Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-20

been organized, and the man elected to |
the office of Sheriff after looking over
the ground and becoming acquainted
with the characters with whom he |
would have to deal. never qualified.
Young Aver had already been slated as
deputy, and when the first place was
made vacant expressed q Willingness
to accept it No one else wanted the
job,
Oberlln. the county seat. was the CEN
ter OF large range country. and also
the rendezvous of the Lincoln county
outlaws who came there after the
memorable county seat wars. Bad men
or all degrees locked to the new coun-
W and county seat They found their
match In the young sheriff. How many
of them fell before his unerrng aim
Aver will not tell, but he says. signin-
cantly. that soon there was a sort of
understanding between him and the
desperadoes. and there was no further
trouble" But this was not brought
about easily. On one occasion, during
the sherlff's absence from Oberlin he
was riding over the prairie after a
from New Mexico rode into town, and
inding Aver absent, proceeded to
shoot up the town" in the approved
fashion of the day. They literally took
possession of the frontier village,
breaking into stores and saloons tina
citizens who dared show themselves
were beaten with the butts of the out
laws rifles. all the provisions thcy
could carry were stolen and others de-
stroyed and the store of liquor in the
saloons was consumed. The invnders
were some of BILLY the KIDS" ronr
me most vicious of the desperadoes'
among them was Charles Best alias
John Henry. who acted as leader
When the sheriff returned the bad
men mad left and the town was reas
o o quiet But John Henry and his
emboldcnAd by his seeming success
even TO the extent of Dragging that he
would remain In town until he "rotn
the sheriff. The day after Ayers re-
turn he was In barber shop, and n
lew doors away Henry sat In lawyers
s oli.ce: apparently waiting for the
Sheriff Failing to attract him by other
means, he shot off one of his revolvers.
knowing that when he heard the report
aver would rush out to learn the cause
OF the shooting. In this he was cor
rect. for Aver jumped from the bar
per 6 chair and rushed to the door of
the lawyers office. AS he stepped in
Henry aimed and fired at him, but
missed He never got a second shot.
There may have been men who could
draw gun quicker than the bow
Sheriff, but they were not common for
western Kansas. When Henry was
picked up 1t was found that two bullet
had penetrated his body, either one of
which would have finished him, Just
after the second shot Aver was grab
bed from behind and his arms pinioned.
How he freed himself from the strong
arms OF Henry's followers Aver cannot
tell. but he threw him out of the office,
Hiring at-the same tine, the bullet PASS
| ing through the mans breast. There
| was q double funeral that afternoon.
and no more was heard of BILLY the
Kids" gang. Aver restored peace and
order In Decatur county. but there were
number of funerals before the de-
| sired end was reached.
lie is modest, as are most brave men,
but in relating few incidents of his
life In the early days of Kansas his
| piercing gray eyes sparkled and ne
drew himself up as best he could on the
cot. as if the spirit OF the old days
| came back to him.
But I don't like to talk about these
things" he said, slight groan escap-
| ing him, as his bruises were painful.
Il did only my duty. and in proof OF
this can cite the fact that / won the
respect of all good people in the county.
They reelected me sheriff after my first
term, and afterward l served as United
States marshal OF the district"
Eleven years ago Aver moved to Col
orado. and has since lived in Routt
county, where ne owns n large ranch
and n big herd of cattle. On the Color
ado Wyoming border he has won the
same reputation for bravery he had in
Kansas. The opinion of his neighbors
is that a more fearless man never lived.
He is held in great respect in that part
of the State. as much for his excm-
! plary conduct as for his untiring Wig
lance. The border cattle rustlers and
bad men fear him more than any Off
Ger. He is strictly temperate In his hab-
It's and never CANDLES. All the bad
men that have ever hung about The
border towns know and fear him,
though he is the last man that would
pick n quarrel with any one. When
he goes after one of them he gets him.
The story is told that he lodged one
of Dutch Cassidy's men for two years,
keeping ont of the way to avoid
trouble. Finally they met by accident
and the desperate tainted him with
cowardce. Aver admitted that he had
kept from meeting the man, but IL they
must fight he would accommodate him.
And accommodate him he did. He