Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-03-17
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him was not misplaced, though the
stated reason for it was not very sat
isfying He went up to San Francisco
to study law. Bung Town bet on him
because he was such IL marvellous pis-
tol shot.
At bottom no doubt the Bun les be.
lieved in Lem because they liked him
and wanted to hear good things of
him, a substantial basis of Il prophecy.
since they might give him business up
Oh his return if they wanted to. Again,
Lem was shrcwd. Indeed he was
tricky, "Slick." the town said. laughing
the while, for while sickness was IL
part intOlcrable to western prejudice
1t was acceptable when the trickStcr
was straightforward about it. y mrr-
ry thief might be n good fellow" his
surly pal" could 90 hang.
Lem mad great luck. When he came
back, dressed in city clothes. he got Il
case almost before he got down from
the stage.
"Sumpin's up" said the driver as
they turned into the main street.
He pointed with his whip to an eX-
cited group of BunSlcS standing in
front of the store.
"Maybe it's a shooting. and I'll Just
call it murder and get the chance to &c,
fcnd it," said Lem, throwing one leg
off over the end of the rear, ready to
jump down.
"Hcllo. Lem" Say. there's Lem
Hool2y!" Lem Uouley. s'help mcr'
"IIcllo. Lem"
Thus they greeted him. and he drop
ped among them, both hands out to be
shaken and to shake each hand. He
was glad.
But what's up" he asked
The crowd turned. with n laugh. to
Cooley. the sheriff. who had piece of
paper in his hand,
"COolcyS got q warrant to serve.
and he's a-SkCCrcd to serve il.
"Skccrcd. Well, guess not. not if
serve it Hll right"
"Wcll, why don't you serve 1t. thrnT'
asked Lem mcrrily.
because | can't get man with tie
glZzard to swear in as deputy to help
me-"
'WhGt do you want help fOr?"
''Thcre's ten of them over there" He
pointed to Il GrcGSCr shanty across the
street. "Will you go along:"
"Whats been done. anyhow"
"Greascr Ike shot yellow Mike. you
remember who used to tend bar in tie
dance hall. and the McXicans in the
county is bound to see him out of the
Scrapc"
81 don't see much in that" said Lem.
"Why don't you go ahead and arrest
your man?"
"Will you so along as deputy? 1t
means Shootin. and n lot Of it. against
knives, too, and you'll want all the
good eye you used to have"
"No, won't so along as deputy to
you, but I'll tell you what I'll do. If
the crowd won't string the prisoner up
when take him, III go over alone"
"All right. It's a co." they answered.
"Bcttcr take my gun" said Cooley.
Offering his six shooter
"im all right" said Lem, tapping
his hip.
There We're several offers Of com
pany, willing ones, but the young law
yer rejected them all.
He walked rapidly across the street.
leaving the crowd happy and silent. in
tcrcsted and full of admiration. With
out drawing his gun Lem went
straight up to the door, showed il open
and stepped in out of sight and not a
shot was heard nor an oath nor n fall.
1t was all as silent as before The
crowd at the store wondered, waited
awhile and wondered out loud. Ought
they not to 90 over and see what was
up? Maybe a knife fixed him before
he could draw. The Bungics discussed
il carefully, but they believed in Lem.
AnA they decided again and again that
they'd better "leave him be-" And
they did
II was n wise decision. In two min.
utcs Lem came ont with Ike. The 9th,
er MeXicans appeared ut the door of
their shanty and quietly watched Lem
deliver to Cooley the accused murder
er, GrCaSPr Ike. who was as meek as II
lamb.
That was something new In RunC
Town. You dcSpiSe greasers, but not
exactly as fighters. They will fight nll
right enough. but the contempt fo:
them is only as pistol shots and as cit
izenS. 1t is no crime to kill one.
Now. Lem knew this sentiment. and
when the trial came Off, with all the
county present and about onc-tcnth oG
the white population in the jury box.
the young lawyer, who appeared to dc
fend GrraSer Ike. applied it deftly To
the case. He showed that Yellow Mike
was greaScr and mo good grraScr
so that to shoot him was not murder
OF course. he admitted, it was not the
custom to lose the chance to get rid
Of two grpaSerS by hanging the on"
who survived 2 fight to the finish But
that custom was not only unjust il
was shortsighted. If n white man bad
a right to shoot Mexican, Il Mexican
ought to have the same privilege. or
the principles on which this great re-
public was founded were naught. anI