Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-01-25

TEXAS TERROR OF COWBOY
DAYS.
After = Wight Of R~v-ary He Fsh' S0"N
Tn a Fight with One OF Sis Conn
Duawloms--was Game TO he Last z0n
Died wfeh His Boots On

One u the typical terr0rs Of Texas
Vas Johnnie Potts When his system
was not dIIed with the peculiar a
~hafr-rzlsing beverage sotd Tor WHISKY
IN the border uowns. POTTS was rea-
sg8anIy peaceful though socia~
Die in hIs disposition, but when ne
vas loaded with what va commonly
termed old helIss delight" he was O
Of the most dangerous Jf ATS class
Ii vas in the early part ~ March,
1884 that Ben Franklin and others or
me cowboys Of the IT g. range went
ID Caldwell 20 take in the 0wn All
tie riders could not De spared ar ones
and for thar reason Johnnie Potts q
others aaa 10 stay al camp. Franklin,
Who IN cowboy circles was considered
4 more than ordinary b~ig-hearrsd and
f0vTaI spirit, showed his sympathy Eor
his unfortunate companions who did
Tot have the opportunity 20 participate
IN the 1astfn1e Of painting The town
red. uy bringing back 10 camp a Jug
Of the liquor dealt out AT Caldwell
saloons. The night at the ranch was
1ne Of rsvelry, gambling AMI drinking.
Potts drank heavily and as the hours
wore On he became more noisy and
auarreisOue. II was nearly morning
when he arose from the camp table,
and, staggering against the desk ct the
~8Gokka@Der OF the cattle company,
upset the INK and d~isar-auged the pa
Ders- The 5Oozkeeper made some
protest watch. with Johnnie Potts was
the signal for trouble. Pulling his six
a10oter he proceeded 70 kick over suca
furniture as rhere WIS about the camp
house as a SORT Of preliminary 70 gen
zrzI hosriIfttes The other range riders
we're not so fIsl Of red liquor that they
lid not realize that ID was only 4
question Hnw many would be able 10
get out Of range when Johnnie began
70 shoot.
Franklin, who WAS quicker 20 think
and act than his companions, with a
swift movement caught the terror
from behind and throwing him 10 the
floor disarned him. Johnnie raved like
a mailman and applied TO franklin all
he epfthets known 10 the cowboy YER
laeular until he had worn himself out
and sank into a drunken sIuuber. The
asxt morning Ben Franklin Concluded
taaE as a representative Of the great
state Of Texas ne should demand IN
apology from the terror" for hiz con-
ducr OF the previous night With most
members OF the cowboy class this re-
I quest would have been complied with
as 4 matter OF course, but Johnnie
( Potts had the opinion that IL was be-
meath the dignity OF q cal terror" 70
apologize for anything and would not.
Ben Franklin On the other hand. al
though an unusually good-Haturad
member Of the fraternity. felt that
when q Texan demanded An apology II
must come OF blood. The range rid
ers stood close together, there was no
consultation 0f seconds" or meas9r-
ing oT SO many PAGES. There were
three sharp, loud reports. the flashes
and smoke OF the "forry-fours'' ana
the thing was over Franklin was
quicker by the fraction Of q second.
and Johunie's pistol arm was shat
tered before be could pull the trigger.
The ball from his revolver went wild
and the second bali from Ban's gun
plowed through Johnnie's vftals. Then
a curious thing happened which
showed the Texas chivalry of Johnnie
Potts, the terror" Franklin. filed
with renorse. now that the shooting
was over. wanted 10 hunt I'D a United
States deputy marshal and surrender
himself into the hands OF the law but
the terror though wrirhing in hts
deErh agony. would not hear OF il.
What's the use o. doin' that. Benz
gasped the dying terror" Yer got
me, but I'd sure a got o ff I'd a
drawed a little quicker. 'Twon't do me
no sort o good fur you TO &c and
stand trial. uur you either. The ter.
ror" was buried lea the lonely caru
house, and the foreman OF the ranch
took b trouble 70 see that the grave
was ECr entirely neglected. Ben Frank.
lin went back 70 his home a changed
Instead Of the roIlieking rough
rider he became gloomy, haggard. and
p~rematureIy old. with the haunted
look OF a man who ever saw the pic.
rure OF a nights dsbauch. a fatal due
and the lonesome. unmarked grave OF
Johnnie PottE, the terror"