The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-03-22
SENATOR BEVERIDGE Il.
INCIDENT IN CAREER or THE
INDIANA SENATOR.
ia Pioneer Days u Kaasa4 taae ssHstor
saysa AaAn fEesa lssiRg Lynslea
ANA was aimsslf ~ Danger ssssd
Nv y ErIsad,


varied experience as d frentieFsnnaH,
once having a narrow escape from be-
ing shot by q GAMBLER Az pignton,
where he Draetieed lais pFofeggl0a.
One dags While making his regular
trip frpRa Fort dodge Ia Fort Wallace,
Steve Grosseup, the stage driver, was
taken sick at Dighton, BeEeridge mad
him carried To his FooM in the crude
hotel and there he nursed the buFlF
pialnsman through 3 long aud danger
pnE illness, Gr0sscup was much ar
feeted by the Incident ard IN retnFa he
would have gladly laid down his life
for the pale-faeed ycath, As he start
ed out on mis- trip after recovering his
Aeaith, he said NJ Beyeridge, with tears
in his eyes:
I'm great Big, rough fellow, ana
amt much uRea 70 kindness You've
been good friend tn nae ! sAan't for
gst 1T III don't knoW Just What ~
say, but some time, somehow, I'u pay
the debt
His words geFe prophets. Although
Eeyerldge Soon forgot the incident, tha
time came when he was forcihlY re-
minded of 1T, a horse had been stolen
and great vas The e4eitement at Dign.
tom On the froatier. horse stealing Is
the most hsinnns crime on the calendar
and the guilty one generally pays tue
penalty With his lie jim Wells, p
we'll digger had been found With hai-
ter in his hands, and 1t had been iden-
tilted as belonging 70 the lost horse
Wells was very drAak and was unable
10 offer ang satisfactory explanation Of
hig possession Of the halter His Sc
clser vas Jim Orr, q gambler, and
Wells most bitter enemg. In those
days eircuMstaAfiai evidences pf the
weakest scrt vas sntsicient % convict,
Courts we're unnecessary. A iYneling
bee was Immediately planned and
Wslls was being hurried along 10 his
doom by the mob, when Beverage hap
pened on the scene. The spectacle was
too much for him His ideas OF justice
we're outraged, His lawyer instinct as
serted Itself. and. amid great personal
danger he stopped the infuFiated mob
and began pleading for Wells life II
was his aFst case and tn it he achieved
his first great triumph. The very au-
daeity of the pals young tenderfoot
commanded attention and Begerldge
began pouring out his imDassioaed
pleadings for the man whom be belieY-
ed 10 be innoeent. What FighI had
they 10 Lake his life2 Wells vas drunk
and unable 20 explain Why the halter
was found IN his possession Wells
had always harae d good reputation.
He lad bitter enemy Was II not
possible that this enemy had placed tAe
halter to Wells hands for b dire plF-
poser Thus Beverage argued with
the mob untii he conquered II Wells
Was released and was subsequently,
proven innocent OF the ehaFga.
Reyeridge'a illusions 90 Wells enc
my were SO pointed that every one I'M
derstood whom he meant. Orr vas
especially bitter teWard Begefiage, and
All the dinner table that day he sought
quarrel with the auiaeions young
man, and he succeeded In getting il.
BeYeridge was very oHtspeksn I'D ex-
pressing his opinion Of the gambler
Orr sprang TO his feet with an oath and
brought his cleRehed fist duwn heavily
upon the table. He abused ReYeridge
r0undly and ieft tho room swearing
that he would Kill ham 1t was no idle
threat AN Reyeridge vas returning to
hls olRce after dinner, Orr stepped out
from behind h small building and con
fronted him. Orr's features were tense
with passion, and. as he drew his re-
yolYef, there could he NO doubt as to
tbs purpose. Beyeridge was Hnarmed
In the face Of what he then believed
certain death he could nor suppress b
feeling al disgust and anger for the
eowardly Villain before him. He de
nouneed Orr wlfh verde OF fnFlaua IN
dtgnafion, ana an the tine be was
talking be could not help wondering
why Orr did not raise MS gun and
shoot
He simply stood there in a shiftiug
uneasy attitude, meekiy submitting 10
tbs H4est CALLING dennnciaFiqH When
BeveFidge had finished his tongue lasts
Ing, he turned about 10 leaFe, and there
vas stege GrosscHp, the stage driver
with his revolver leYeled al Orr he
had heard Qrrig threat IT tEe diHHeF
table ard MAD quietly followed his
friend and benefactoF III order ID pro
teri him
are yQu done skinning him DIT.
BegeFidge2" Grosselg asked calmly
Steve exclaimed BegeFidge, recoY-
ering from his surprise Yes. Steve,
I guess I have given him the best
have tn the shop
Wel, then, III take charge of him
for awhile added GFeaseHp, as he
marched Orr doWA the road al the
point u MS reYglgeF. lroeeeup tod
Orr that II be ever showed his face ia
Digbtea again he would b. dead man.
Orr took the bint Disappearing down
the road he was never heard Of after
yard Thus Gross p sqlafea his debt
tq BeReridEe
A Host ~ lsIaaas.