The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-03
SENT BULLETS
FOR A GHOST
Uncle Bill Smith Confident That He
Shot Shape.
THE SPIRIT OF A VERY BAD MAN
Steering Met His Fate i'm Denver
Gambling Room-Caught While
Flcccin. an Innocent with
Marked Cards.
THE SPIRIT OF A VERY BAD MAN

Some people say that ghosts are
against nature and against reason, and
won't say but the bulk of the argument
is on their SIDE" said Uncle Bill smith
IA his snug little camp on the north branch
of the saranac. I'm not much good at
argument but 1 once saw "a ghost. How
do ] know it was a ghost? Wen, sir,
shot him full Of holes and he Just
faded away. IL was an experience that
wound up my gold-seeNng and sent mo
back up here in the AdirOndacks TO guide
for "A living. + am not saying but that
I'm pretty comfortable up here specially
during the hunting season, when all you
gentlemen come up; but there are times
when things are slow. and / almost wish
that / were back in Denver, or wherever
the height of the agitation IS just now.
Yes. sir, ] was born and brought up
here, but when the mining excitement
broke out afrcsh and dad said 30 reminded
cd him of the days of -, / made zap
ms mind TO see some Of If. even II
could shoot fast and straight with any
kind of "a gum We don't use revOlveIs
mp here. bat dad brought one back from
California and he taught me all there was
u be learned about it,
81 don't believe there was a tougher
crowd west of The Mississippi than / ran
into I'm Denver when 1 landed with 1900
I'm cash. which ] had received for a claim.
That seems q lot OF money now but it
didn't then when the mining fever ran
high. My partner was old Frank Hollis,
who was shot down I'm Texas eight years
ago because he happened TO be In the way
Of gang that was shooting mp the town
and he had no gun with him. lie never
was so careless in the old days. Frank
knew every card sharp ana horse thief
I'm the West. and he put me ON go some
valuable points He admitted that ]
could shoot for business. bat be said j
was too green 10 go around alone. We
decided 90 outfit again in Denver and
after 90 Dit of "a rest Go strike out for
some likely ground chat We had hcafo
about You've heard Of Danforth's gam
bling parlors2 No2 Wei. Dr. you had
been within "a hundred miles of Denver in
those days you would have heard oi
Them can see them now ass Frank and
J ala the first time j ever entered them.
You SEQ. ] was green baekwoodsmn.
and they made "a great impression on me.
Dauforth had the whole second floor Of
precautions wooden building a bar ram
across one end of the room. The faro
banks were in the center and the poker
tables at the other end, echeencd off ly
wooden partitions about six feet high The
walls were covered with pictures which
wcro not quite what they ought 90 hc
fb0uoh D4uforth said that they were
hiph art n u4s e9id that Dauforth was
"a second som of "a wealthy Ereli.h family
who had come West 10 MAX. his fortune
and gone broke Then ra ouencd hf-
rambling warriors and r. 0orrfshed
DANFORTHS REPUTATION WAS
GOOD
"No emaror man eyer went into the
Ir..re-. Ils was no mft.an. won uu-
derst9rd There We're card eharnere out
I'm that cornfrv who v-ould rather f,ce
. lvuchine party than look INTO Dan
forth's steel gray eyes. Sic ind shot
moro than one man. but never until the
other fellow had tried to get The drop ga
lin THE coroncr's jury always brought
I'm "a verdict Of self-defeuse. and ON se,e-
r1l occasion. they thanked him for put
limo oit OF Tine way "a na1 man WHO
threatened The GOOD name of the coramu-
min. From those circumstances and OIL
ors Dluforth had "a good reputation.
81 went there because my parnor. who
WAS curiouely opposed to gambling nd
vised me TO If was determined 90 take
q flyer Dlnforth's was filled with NE
usual crowd when 7 entered. and # w9s