The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-12-21
NOW IT WIS DONE
By a. a. Beckwith.
r N the Far West, particularly in
+ho Ear Cor+huuac+ +ha pouylv or.

the Far west, particularly IN
the Far Southwest, the newly ar
rived settler often finds that he
has strange neighbors-not only
Indians, but white desperadoes, who
are more to be feared than even Utes
and Apaches.
Two young friends of mine-good,
steady, New England born young men
were so unfortunate as to buy land
in the vicinity of an especially ugly
member of this outlaw fraternity.
They had been brought up to obey the
law. and respect the property and
rights Of their neighbors.
They could be brave enough in the
defense of any just cause, yet they
dreaded and shrank from the use of
deadly weapons against afellow- being.
Plain, farmer-bred boys, Gilbert and
Charles Small had, by steady labor
and economy, saved up a capital Of
$17OO. With this they emigrated to
Colorado and started small stock
farm, fifteen miles from Alamosa. BY
availing themselves Of the Homestead
ace and the presumption law, they Sc
cured tract of 800 acres of land lying
upon creek, with range extending
back over the hills which was not
likely to be taken by other settlers.
At point a short distance below,
where a mining trail passed them and
where they judged there would in time
be a railroad, they built a frame house,
which they opened as hotel, and in
which they also kept stock of grocer
les
Some eight or ten miles from them
lived man named Peter Hergit. who
professedly worked mine, but whose
place was really rendezvous for rem
egade cowboys and other desperate
characters Of the Jesse James type.
1t was intimated that several dar-
ing robberies had been planned, and
also that Clate Walker made it one of
bis stopping places.
Walker was notorious gambler and
dead shot. He was supposed to be the
leader of band of train robbers, and
was said to have killed not less than
ten men in various ARRAYS.
1t was said, too, that occasionally,
when times became too monotonous
because of the lack Of excitement, he
would kill man ''for fun," just to
keep his hand in.
He had pleasing habit of riding
through small towns and camps, shoot
ing promiscuously at everybody he
saw, to keep up the terror of his name
"a matter he appears to have been
vain of.
1t will seem we'll nigh incredible that
such a. man should be allowed to es-
cape justice and to run at large. Such
is the ugly fact, however, in scores of
similar cases, owing, probably to the
circumstances that no officer likes to
attempt the arrest of these despera-
does. who generally carry two, and
sometimes. three, heavy reyolvers, and
are marvellously quick and sure of
aim.
AS an example of the wonderfully
rapid and accurate shooting of some
of those frontier men the writer re-
members seeing cowboy at Ration,
New Mexico, ride his horse at full gal
lop past telegraph post to which was
pinned the round white cover of a
paper collar box, and lodge four balls
from his Colts pistol in this small
mark while passing. Afterward he
entertained US by throwing into the
air, one after another, a handful of
peanuts. and craking each as it fell
with single bullet,
Then he did the same thing again,
tossing the nuts up rapidly, and twirl.
ing the revolver round his forefinger
after every shot. Finally, throwing
the nuts up more slowly, he replaced
his pistol in it's sheath at his hip after
every shot, drawing it for each sue.
ceeding nut, and did not miss one out
of six. This shows the accuracy and
quickncss of aim of many of these
lawless fellows; and such a marksman
: was Clate Walker, who added to his
reputation, moreover, the more, muir
derous one of being killer" which
in the phrase of this section, means a
desperate who will shoot a man upon
the least provocation. Our two young
stockmen had heard of this border
monster, but their first actual &C
quaintance with him began the first
week after putting up their sign
Small Bros. Hotel a-.d Grocery"
Walker CHANGED to pass one morn
ing, and seeing the new sign. and by
way of calling attentions to himself
refined in his horse, drew his revolver
and opened fire on the sign. shooting
the FIRST letter, 49, to pieces. Then
dismounting, he kicked the door open
and walking in, demanded a 'cock
tall
Gilbert, who CHANGED to be inside a
the time, told him civilly that Their,
was 40 bar in connection with tn,
house, for, true to their home princi
pies. the young men had determined t,
keep Temperance house''-a create
anomaly in the West than many ma,
at first suppose.
"a temperance houser' shoute.
Walker. and he vented his astonish
ment and disgust in burst of cath
and revilings. mo map shall keep
hotel with nothing to drink in 1t il
these partsP' he said. IF you dom
have liquor. and good liquor. too. tn
next time call, 1 won't leave a Who'll
dish or a whole lone herep' And as
foretaste Of what he would do h
kicked over the table and smashe