The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-04
MARSHAL WHO
USED HIS FISTS
More Persuasive for Bad Men Than
Knives or Guns.
INVENTED INVISIBLE GUN PLAY.
Which He Uses When IL Became
Necessary 10 Kill But Preferred 20
ysc His Fists 10 Preserve Order.
Some Incidents.

JF0l Story ~ INC sun Nllie pdtN
shou, JACK Gillian. the marshal of Ponca
CITY. wiz persuades holsterous bad men
TO be good with his fists without resort
ing 70 gun plays or knife exercises. re-
minded me % man up my way VINO
lad the same tactics down pretty pat
sad George Orth, q Montana gem miner
"Tho Montana man was Gus Noble. who
Was night marshal of Butte when Butte
was ornery and dangerous to live IN
Noble Was the best aftcr-dark peace pre-
server ever knew. and I've known io'
Of them In ono place and another. ne
was a notable man in his business Tor
Two reasons. I'm the FIRST place he was
the inventor and. when occasion p'
fnAnded. the most expert practitioner OF
the gentle art of shooting 20 death WIN
invisible guns man VINO hao the ui"P
on HIM. with guns. that Is 20 say re-
poSIne in tht side pockets OF his coat.
linn t,ortvright. who was killed by duke
short. said be invented the pocket gun
game. but Jim. was conNersing through
his nccklag- whom De made the statement.
Noble was the rst of the saok-coai shoot
crs Al dinc ont times be killed three
had men IN Butte. aud they all had
clean drop on him. with guns mat "eren
on public view ln the second place ne
could jump MO bad miN-up and do the
fanciest Job with his pair Of maulies, un-
aided bv any other weapons whatever,
that ever saw or heard of. When Noble
accepted the ioh Of running the town oi
Butte after shutdown and pinned on h!s
marshals badse be outlined ms pol'N
in few words.
"A guns an right. and SOS a knife. for
a man that wants 20 be a killer, he said.
I never was killer just for the name
IF II. and : ain a-going 10 be a Kl'er
now that I'm Iegalized to let the nlshI
ar into any hell-roarin maverick that
thinks hc Is boss in this camp between
den-fau and sun-up. I never killed no
man unless b, needed TO ne killed ana
II was up 10 me- 90 do The job. and I've
always let EN- gct me into pretty bad
ia al that before 10 feel like putting II
on them. a nun cen get along wei
enough with his TWO mitts. In Butte or
anywhere else. d ne knows how to use
them.
NATURES WEAPONS
Having thus outlined his policy, No
bic went 10 work TO keep the town or
Butte IN order with the weapons that MAJ
ture provided him with, and 10 was only
when he found himself in dire prcdica-
mcnts that he resortcd 10 his invisible
gun plays. That he made his policy stick
was shown by the fact that when he gave
up he night marshals Job at the end or
four years the town records proved that
out of he scores OF bad men miN-ups IN
which ne had taken hand he h.d been
compelled 10 kin only seven of the bad
men with his guns.
"Noblc's invention OF the invisible gun
game was an inspiration mothered by eN-
trcme,y urgent necessity. Gas was one
OF tie first men TO strike Butte when
the boom began. lie was q quiet man.
and he never let ON 10 anybody where hc
came from. Tie probably hlA "a record in
other camps under other names Instead
of prospecting for the metals. Noble
nosed around among the hills for gems
we used 10 think we had an sorts OF
Kimberieys up there en- those days. lie
never found enough OF the garrcts or sap
phres 10 pay for his time hunting them
however IL was reserved for men VINO
went over the very Same ground years
afterWard 90 strike the carb7ns i'm paying
quantities. So Noble came back into
Butte and picked up living at short
haul freishting and cards. lie was play
inp "a game OF seven-uu one night with
one OF his freightiue partners In the rear
room OF the stuffed Elk saloon when some
shooting began In the front room. There
was nothing uncommon about this. but
when the glass began 20 crash and cou-
PIE Of balls came through the thin board
PARTITION that separa-od the front from me
rear room Of the saloon Noble and the
man he was playing with got mp from the
cardtable 90 see what was doing out 30
front They stepped together into the
doorway leading into the 'front.' ROOM They
saw jim Scarsdalc "a killer who had seNe-
rs. times come uear TO being the central
figure in lynching bees got up by butte
vigilance committee. ih the mido'e oil 'ne
saloon blazing away Nlth bOth guns az
the lights and mirrors. The bartender was
not i'm sight. but when Il was an over be
era wied out from behind the bar very
ne,ce ana ferocious. Scarsdaln was drunk
and enjoying himself lie saw Noble and
;fe other man when they appeared in the
doorway. and he had them covered before
they had time 10 take I'm the situation.
Scafsdale kept his guns on them and talk
e..
You two ducks has got a nerve said
ne. a-pokln' in here like this when I'm
iust staytin I'm TO eat mp the camp Amt
Sc both skcart nm drill So many holes in
Sc that sc u ketch your death O. cold on "a
raw night like this. hey? Because If ye
ain't sc want 10 be. for I'm a-goin to
NEVER FINISHED.
"Sca'sdale never had a chance 10 inish
telling what ne was going 20 do. There
were two sharp pistol cracks almost to-
ecthcr. ana Scarsdaie fell dead with one
bali through lis heart aud the other
through his right lung Mobiles partner
looked mystihcl until he saw Gus pull his
anoX.ag gun out Of the pockets OF his sack
cat. lay them on the bar and then smoth-
er the Are TN both pocket Innings with 'hls
hands. When Noble had sat down to his
gane of seYen-up he removed his guns
from his rear pockets To the side pockets
Of MS coat because they interfered win |
the back OF his chair. lie knew, when !
scarsdaie got the drop or him, that the |
man was bad enough and drunk enough To- |
shoot him dead Il he made a move, and |
As he had his hands thrust In MS coat /
side pockets when he appeared IN the |
doorway he was inspired 70 take advant- |
se. of the situation to save his life and !
me life Of his friend. He got the thanks !
u the town for finishing scarsdaie's evll |
days The pocket-shootlng scheme struck |
Noble as being a mighty good one Tor a |
man IN a tight place, and, ar ! said be
fore he employed II on two other Occa- !
SONS 10 nut the kibosh on bad men who |
while engaged IN shooting up the town /
crossed his train ~ was the good work /
mat N be dId IN IA ding Butte OF de pc att |
characters that induced the orderly men /
OF the town 20 urge him 10 take the job Of |
night marshal
when Noble made his announcement. !
upon assuming his once. that NJ intended |
to run the town by fist persuasion entire |
lv unless he found himself I'm hCles TOO l