The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-09-24
JUST COMPELLED
TO BE A BAD MAN
Career Of Jimmy CartrOn Whose
Shooting Days Are Over
KILLED FIRST IN SELF-DEFENCE
His Second ia Open Combat-AHer
That IL Was Easy-Tackled Next
cans and Even Regulators.
Got Seventeen In All,

inc western characters WIZ "1f0 ~"
ed prominence by reason of intimate ac-
quaintance with six shooters and rlhes'
and dextorous manipulation thereof. per-
haps the least known TO readers Of news
papers IS Jimmy Catron This may DO
because a combination Of events and a
strange following Of circumstances fore
ed upon him the title Of bad man. Ger
tainly In his modcsty he would never have
chosen it. and although seventeen men,
and 1t may DE more. have crossed the d.
vido fun clad and boot shod in front Of
his gun. and he enjoys the distinction OF
having battcd almost single handed
against q troop OF cavalry. it was none Of
his own choosing. The hand that stood
on Mysterious Dave Mathes and his band
of claim cIaIm-Jumpers near Dodge city
has lost It's cunning for that hand was
Jimmy Cstron s.. and Jimmy Catron is
paralzyed and being cared for on ms claim
in Oklahoma.
DO were better thus than 90 have trav-
clcd and finished life as Clay Allison oiu'
who. with tweuty-slN men 90 hts credit,
rolled from 20 W~ag0u-ioad of lumber IN "a
drunken stupor and broke his neck while
NH NN" way ITO nNH AN" H"Nh"
Allison was a bad man from choice. Ca
iron was compelled TO bear the tile. IN
lSf Catr0n was a cowboy in the san
Luis Valley in Colorado. Three years OF
plains life served To- transform @ MS
souri, farmer boy into the typical be-pla-
toled character. HE had also two men
90 his credit. had passed the point where
q man. life is the cause of worry; Tor DC
is the killing of number one mat causes
MLHn AIn
passing of number two. This, az least,
IS the story OF al whom the writer has
met.
A sudden dispute over nothing more
weighty than the number OF hap-jacks
eaten by Jim Mountz for his breakfast at
the tail-board OF the chuck wagon of the
OUTFIT was begun one morning south OF
Alamosa. and that night MOunN was
sleeping beneath the sage brush OF the
san Luis. he had chosen to- deem person
al a joke sentence from Jimmy CatrOn.
ana Jimmy had "eot his first man. The
reason of DO was that the bullet from
Mouutzs s"iX-sh00lcr drilled o. hOie
through the top of Jimmy hat instead Of
his forehead as Mount had Intended
jimmys response was quick and resulted
in O. bullet through M0uutz's heart.
Men who were present say that gouns
Catrou stood iu st-upelactlOn and gazed
upon his work Although purely q ease
of taking life in defense of his own he
was filed with such efief that for days
he spoke toJis companions only in mono
syllables. ana chose for bis task daily
that work which would .aye him farthest
from DIS fellows.
WAS ~ THE RIGHT.
Assured by his companions that DE
was I'm The risht. and with lapse of days.
Catron became more like his former self.
and AS they neared Alam0sa there ha
pened that which brought him about thor
oughly. A rider halted at The outfits
camp one night with Tie news that Geo.
Nountz was only twelve hours behind.
and that it was his intention to XIII Jim
my Catron on sight for the death of his
brother. The news created Il ripple OF
excitement ln the camp among the older
hands TO WHOM the sight of dead men
iu settlement of quick dispute was not
novel. For the proposed victim lt brought
a sense Of awakening 10 his five feet.
four inch frame and one hundred and
tllrty-rve pounds weight. While DE said
nothing, 10 was noted 900 the camp that
fresh cartridges were placed in his six
shooter before he rolled up iu Obs blanket
that night. and that plunger lock and
eiector of bis rifle received each a touch
of oil.
The next day about ID O'Clock. n rider
was seen approaching The party of which
Catron was o. member. AS he drew near.
word was passed thar 30 was George
Alountz. AS though inviting the cone
test CatTon bore TO the right from bis
post in the rear of the driven herd.
Mountz singled out hls man and Dor. 10
the left when within firing distance
DE raised his rifle. a pun of smoke and
If.Hrn.u'. I.rn. .HnrnrUH .fH.n.H-n aIHt. FL.
rider vecred ln his saddle. Only an in-
stant. though. and his gun. pointed TO.
ward IFS opponent spoke and Mountg
pitched forward ON o. his horses neck.
gun dropping 10 the end OF ITS sling strap.
C8tron worked bis lever and throwing
another cartridge into position. continued
forward. keeping his eyes ON Aiouutz 20
detect possible strategy. lt was all over
With him. though for Cotron's bullet
struck him just below the heart and he
died within twenty minutes. Mountz's
shot at Catron passed between his horse
and his right leg. cutting his stirrup
leather and raising "a welt along the
horses side.
KEPT OUT or TROUBLE
Until about 1850 Catron followed the
trail. working south ln the san Luis.
over i New Mexico and up 10 Durango.
COL. lie ndQ succeeded iu keeping out of
trouble of "a serious nature. doubtless be-
cause OF tho reputation De had acquired
30 his fights with the M0uutz brothers.
His life, however. was not uneventful
from a ~Cow-puncher viewpoint. as tho
following. recorded in the annals Of Du-
range. Will show. He rode into DURANGO
one day from camp and meeting friends.
he proceeded 10 lmOi5e. q few 'straights'
and several mixed" Ia That rare atnos-
pheTe int0Xic2nrs take quick effect and.
Jimmy's power OF resistance being no
greater than the average. he was soon in
a copditi0n 10 DO things. Riding along
the edge Of The mesa just above where the
citizens hanged the unknown stage drlt-
who accidentally killed q prominent
citizen while Intentionally shooting up
the town. Jimmys eyes rested upon a fat
Ite seated upon "a tack. There was uO-
thing unusual about the indian. as such. I
those wards OF tie Government lay-
ing received their annuity only the day
before. members OF tho tribe had come
into the town 20 buy things. This part.c-
ular 10 had bought a large blue umbrel.
ia and "a big fan OF red feathers. There
was a dr.zzle OF cold rain falling and be
had raised bis umbrella. while with great
dignity be waived his red ian back and
forth before DIS face. This was too much
for Catr0n ana Dee thrsW Dis s.x-sho3tcr
G loose and knocked "a hand
ful OF feathers from The red fan.
HH.- To-. .H.F A-H LL. ...H