The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1901-07-25
A REMARKABLE DUEL
BOTH OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE
QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.

An Enforced Parade Preceded the
Gun Play. which Was ON the Pull
and shoot order-Why Bratton Was
Glad lie Lost Ills Right Hand.
"The frost alrectionate looking two
handed gun play that ever saw" said
q Colorado gentleman In one of the
house committee rooms, was the one
that happened at La Junta. in my
state. between Big Divide jim Brat
ton and George Cannon. as plzenlsh n
pair of real bad men of the type that
has now passed away MS ever famed a
10 or twisted Bowie.
"GaDnon WAS the proprietor of the
| Gilt Edge honkatonk In La Junta, and
1t was Mt this place that he had some
trouble with Bratton. The argument
ended by Bratton backing out of the
door with his hands up. Cannon having
the drop. Cannon didn't shoot then be-
cause his gun wasn't loaded. He had
been cleaning it and had forgotten TO
replace the cartridges. He'd have killed
Bratton otherwise as a matter of
course.
| to Cannon that he meditated shooting
him up some on the following day.
Cannon wasn't man to take TO the
cliffs or the cactus, having plenty Of
notches on his gun barrel himself. and
| he walked around the next afternoon
| like n light battery of artillery. Big
| Divide Jim Bratton bulged him, how
4 Inc In. 10
Cannon paraded down the main street,
and then II was Gannon's hands that
went up for n change. Bratton had
two guns covering him, and Cannon
| knew his gait
""rhis, said Bratton, is where | get
an even break for my coin. Now. you
| like me so much. Cannon. that want
you to sort of show your appreciation
Of me by walkin around town linked
arms with me for awhile
ut was up to Cannon to comply with
this peculiar request. Big Divide Jim
Bratton jabbed his guns back into his
belt, and then he elutched Gannon's
left arm and passed 1t through his
right. The disadvantage of this ar
| rangement accrued TO Bratton. 1t left
Gannon's gun arm free, while In case
Of argument Bratton would have to use
his left gun. But Big Divide jim
wasn't selfish.
THE population of La Junta was
amazed TO see Big Divide Jim Brat
ton aud George Cannon. who had al
ways been more or less sore on each
other and who had had n quarrel that
meant the death of one or both of them
Oh the night before, walking arm In
arm up and down the main street Of
The town. 1t looked like n peripatetic
love feast between the two of 'em. But
they were watching each other like
eats At the end of the street Bratton.
still with his right arm linked to Gan
mons left. stopped suddenly and said:
"'GeorSe, | Amt much on the blow
about any gun suddenness that | may
! possess. but | sure want 10 give you a
chance. iou thrung 1t into me last
night in way that's eat up so much Of
| the atmosphere around here that
there's not enough air left in this
neiGhborhood for both of us TO breathe
nj one and the same time. I'm a-goin
TO count three. and when ! say three"
it's n brcakaway and finish. You've
got loose right arm, but | amt 40
| hog Onp-two-threer
The event proved Big Divide Jim
Bratton the quicker man and the better
marksman. lie got Cannon through
the heart, whereas Gannon's ball lodg-
ed in Rratton's right wrist Bratton
had 10 suffer his right hand to be cut
off that same night.
Tile last time | saw him was in
Creole He was sitting on the edge of
a bunk In his own cabin. close TO n
claim lie was working. hadn't seen
| him since he'd lost his hand.
"Jim. said |. its too bad you
should have lost that right hand. II
the fellow that plugged you had only
got the left hand. why
"'Oh. ! don't know said Bratton
philosophcally. If I'd ha' lost my left,
| wouldn't have been able to play the
fiddle any more
"He reached under his bunk and
rugged up an attachment he had for
holding the bow In his right stump,
and he played the instrument real
sweetly for me for half an hour or so.
al couldn't have done no fingerin II
I'd ha' lost my left hook. you know he
said simply when he put the old fiddle
away Washington Post.