DO tho scene Of
that round-and- "a half encounter. There was
an old cavalry officer on one side Of the round
/ table who had known Langtry years before the
Ftzsmmons- Mahcr lght and he recalled an
incident OF his residence there.
e" was helping to chase bandits and revolu-
tionists along The River-all army officers re-
fer to the Rio tirande as The River when speak
Ing OF the Southwcst-with some OF the Sixth
Cavalry. and we were in and out OF Inngtry a
good deal" said he There wasn't anything
much to the town except "A railroad station ard
some 'LUbc shacks and saloon and general
store kept by an old pirate hy the name Of
Bean-Rov Bean. to be explicit. and he was the
toughest. hair trigger double action Old
scoundrcl | ever met on the border, a hard
headed, hardilsted son Of tho soil He was
about the only white man in town. and the
Mexcaus were worse afraid of him than they
warc of smallpox. | dont know but he was
worse. for you couldn't vaccinat against him.
:" 1t was in the days when there was no law
west OF Omaha and no Gol west of Dodge City,
and langtry was long way west Of Dodge
/ City. Bean realized this fully, and had nailed
racatd up on the door Of me Jersey Lily
IL am i' the GoVeriment: ali tho Mexicans be-
syed hm ana Ir 20 BraGtea p
OF government legislative, executive and
Judicial. an, thcre was none to. say
Peace and forced all the Mexicans who
wanted to marry to come to him and be
TpGod Hs or1S D %S ~
here But previously he always collected So
from them, and if they did not have, the SO
they had better not attempt to settle liz or
about Langtry. One of the Lieutenants W tn
me, in talking about Langtry. said the ponula-
ton consisted OF Bean. fcas. dogs and Next
cans. in the order named.
The only individual who ever had run-in
with Bean, so far as local history records. was
another hardened renrobate named Henderson.
who drltted III ahead OF norther few weeks
before arrived. He brought with him "a choice
assortment of alcoholic pOisOnE and set up an
opposition barroom on the other side Of the
PIAZZA, 1t Was the first opposition Of u serious
The barroom was bad enough, but when Hen,
dcrson Haunted on the front OF 1t red, Icttered
that his vested rights were not only invaded
" Even at that Henderson might have lived
! in l.angtrv to an iniuuitous old age. but as il
he were not crossing Bean trail often enough
he imported from san Antonio blond woman
/ down Till Wight; Then Bean was forced to
assert himsgIt, He announced that any saloon
| running in langtry with u song and dance ac-
compartments would have to pay a pro-
/ hibltive c"ns" or shut up shop Hen
, drrson th"ro%Apon Issued pronunr4m.plto
| lineage who attempted to collect a Ii
crpse OF any sort of his ablShment or
| to levy an attachment would get shot fuller Of
| holes than n Cane-seatcd chair | non this
! proposition he stood pat behind a trn-bore
! shotgun and there matters rested for a week
| Then. seeing that his bluff seemed 10 stick
| where il was hung, Henderson waXed AFRO
CANT He gave it out that in the course of a
| few days ne was due To 40 over and close M
! the Jersey Lily and establish whiskey trust
For some reason Bean was slower than
usual IN asserting himself. Henderson inlag-
| incd he had The old man bet to standTtiil, aud
| Tia" climax "nmc one morning when was IN
the Jersey Lily checking M some Governm"nt
| vouchers on the end of the nnr. One OF Bean s
wind6w -,l', a tow headed, bare legged lttio
! ru'lan who acted a. sort Oi movable out
po-' to the old man IS domain, Bean was de-
| which he advertised III Beans Best when
/ the youUSSter sang oUt tovpU7.';
'crost ~ plaza, an hr'o 80. his scatter gun
Bean reached under tic counter md -ortnd
out a Winchester liz trained il across the toy
| OF tn" hnr wher" ii Dor" on The doorway AID
when Henderson -thpn'tte lp"p%l ~ IN the
! opening Bean hailed him With vuluh,n nrofan-
! ~ and ordered lim I" throw M his hands
7 Henderson hesitate.
/ '' Hands up. you WALLER "rotn. yelled Bean,
Drop that sun or II shoot seven sorts OF he'll
out OF your
Henderson had cy. lentiY made up his mind
to drop the gun ant h iIngcrs ,werp loosnninG
! on the weaIon when the youthful Bean, al the
other end Of the bar, "stl,y hrolG IL. with what
he evidently considered piece OF important
| information,
49, You better look out. pap he cried warn
| ingly; thar ole gun q youru aint loadeil
| g IL ever two gentlemen wore caught IN an
| awkward predIcament, ~ was Messrs. Bean