, 1900-02-01
MIR. JOHNNIE POTTS.
A TEXAS TERROR OF COWBOY
DAYS.
After q Night of Revelry He Foil, shot
IN a Fight With One of His Com
psnions-was Game to the Last and
Died with His Boots On. v

One OF the typical terrors of Texas
was Johnnie Potts. When his system
was not filed with the peculiar and
hair-raising beverage sold for whisky
In the border towns. Potts was rea-
sonably peaceful, though never socia-
Bile In his disposition, but when he
was loaded with what was commonly
termed 'old hell's delight" he was
or the most dangerous of his class.
1t was in the early part of March,
1884, that Ben Franklin n others OF
h cowboys Of the ct s" range went
to Caldwell to take in the town. All
the riders could not be spared at once,
and for that reason Johnnie Potts and
Others had to stay at camp. Franklin.
who in cowboy circles was considered
a more h a ordinary big-hearted and
)ovial spirit, showed his sympathy for
his unfortunate companions who did
not have the opportunity to participate
In the pastime Of painting the town
red, by bringing back to camp a jug
OF the liquor dealt out at Caldwell
saloons The night at the ranch was
one Of reyelry, gambling and drinking.
Potts drank heavily and as the hours
wore on he became more noisy and
quarrelsome. 1t was nearly morning
when he arose from the camp table,
and, staggering against the desk of the
b~ookkeeper Of the cattle company.
upset the ink and di%sarranged the pa
pers. The bookkeeper made some
protest, which, with Johnnie Potts, was
the signal for trouble. Pulling his six
shooter. he proceeded to kick over such
furniture as there was about the camp
house as a sort of preliminary to gen.
eral hostilities. The other range riders
were not 80 full of red liquor that they
did not realize that 1t was only a
question how many would be able to
get out Of range when Johnnie began
to shoot.
Franklin, who was quicker to think
and act than his companions, with a
swift movement caught the terror"
from behind and throwing him to the
floor dlsarmed him. Johnnie raved like
a mailman and applied to Franklin all
the epithets known to the cowboy YER
nacular until he had worn himself out
and sank into a drunken slumber. The
next morning Ben Franklin concluded
that as a representative OF the great
state OF Texas he should demand an
apology from the terror" for his con-
duct of the previous night. With most
members OF the cowboy class this re-
quest would have been complied with
as a matter of course, but Johnnie
Potts had the opinion that 1t was be-
meath the dignity Of a real terror to
apologize for anything and would not.
Ben Franklin, on the other hand, al
though an unusually good-natured
member Of the fraternity, felt that
when a Texan demanded an apology 1t
must come or blood. The range rid
ers stood close together, there was no
consultation Of seconds" or measur-
Ing on 80 many PAGES. There were
three sharp. loud reports, the flashes
and smoke Of the "forty-fours" and
the thing was over. Franklin was
quicker by the fraction of a second,
and Johnnie's pistol arm was shat
tered before he could pull the trigger.
The ball from his revolver went wild
and the second ball from Ben's gun
plowed through Johnnie's vitals. Then
a curious thing happened which
showed the Texas chivalry of Johnnie
Potts, the terror" franklin, filled
with remorse, now that the shooting
was over. wanted to hunt up a United
States deputy marshal and surrender
himself into the hands OF the law, but
the terror" though writhing in his
death agony, would not zeal of 1t.
whats the use O. dom that, Benz"
gasped the dying terror" Yer got
me, but I'd sure a got you II I'd q
drawed a little quicker. 'Twon't do me
no sort O. good fur you to go and
stand trial, nur you either. The ter
ror' was buried heal the lonely camp
house. and the foreman of the ranch
took the trouble to see that the grave
was not entirely neglected. Ben Frank
lin went back to his home a changed
man. Instead Of the rollicking rough
rider he became gloomy, haggard, and
prematurely old, with the haunted
look Of a man who ever saw the pic
ture Of a nights debauch, a fatal due
and the lonesome, unmarked grave oil
Johnnie Potts, the terror"