The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-29
FISTS HIS ONLY WEAPONS
KNOCKED MAN-KILLERS DOWN
AND DISARMED THEM.
Subjugation of Wyoming Frank and
Hank Hawkins Made the Rest of
the Job Easy-But His Life Was
Short, For An Assassin Killed
Him Soon.
Chicago Inter ocean,

of Kansas. but now the president of a
little private republic down in old Mex
leo, as he sat with small circle of
| friends who were calling up reminis-
cences of border days in Kansas for the
benefit of a Globe-Democrat man, Il
think the man who possessed it to a
greater degree than any one whom
ever knew was Tom Smith. city mar
| shall of Abilene. in the early '70s
was mayor of the town at the time, and
| as it was the end of the cattle trail it
was about the toughest town on the
| border. City ordinances would be
posted only to be openly and speedily
perforated with bullets; l would ap-
point city marShals and soon receive
their designations, mailed at the first
stopping place where they rested while
winging their flight to a more congenial
cline, until the better element, which
was sadly in the minority, was almost
in despair
zone day received a visit from Tom
Smith. who was then living at Kit Car
son, who said he had come to apply for
the position of city marshal. which was
at the moment vacant. Smith was
known to every one on the border as
killer At that time l had not become
convinced that it would be necessary
TO employ known desperate to con-
troll the laWlesS element, and l declined
the proffered service and sent TO the
chief of police at St Louis. who was a
personal friend, request that he send
me two of his bravest men TO fill the
oinces respectively of marshal and
deputy. They came, and were no
sooner installed than preconcerted eff
Tort was made to brighten them out of
town. The usual result followed and
was again looking for a city marshal
we started 10 build a calaboOse, and
had II nearly completed when the gam
piers and cowboys made an open day-
llsht raid and RACED it to the ground.
We rallied force, rebuilt and complet-
ed it under strong guard. and that
night placed in it a negro who had
amused himself by shooting out the
street lamps. Later in the night a
crowd from the negro's own Camp rode
INTO town, shooting in every direction.
tore down the calaboose and took the
negro away with them.
Tom Smith as City Marshal.
That was too much. and in despera-
tlon L telegraphed Tom Smith TO come
at once. He reached Abilene the next
morning and presented himself at the
mayor Office l requested that. be-
lore accepting the position, he spend
the day looking over the Situation.
asking MIN 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
ms plan of action, and he replied that
ne mad none in particular. but that the
hrst thing to do. in his opinion. was to
enforce the ordinance prohibiting the
carrying of firearms within the CITY
limits looked at him in amazement.
Tor the exposed revolvers were consid-
cred as necessary part of the average
cowboys makeup as the sOmbrero or
the knotted handkerchief at the neck
You see said Smith, we could
stand guns alone or whisky alone. but
when there is a combination of these
ii 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 were posted. and the
next morning Smith took the oath of
office and was ready for business, but
long before he appeared pm the street
the gang had heard of his appointment
and read the ordinance, and many of
the more boastful had declared that
the man did not live who could make
them give uD their guns. Smith was
man of about ) feet IL inches in
height. of magnificent build. deep
chested, and with sinews of steel. He
was an expert boxer. and, in fact, a
thoroughly trained alI-around athlete.
he never was known to have lost his
head for single instant. He had the
killers eye, that indescribable steel
gray before which a bully would al
ways quail. He was a dead shot, quick
with his guns. but quicker and more
certain with his fists. Knowing that
he had work before him. he fortified
himself with a hearty breakfast and
StrOlled down the street
The first person he encountered was
Hank Hawkins, a big cowboy, who had
made himself particularly obnoxious to
former marShals. and one who had
been the lOudest in his boasts that he
could not be disarmed. Meeting Smith
on the sidewalk. he opened the ball by
asking if he was the fellow who'd come
down to run the town. Smith replied
that that was not his purpose, but that
he had been employed as city marshal
and would simply endeavor to preserve
order and see that the laws were
obeyed. Hawkins. who was openly
wearing two big navies, asked what
he was going to do about enforcing the
anti-gun ordinance. That replied
Smith, was one of the laws which
must not be violated; and he quickly
added: I shall be obliged to trouble
you for those two guns you have in
your belt.
Hank Hawkins Is Easy.
will not give them up to any Iiv-
ing man. was Hawkins reply. You
have read copy of the ordinance that
has been posted, and know that you
are diSobeying the law. said Smith
Yes, and what are you going to do
about it?" replied Hawkins
L am not looking for trouble said
Smith, and for that reason have
treated you in decent and gentleman
ly manner, and have requested that
you give up your weapons; you have
refused, and it is now clearly my duty
to enforce an observance of the law
The words. spoken in a quiet, even
tone. were hardly out of his mouth,
when, like tiger, he sprang forward
and landed terrific blow with his fist
squarely on the forehead of big Haw-
kins, who promptly measured his ex-
treme length on the sidewalk In the
twinkling of an eye Smith had secured
his weapons and stood over him with
one of the guns in each hand. I'll give
you ten seconds to start for the city
limits and get out of range said
Smith, who now seemed to have the
suppressed fury of tiger raging with
in him. Big Hawkins took one look in
the flashing eyes and had nine sec
onds to spare when he lit out for high
grass. After waiting moment, Smith
quietly pocketed the guns and saun-
tered down the street.
1.-The news of the encounter spread
like wildfre among the saloons and
gambling houses, and many and loud
were the threats made against the new
marshal, but the most vociferous
among all the loud boosters was des-
perado known by the sobriquet of Wyo-
ming Frank a nOfOriOuS gambler of