The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
SAM JENKINS'S LAST HOUR.
HE KILLED SIX MEN AND WAS HANGED
WHILE THE TRAIN wAITBD.

An Exciting Stop of an Hour at Ration,
y. NJ, in the Early Days OF Railroadina
Thcre-Jenkins's Attempt at Card Cheese.
ing Led to n Riot In town and Chase.
CHLIIooTHE Ohio Sept 8-"Did you ever
hear the story Of how Sim Jenkins met his endr'
asked Ike Barnett one OF the pioneers OF rail-
reading in the West but now settled down 70
spend the remainder OF his days in peace here in
Ohio. 1T Is a remarkable story from the fact
that jenkins put up the fight Of his life and Hn-
ished the careers of six before he himself was
captured and finally strung up to a telegraph
pole, and Il all happened while our train was
waiting for dinner II was in the summer OF 20
that took train on the Santa Fe road on my
way to Deming, New Mexico, which at that time
was the southern terminus OF tho branch In
those days trains were few and divisions were
long so the engineer would yank tho train along
as fast he could and would generally pull into
the town where We were 10 take dinner about an
hour ahead Of time This gave the passengers
time not only TO eat dinner but TO take In the town
and greatly appreciated.
We'll, the town we stopped at that day was
Ration. Just south OF the Colorado State line
and at that time one of the toughest towns In
the West made up Of the usual collection Of sa-
looms. dance houses, gambling bells and shantiea.
1t was about o'clock in the evening when We
got into Ration and We Just getting of tho
train when we heard three pistol shots fred in
an adjacent saloon In those days a pistol shot
meant probable murder, and We were not sur
prised Il moment later To perceive man, with q
smoking revolver in his hand, rush from the
saloon and run toward our train. No one inter.
fered with him. and he climbed UP on the plat
form Of the train and disappeared.
The fugitive was Sim Jenkins a wellknovn
desperate and card sharper. He had reached
Ration that morning, but had not been recognized.
He had finally enticed one of the miners into a
game of cards. and won heavily. The miner
finally accused him Of cheating and in the row
that followed Jenkins was recognized He had
his revolver out in minute and sprnging back.
fired at his opponent bystander struck UP his
arm and the bullet shattered the big plate glass
mirror behind the bar. Jenkins wheeled around
and fired twice at the man who had spoiled his aim
Both shots took effect. and the fell to the floor
dead. jenkins took advantage of the excitement
to rush out of the saloon, and made his way UNI
molested to the train which had Just pulled in.
"A posse was organized at once and surrounded
the train Every was carefully searched but
no trace Of the fugitive was discovered until they
came TO the tender. where Jenkins was found
crouched on one of the trucks. As soon as he saw
he was discovered, he sprang out and made a
rush for pile of railroad ties near the track. A
fusillado OF shots followed him and II was seen
that he had been wounded But he managed to
gain the shelter Of the ties and the posse closed
in on him, he arose used the top Of the pile for
rest and fired five shots from his revolver Every
shot took effect A man named Cooper the land
lord Of hotel; justice of the peace whose name I
have forgotten, and a painter in the employ
Of the roairad all fell dead in their tracks every
one of them shot through the heart and saloonist
and miner fell MORALLY wounded. The posse
fort chppt NJ hail ind
and fell back in considerable confusion.
jenkins saw his chance and waving his revol-
yer over his head he darted from his cover and
toward the Ration mountains, about a mile and
half away. Two Of the cowboys however,
jumped on their horses with Winchesters In their
hands, and soon headed of the fugitive They
covered him soon they got within good rife
shot and ordered Jenkins TO throw up his hands.
He saw that it was use to hold out any longer,
as his pursuers could pick him of and remain
well out OF the range Of his revolver he stopped
| and surrendered.
"The cowboys rode up to him, took away his
weapons and threw larat around his neck.
They told him TO hold on to II with his hands II
he didn't want to be hanged few minutes be-
fore his time, and brought him back TO the depot
at a gallop. jenkins was nearly exhausted
from the effects of his wounds and the rough
usage he had received, but there was delay
in the execution. The end Of the larat was
thrown over the cross arm Of a telegraph pole,
and in less time than ii takes 10 tell II, jenkins
was dangling in the air. Just as he was kicking
his last, woman rushed from the crowd and
empted revolver into the desperados body
She was the widow of one Of his victims
We'll the train crew had been as much interested
in the event anybody. and had obligingly
held the train until 1t had been concluded In this
satisfactory manner Then the engineer rang tho
bell and We all clambered on board again. As
We ratified out of the town, l reflected tho as
tonishing series Of events OF the past hour Six
men had been killed three widows were weeping
over the bodies Of their husbands, half a dozen
children had been left fathercss, and as glanced
backward I saw through the gathering dusk
the body Of the author of all this mischief swing
ing laHly In the breeze near the station. lived
long time in the West, and in some very tough
localities, but never saw anything that beat
the record made by Sim jenkins in the last hon
OF his life"