Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-09-20

| LOOKING INFO THE MUZZLE OF A SIX sHooTEH
| Texas correspondent of the st. Louis
| PostDispatch. He came to Texas in
| 1876, leaving in the states TO the east a
score of which any professional man killer
ought to be proud. His total kills were
five negroes and two white men. and
he was not then 30 years old. 1t is thought
that he came out west because his own
country had grown too hot.
In November, 1879, Haworth attended
a country dance in Pamela county. near
the river. At this dance was young
stranger who had come out of the west,
a slender. blue eyed fellow, with thin,
aquiline nose, prominent cheek bones and
a dropping, yellow mustache that hid
thin Tipped mouth running straight
across his face like a CASH This was
Bill Longley, already six times a killer
in his own section and destined in the
next two years to become one of the most
celebrated slayers Of the southwest.
He did not know Haworth, and Ha-
worth did not know him. There is a pc
culiar antagonsm, however. between
men of this class. Drawn by some force
of which they are unconscious, they get
together invariably, no matter what the
size of the crowd. About 10 o'clock Ha-
worth. pretty drunk, and Longley, cold
sober, We're conversing in a corner of
the ROOM while the dancers occupied the
center of the floor. The talk began
about horses. 1t went from horses to
women and from women to weapons.
From weapons it went TO the use of
wea pons and some argument to the re-
spective merits of the takers. An in
slant thereafter Haworth fell at full
length. He had been struck in the
mouth. He leaped up, the blood yelling
through his red beard, and when he gain
ed his feet he was looking into the muz-
zle of cooked six shooter within foot
of his lace.
He did not speak. and his hands went
up as if they had been jerked by strings.
His eyes were half closed, and he trem
bled slightly. Longley leaned forward
and repeatedly jammed the muzzle of
the pistol against the mans lips and
cheeks. Slowly he was backed to the
door, the savage six shooter denting his
flesh with every step. He was taken in
this fashion to his horse and made to
mount. Longley told him that if he was
found in the county the next day he
would be killed. He rode away in the
dark. still silent and thoroughly cowed.
Despite his undeniable bravery he left
Pamela county that night filed with a
blind. dumb terror of his conqueror.
Haworth was stabbed to death in New
Mexico in 1888.
In the next year Longley killed seven
men in eastern Texas. Three months
after his arrival in that region his bust
ness became pretty well known to the
people. He was a hold up man. and his
speciality was stagecoacheS, buckboards
that carried one or two passengers and
country stores. Early in 1880 he went
west for awhile and in a barroom in Vic
toria met King Fisher, whose reputation
was then at its height. Fisher was born
in Goliad county. and his right name was
John King. He was slender. like Long
lev. but of an olive complexion His
eyes were dark blue and his mustache
black. His face was exceedingly hand
some. and he was one of the most expert
as well as one of the most graceful riders
the west has ever known. He assumed
the name Of Fisher when he left his ma
tive county There was a good deal of
the romantic and debonair about him,
and a history of his exploits would FL
book.
His trail and Longley's had not crossed
until their Victoria meeting. But they
knew each other by hearsay, and there
could be but one result of the meeting
They drank together and took cigars to-
gether. and had another drink and squar
Ell of for talk, each leaning an elbow
on the counter and noticing every move
ment of finger. From the first it seem
ed that Fishers personality had de-
pressing effect upon Longley- Some
thing that the fearless scoundrel could
not explain or understand was Juggling at
his heartstrinss, and as the apparently
purposeless conversation went on he
grew whittier and whittier under his tan.
He knew that IN a quarter of an hour
the test would come. and he did not feel
himself fitted for it He had often de-
sired the meeting and had pictured TO
himself the addition TO his reputation to
come from Fishers death The oppor-
tunity was at hand, and he could not rise
TO it
We'll" he said at last. in weak eff
fort to stave of the final moment, let's
have another"
The liquor was served. and as he
reached for his glass his hand shook j
At that moment Fisher grabbed him by
his yellow nustache and gave it 8 saw 4
age tug. yanking his head around Long \
ley faced him for moment. stammering, 4
but made no motion to draw his weapon l
Then Fisher slapped him twice with the
omen hand. the blows sounding through