, 1900-02-23
LIVELY INCIDENT IN THE CA
REER OF SENATOR
BEVERIDGE.
Rescued Man From Mob-Serious Cash
With Gamblers in Wild Days OF
kansas-Gun Play in Which the
Indiana Senator's Life Was Saved
By a Faithful Friend.

led experience In this state as a from
ticrsman. The prosperous town of
Dighton. Kan, was founded by MIN.
That was in the early sos. the davs of
the cowboy. the gambler. and the thug.
and Beyeridga had a lively time. On
one occasion he became involved in an
alteration with a gambler and all
found tough. his life being saved by a
cowboy under circumstances thrilling
enough to furnish abundant material
for the novelist.
When Mr.. Bavgridge flushed college.
at the age of %. he was restless and
ambitious. Seeing no inviting open
ings for him in the crowded east, he
decided to follow HORACE Greeley's ad-
| vice-came west and grow IN
with the country. Kansas was
his objective point and he To-
Gated in the western mart of
the state. In those days western Kan
sas was not the border of civilization.
Railroads had not vet taken the place
of wagon trains; the land was uncul-
tivated. and the boundless p]rairies
were given over exclusively to the cat
tie industry. What few towns had
been established were controlled large
ly by the sal~oon-keepcrs and gamblers,
whose victims were the "tenderfoot"
from the east and the cowboy return
ing from the range with the wages of
- --r "
Dodge and Fort Wallace were at that
time the main trading posts of that
section. They were located about 100
miles apart, and Dighton. a davis Jour
nev from each fort. was established as
a halfway supply station. Dighton
offered many inducements for tough
characters, and it soon became infast-
ed with them. In spite of them. how
ever. the town had a wonderful growth.
Mr.. Beveridge hung out his shinple
as a r~eal-estate agent. He plated the
town off into town lots and soon be-
came a genuine western real-estate
broker"
One day while making his regular
trip from Fort Dodge to Fort Wallace.
Steve Grosscup, the stage driver. was
taken sisk at Dishton. Beveridge
had him carried to his room in
the crude hotel, and there he
nursed the burly plaiusman through
a long dangerous illness. Cross
cup was much affected by the in
cident, and in return he world have
gladly laid down his life for the Dale-
faced youth. As he started ont on his
trip, after recovering his health. he
said to Beveridpe win tears in his
ewes.
.Im n great hiq rougb faIIow and
amt much used to Kindness you've
been a good friend 10 me sham for
get it. Ill don't know inst what
to saw. but some time somsbow ri
nav the debit"
His words were pronhetfc A1tboupb
Beveridge soon FORGOT his Incident tho
time came when he was forcihIv re-
minded of If A horse had baan sto,en
and great was tna avcitemant Of Digb-
ton, On the frontier horse stealing Is
the most heinous crime on the caIen-
dar and the puiItv ono generally pays
the penaItv with his life lin wells
a well-digger had heen found with a
halter in his hands and if had peen
identified as beIonping to the lost
horse. Wells was very DRINK and was
unable 10 offer any satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION of his possession of the hal
ter. His accuser was lin Orr. a gam
bier, and Wells most bitter enemy. In
those DAYS eircumstantial evidence OF
the weakest sort was sufficient to CON
Wet. Courts were unnecessary. A
lynching bee was immediate civ plan
ned and Wells was being hurried along
to his doom by the mob. when Beve-
| ridge happened upon the scene. The
spectacle was too much for him. His
ideas of Justice were outraged. His
lawyer instinct asserted itself and,
amid great personal danger, he stop
ped the Infatuated mob and began
pleading for Wells life. 1t was bis
first case and in it he achieved his first
great triumph. The very audacity of
the pale young tenderfoot commanded
attention and Beverage began pour
ing out his imprisoned ~pleadings for
the man whom he believed to be inno-
cent. What right had they-to take his