The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-02-02
NR. JOHNNIE POTTS.
\ TEXAS TERROR OF COWBOY
DAYS.

DAYS.
kftsf . Night OF Revslry He Fell, shos
In Fight with One Of His Com.
penions-Was Game 70 the Last and
Died with His Boots On.
One of the typical terrors of Texas
vas Johnnie Potts. When his system
vas not filled with the peculiar and
aatr-rafsing beverage sold for whisky
in the border towns, Potts was rea-
sonably peaceful, though never socia-
ole In his disposition, but when he
was loaded with what was commonly
:ermed "old hell's delight" he was one
of the most dangerous of his class.
It was in the early part of March,
1884, that Ben Franklin and others OF
The cowboys of the "T 5" range went
% Caldwell to take in the town. All
The riders could not be spared at once,
and for that reason Johnnie Potts and
others had to stay at camp. Franklin,
who In cowboy circles was considered
more than ordinary big-hearted and
lovial spirit, showed his sympathy for
his unfortunate companions who did
aot have the opportunity to participate
IN the pastime of painting the town
red, by bringing back to camp a jug
Of the liquor dealt out at Caldwell
saloons. The night at the ranch was
one of revelry, gambling and drinking.
Potts drank heavily and as the hours
wore on he became more noisy and
luarrelsome. 1t was nearly morning
when he arose from the camp table,
md, staggering against the desk of the
bookkeeper of the cattle company,
Upset the ink and disarranged the pa
pers. The bookkeeper made some
protest, which, with Johnnie Potts was
the signal for trouble. Pulling his six
shooter,he proceeded to kick over such
furniture as there was about the camp
house as sort of preliminary to gen.
eral hostilities. The other range riders
were not so full of red liquor that they
did not realize that it was only
question how many would be able to
get out of range when Johnnie began
to shoot.
Franklin, who was quicker to think
and act than his companions, with
swift movement caught the terror"
from behind and throwing him to the
floor disarmed him. Johnnie raved like
mailman and applied to Franklin all
the epithets known to the cowboy YER
nacular until he had worn himself out
and sank into drunken slumber. The
next morning Ben Franklin concluded
that as representative of the great
state of Texas he should demand an
apology from the terror" for his con-
duct of the previous night. With most
members of the cowboy class this re-
quest would have been complied with
as a matter of course, but Johnnie
Potts had the opinion that it was be-
meath the dignity of real terror" to
apologize for anything and would not.
Ben Franklin, on the other hand, al
though an unusually good-natured
member of the fraternity, felt that
when Texan demanded an apology it
must come or blood. The range rid
ers stood close together, there was no
consultation of seconds" or measur-
ing off so many PAGES. There were
! three sharp, loud reports. the flashes
and smoke of the "forty-fours" and
the thing was over. Franklin was
quicker by the fraction of a second,
and Johnnie's pistol arm was shat
tered before he could pull the trigger.
The ball from his revolver went wild
and the second ball from Ben's gun
plowed through Johnnie's vitals. Then
curious thing happened which
showed the Texas chivalry of Johnnie
Potts, the terror" Franklin, filed
with remorse, now that the shooting
was over, wanted to hunt up United
States deputy marshal and surrender
himself into the hands of the law, but
the terror" though writhing in his
death agony, would not hear of it.
What's the use O. dom that, Benz"
gasped the dying terror" Eyer got
me, but I'd sure got you If I'd a
drawed little quicker. 'Twon't do me
no sort O. good fur you to go and
stand trial, nur you either. The "ter-
ror" was buried near the lonely camp
house, and the foreman of the ranch
took the trouble to see that the grave
was not entirely neglected. Ben Frank
lin went back to his home changed
man. Instead of the rollicking rough
rider. he became gloomy. haggard, and
prematurely old, with the haunted
look of man who ever saw the pic
ture of a nights debauch, fatal duel
and the lonesome, unmarked grave OF
Johnnie Potts, the terror"
Nature ~ an Embalmer.
A curious circumstance concerning
the body of Admiral SPOTS has been
reported from the Falkland islands,