Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-03-09

the militia, epftaphs, which was the
boon he asked for bestowing the hos
pitality of the cowboys.
Several years ago number Of COW.
boys rode into Prescott and. after
frightening all the barkeepers Of the
saloons into a comotose condition,
breaking glassware and practicing
fancy shots, they remounted their
horses and rode through the town
wildly shooting at the clouds.
A posse OF citizens was formed, and
mile or two out Of town they over
took the hilarious cowboys, killing
one of them and wounding several.
The pursuit and killing aroused in
dignation throughout the territory.
The cowboys had done no real or seri-
Gus damage, according to Arizona
ethics, and accordingly they should
have been allowed to go their way un-
molested. Besides. they had wasted
all their ammunition and they had not
a fair chance. Such was the general
verdict of the affair.
The day after the killing Capt Dick
rode into the town, galloped straight
to the Mayors office and dismounted
He left it with a folded piece of paper
tucked in his belt. 1t bore the May
or's signature promising to raise a
certain amount of money for the fam
lilies of the dead cowboys.
Two days later came a letter from
Capt Dick to the town officials II
demanded an apology to the cowboys
signed by the mayor and all the digni-
taries of the town, with the money,
or there would be some carefully
aimed shooting from the cowboys.
and it was promised that the towns
people would be at the wrong end Of
the guns this time.
The money and apology, carefully
worded, besprinkled with seals and
duly signed by leading citizens and
officials, was hastily despatched to
Capt Dick. The cowboys were salts
fed with the apology and so the mat
ter ended.
When this same Capt Dick was
stricken with typhoid fever it was
Jack who nursed him through the dan.
gerous Illness, and after that boy"
which was the captains name for the
youth, usually rode by the captains
side.
A year passed before the real iden-
tity of boy" or Nurse Jack" was
discovered. 1t all came through the
teacher in the country school asking
Jack to buy her some ribbon. 1t was
late in the afternoon when Jack
reached Williams, the nearest town.
He was in a hurry, and the startled
customers in the dry goods store hast
lily made way for a sun-browned cow
boy on a horse, who rode straight up
to the goods counter and demanded
de- ff MI NJ fr
fectly proper for cowboy to ride his
horse in an Arizona saloon, but when
it comes to a dry goods store it is a
questionable procedure.
While the clerk was hastily measur.
ing off the ribbon a lady customer
came too close to the horses hoofs
and was knocked unconscious.
The constable and several deputies
proved too many for Jack, and he
was straightway marched to Jail
Capt. Dick came to town as soon as he
heard of the affair He called on
Boy at the Jail and to his surprise
was shown the woman's ward. Jack
had been forced to reveal her sex OF
be put in the mems quarters.
During the three days before the
trial Capt. Dick became accustomed
to Boy" In her new guise. She told
him her story, how her father had
been hanged; how her mother and lit
tie sisters had taken refuge with rela
tives in Portland, and she herself haC
changed her name from Helen Jack
son to Jack Hall and remained in
Arizona to live the life of a cowboy.
On the day of the trial the injured
woman had recovered from her blow
and refused to prosecute. However
the Judge was called upon to use his
/ official powers in the crowded court
room, and Capt Dick and boy" were
| made husband and wife.
The story was soon known all ovei
/ the territory.
/ Not only the cowboys on that par
ticlar range, but from far and wide
| the vaqueros have sent congratula
tions and gifts. Nurse Jacks" wed
ding gifts will always remind her o
| her year of cowboy life-riding whips
| Mexican saddles and silver spurs. t.
say nothing of several pairs of splen
did riding boots and a dozen som
breros.
Capt. Dick Wells is going to TAX,
| his wife to Portland to visit her fam
l lily. Then they will return to the stir
rup and Arizona, which means home
to them.
The cowboys have promised not t
call her Mrs. Wells. She wants to b'
Nurse Jack" to them.
And Capt. Dick says he will always
be boy" to him.-San Francisco Call