The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-22


but Drew His Gun With Fatal
CIumsiness.
s L read in a newspaper the other day."
said an old frontiersman, "of. two men
who met up in Montana, INDUCED in a
fittle rapid gun play and both fell NOR
tally wounded at the first shot. Incidents
fol mis- sort are not SO uncommon as one
fmlght think. Men on the frontier who
EuSe a gun at all learn to be quick with
ttheEtrigGer. as the fraction Of a second
may mean life or death. l recall one such
lncideat i'll particular" says the New
Work Sun.
8 In the early 70s Charley Collins was
pne of the most famous and perhaps the
most desperate of the criminals on the
EIeNaS border. He held up trains, robbed
stages, stole horses, murdered traders and
.ccnmittGd other crimes until the rewards
offered for his capture dead or alive eX-
ceeded $4,000 AT that time VIII Ander-
son was United States deputy. marshal
at Dallas, Tex. He was the nerViest man
ever knew. He was a dead shot, abso-
lutely without fear and. the terrorsof evil
doors. He had 3, somewhat remarkable
career. A native of Illinois, ne went to
Texas before the war. He was drafted
into the Confederate army, but his SYM
pathies were with the North, and at the
first opportunity he deserted ard made his
way to his old home, where he entered
an Illinois regiment. He was captured by
the Confederates, but escaped. At the
battle OF Shiloh he received d bullet in
the head which laid him up for many
months NNhan tha war ploSed he
back to Texas and his courage and quick
handling of gun brought about his APP
pointment as United States deputy mar
shall. Before long he was the terror of
border bandits. No man got the drop on
him, and more than one man who tried
it had his career suddenly brought TO
close.
PURSUED TO THE DEATH.
In 1876 Anderson started out to run
Collins down. He soon made Texas too
hot for him, and Collins fled to Colorado,
and thence to Wyoming and to the Black
Hills country. then filled with about the
toughest aggregation of men ever brought
together. Anderson kept close after him,
and Collins started north for the British
possessions. Anderson OWNED his plan.
and made for Pembina, then the gateway
to Manitoba, He had to wait only few
hours when Collins came to town. Both
men were on the alert. They met in the
street, caught sight OF each other at the
same time, pulled their revoIvers, fired
on the instant and both fell dead. Neither
spoke a word after being shot Anderson
was taken back to Dallas, where he had
the biggest funeral ever seen in that city
His family got the reward. Taking every
thing into consideration, it was about the
TmOst persistent pursuit and the most
tragic climax L ever knew of.
About the same time there took place
down in New Mexico an affray which was
for many years the talk of that region.
Between ROTOR and Maxwell stands an
old two-story house. 1t is hardly a stones
throw from the Santa Fe railroad track,
and stands directly on the old Santa Fe
trail. The high-gabled roof, the shattered
doors and windows 5andAthe general tum-
ble-down appearance Of the house give 1t
an uHcanny look. If walls had tongues
these walls could tell many a. tale of rob-
berry and murder. Old-timels of New
Mexico and Southern Colorado will re-
member what the Red river crossing was
yfoefore the days of railroads. They will
n also recall the old two-story adobe house
I beside the road, which was the headquar-
tiers of the toughest men of that wild sec
ton. In the palmy days OF the Santa Fe
trail Red River crossing was an impor-
tant point, and travellers going into or
coming out of the great undeveloped ter
ritory to the south used it as relay sta
ton. AS far as the eye can reach on all
sides of that old adobe house is a great
desert, covered with the curly tops of
sage brush and the long slender tops of
the soap weed. Immediately back of the
house is a bluff, and on its top is a level
stretch dotted here and there with white
spots which identify it as a cemetery.
On one of the old pine boards in letters
tod
letters Chunk, and thereby hangs a tale.
'.GHJENFI'7- HAD A CORY RECORD.
''In the early '7Os when Justice In this
wild Western country was done by vigil
lance committees many bad men infested
T. that region. And the most desperate of
4 fhenT all was Chunk. Who he was or
4 rhere he came from no one knew, but all
Recognized him as thOroughgoing des-
Dorado and respected him accordingly.
rhe most cold-blooded and outrageous
crimes were attributed to him and he
boosted of having committed them. With
iugly scars on his face and a brace of six
shooters and a bowie knife in his belt
HE presented a figure which made men
Uncomfortable when he met them in lone
fly places. In direct contrast to Chunk
was Clay Allison, also desperate man,
tbut possessed of many good qualities. He
tlived on the Pecos, in New Mexico, ano
{1ied there only few years ago 1t was
ne who rid the country of the terrible
NChunk. and that he was not killed in the
Hencounter was surprising.
early in 1876 an emigrant going into
New Mexico stopped at the old adobe
shouse beside the trail. Chunk, who was
salso there, invited the stranger to go fol
IA short tramp. The newcomer appre-
4 tciated that there could be no safe refusal
TO the invitation and went. Within a
few hours Chunk returned, but nothing
more was ever heard of the emigrant
THE natives knew that the stranger had
been murdered, but nobody dared to refer
ITO the fact openly. Chunk sat around a
while and then left. Soon CLAW Allison
arrived The story of the murder was
related to him. In straight English. nat.
( urally embellished with swearing. All.
son expressed his opinion Of Chunk
J Somebody who heard him repeated AIH.
sons remarks to Chunk, who announced
I that Allison must die. 1t was some time
4 before the men met, and meantime Allison
a had been informed of the threat made
1 by Chunk. Both made preparations ac
\ cordingly. In the old adobe house tn.
n two men met for the first time ChunI
[ accosted in the most friendly manner
the man whom he had threatened to Kill
and the salutation was returned, neithe,
being thrown off his guard by the annar
ent friendliness Of the other
CLUMSY ON THE DRAW.
=" How long will you be herec aske
, Chunk
18th stay for dinner and possibl,
longer, answered Allison
Chunk thereupon extended an invita-
ton to dinner to Allison and it was az
copied. AS good dinner as the hous
could afford was ordered by Chunk fo