The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
SHOT AND EARNED HIS PAY.
MARSHAL TAYLOR. VINO KEPT THE
PEACE AT BAITER SPRINGS.
Made a Record In the Days when 90 Take the
once Was a Mode Of s~uicide-The Crush
ing Of Two Builics-His End That OF His
Predecessors when He Arrested the Mayor.

lAI 'AlAA' W hfNAN '''
lor, who was at Baxter Springs, Kan. In the
early days" said an Old timer as he shifted his
chair and began his story. In those days Bax-
ter Springs was the Jumpin'-on place. ltlay
close to the Indian Territory line, beyond which
was nothin' but cattle and cowboys and heh az
far as the Rio Grande. Twice a year tho cattle
were driven from that vast region TO the ran
road at Baxter Springs for shipment to market
Twice a year this gave the cowboys an oppor-
tunity to touch civilization. drink up its whiskey'
20 against faro aud monte, and shoot the town
full OF holes.
The class Of citizens necessary for the enter
tainment OF these visitors was no small part OF
the population OF Baxt or Springs. In spite OF
the fact that many OF them In the course OF a
wear were killed of, chewed up and used TO
decorate lone trees on the prairie. The push
got 40 strong sometimes that IL was necessary
10 do these things. ] remember once a mass
meetin' was called on matters OF public Inn
portance. Among a few II was known that a
vigilance COMMITTEES was TO be organized
Seven prominent citizens had been marked,
These men came to the meetin' and were doin'
more talkin' than anybody when suddenly they
were seized. hauled TO the edge Of the town and
swung up in a row on the limb Of n big cotton
tree. 1t was sudden, but had It's effect.
Baxter Springs was built OF low. shacklin'
frame houses, with a saloon every other door;
glittering with red lights at night that were an
invltat!ont 10 danger as well as dissipation. II al
ways seemed to me that any man who asked TO
be marshal of Baxter Springs had grown tired
Of living. but shrank from killing himself with
his own hand. In nine cases out Of ten, It was
about the same IA suicide 10 get the place. The
marshal was a mark for every bad man that
came up the trail. 1t was a cowboys ambition
TO shoot a town marshal. Many times the mar
shall was tough himself, but this only added to
the excitement Of the fights, He was regarded
a. the representative of that element OF society
which the tough citizen scorned ana which he
had gone into uninhabited regions to escape.
Baxter Springs had tried all kinds Of mar
shtls. big and little, ~sluggers and shooters, but
practically all Of them had shown defects. The
last mar hal had Just been killed when Taylor
wa frat heard of. Where he came from no one
ever knew, lie dritted into town from some
where out West. lie was never known by any
other name than Just plain Taylor. He was a
quiet. inofensive looking chap. with light
dusty-colored hair and a thin faIen musiache
that barely covered his lip. He was slenderly
built. but nearly 6feet tall, He had cold blue
eyes. without a CLINT or sparkle to soften, ,helr
APPEARANCE that al first his request for the APP
pointmegt was laughed at as a Joke. as the
place was one OF more r"sponslP1tty nan tna{
was that he had hrd some experience, In Ari;
zony. In some way which ] never understood
nv the very nature Of life at Baxter Springs
TAYLOR was compelled 10 BEGIN making n record
the moment he hut on his star Every bully in
town primed himself to take Taylor down the
line. Taylor had only two trustworthy friends
his pistol and his physical strength, His
lar, but his sinews were like steel He could
take a man by the collar and iounce him all
THE bully Of bullies was a farmer named
Dave Ramsey, a giant In both size and strength.
Dave ALWAYS wore n red flannel sHirt, open at
the neck and showing hi; hairy chest; a big,
slOuchipg somhrerO, and his trousers, without
su~spenderS. stuffed into his high heelod boots.
III. face was covered with a thicket of black
Cheyenne with a scalpinR knife in each hand
when tanked up with booze. IL was his custom
fought over every foot Of ground in Baxter
Springs No marshal had ever, been able to
taxi him ,single-handed or make him knock
Dave showed up on schedule time a few
DAYS after TAYLOR went mt Office. and came
body was on hand to see the fun. TAYLOR
walked UP TO Ramsey iust as easy rs onyin,
| and 60 home. Ramsey leered NJ Taylor a mo-
ment and then roared with lauchter, wantin' 10
know, where that ,towsheaded Rid blew in
a streak Of l%ightnin'. and down they went. with
I tHs0' of nShte. Sut nothin' ike that
one. Taylor Just slueeed Ramsey until
Ramsey couldn't talk and then threw him into
and he went His defeat. and the. guyin' Of
friend worried Ramsey. fe decided 10 try II
Tayior didn't wait for any invitation this time,
but Just mnuled the life out OF him., dragged
him down the street and threw him, into the
calabooSe. Friends passed vhiskey and
wedges into the calabooso and Dave steamed IN
and broke open the door. Taylor heard OF II,
and rs Dave stepued into the street. predictin'
that he would destroy the world, TAYLOR walked
up aud sHid meekly as a lamb.
See here. Ramsey, IN tired OF You now
or I'll kill you
"'Dave looked at Taylor's gun and then at his
eyes, and began to wilt, He saw death s%tartn,
him IN the face. suddenly he turned and
walked IN. That was the last y the worst bully
Of Baxter Springs. He cut thetown of his map
'"Thi. gave TAYLOR standin' among the nght-
ers and his reputation spread Gentlemen
whirf with the new marshal Of Ba xter Springs.
TAYLOR killed 'em right and left and at the drop
S 4d 5ns G nsye GI Seuiro Cai1't tEe fe east u Excitement mn,iT and
g.in' about the streets and into the dives as II
he was he only man In town. he walked into
brought out hi man He seemed 20 bear a
charmed Me. He didn't talk about law and
keepin' the peace, and he intended to do ii II
every coyote on the trail from Baxter Springs
TO Texas came to town in a bunch.
Ibid any OF you COW runcher9 ever know
Can Rector Of Texas? You don't know much
tor Counted his money in niles them DAYS lie
used 10 drive a train load u steers into Baxter
Springs sell EN- and see how fast he could
spend the money. Can was the me1nest cuss
when drunk that eve ki-yied in n dance hall.
He always carried his shootin' irons. and was
known a~a killer. He pulled into town with
his outfit one day and was soon tryin' tn stam-
pedc everything in sight. He got tangled up
With a van in q saloon and shootin' began. Can
Chased the yap down the street. nrin at every
jump. hut m ssin' all the time The yap was
scared III his teeth ratified He lodged into a
livery stabln before Can could get n bend on
him and the proprietor shut him up In. . whip
closet, So small that the fellow could hardy
breathe"
WHERE'S the Pluto thet come In heahi'
yelled Con-: I'm gwine TO Kill him"
N lust salled through and went out the
back way, said the PROPRIETOR, and Can kept
Eoin'." -
Somebody told Can that Taylor would nail
him II he kept on cuttin' un, and Can took 4 to
heart. He said rubliclv on the street: I've got
just one Job 10 do before ] pull nv freight out
Of this heth town-Im gwine 20 Kill that Mar
shal Of yours. Taylor heard Of Il Can was In
n saloon with hi cowboys. tryin' N push the
roof of. TAYLOR was warned not 20 20 In. as
there were too many for him and there would
be a killln' in which ne would be the dead man.
i" Don't YOU worry about that said Taylor.
! always believed that Taylor suspecte1 Can
was n coward. Anyway. he pushes open the
door and walks In. Can was leantn' on the bar,
drinkin' and cussin'
Hello, Can Rector. ] hear that you've been
talkin' about KILN me before YOU left town