Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-03-19
PASSING Of A TERROR"
An Episode of the Kansas Bor-
der in Cowboy Days.
A COMMON AMUSEMENT.

WHcn icNdH bcfndnOS an ApOiO9y
II Must Come In Blood-Some Reck-
less Shooting-How Rollicking
Rough Rider Became Gloomy and
Prematurely Old.
Among the cowboys who were fam
iHarly known in all Kansas border
towns from Hunnewell west, fifteen or
twenty years ago, were Johnnie Potts
and Ben Franklin, riders on the "T 8"
range. which stretched from the Eagle
Chief to the Cimarron River. OF the
two, Ben Franklin was the more pre-
possessing in appearance; Johnnie,
more of the typical terror" When his
system was not filled with the peculiar
and hair-raising beverage sold for
whisky in those border towns, Potts
was reasonably peaceful, though never
sociable in his disposition, but when he
was loaded with what was commonly
termed "Old Hell's delight" he was one
of the most dangerous of his class. 1t
was his common form of amusement
when in this condition to draw his re-
volver and empty it into the street,
apparently careless as to whether some
unoffending citizens was in the road
of the bullets or not. That he was pos
sessed of a certain reckless, daredevil
courage nobody who knew him doubt
ed. and the close of his career demon
strated that the estimate was correct.
1t was in the early part of March,
1884, that Franklin and others of the
cowboys of the "T s. range went to
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
jcvial spirit, showed his sympathy for
his unfortunate companions who did
not 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. That night for few hours
joy was unconfined at the "T 5" ranch.
Between the inspection of jack pots
and the quaffing of liquor furnished by
the liberal-minded Franklin, the boys
felt consoled for the disappointment in
not having been able to run their
horses through the town of Caldwell,
bowling like wolves, and playfully
shooting holes through the surround
did not appear to be particularly SER
ious, except in the case of the terror
Potts.
AS the night wore on he drank more
heavily, bet more recklessly and be-
came more sullen. 1t was nearly
morning when he arose from the camp
table and, staggering against the desk
of the book-keeper for the cattle COM
ha fply
the papers. The book-keeper made
some protest, which, with Johnnie
Potts, was the signal for trouble. Pull
ling his six-shooter, he proceeded. to
kick over such furniture as there was
about the camp house as a sort of pre-
liminary to general hostilities. The
other range riders were not so full of
red liquor that they did not realize
that it was only a question of how
many would be able to get out of range
when Johnnie began to shoot. Frank
lin, who was quicker to think and act
than his companions, with swift
movement caught the terror" from be-
hind and, throwing him to the floor,
diSarmed him. Johnnie raved like a
madman and applied to Franklin all
the epithets known to the cowboy ver-
nacular until he had worn himself out
and sank into a drunken slumber The
next morning Ben Franklin concluded
unoffending citizen was in the road
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 held the opinion that 1t was be-
meath the dignity of a 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 apol- gy
it must come or blood
The range riders stood close to-
gether there was no consultation of
seconds or measuring off of 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 shattered 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 a curious thing happened
which showed the Texas chivalry of
Johnnie Potts, the terror" Franklin
filled with remorse now that the shoot
ing was over, wanted to hunt up a
United States deputy marshal and sur
render himself into the hands of the
law, but the terror" though writhing
in hi 'eath agony, would not hear to
| 1t.
the use O. doin' that, Ben 2"
gas ne dying terror" Eyer got
me, but I'd sure a got you il 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 terror 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 Franklin went back to Texas a
changed man. Instead of the rolliclting
rough rider he became gloomy haggard
and prematurely old, with the haunted
look of a man who ever saw the pic
ture of nights debauch, fatal duel
the lonesome, unmarked grave of john
ME Potts, the terror"