Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-06-13
"A REMARKABLE DUEL
BOTH OF TIE PARTICIPANTS WERE
QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.

QOlCh ON THE TRIGGER.
An Enforced Parade Preceded the
and Shoot Order-Why Brattcn Was
Glad He Lost His Right Hand.
"The most alYectionate looking two
handed gun play that ever saw" said
a Colorado gentleman in ~ 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 pizenish a
pair of real bad men of tie type that
has now passed away as ever famed a
.45 or twisted a Bowie.
Cannon was the proprietor of the
Gilt Edge honkatonk in La Junta, and
1t was at 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
replace the cartridges. He'd have killed
Bratton otherwise as a matter of
course.
'"That same night Rratton sent word
to cannon that he meditated shooting
him up some or the following day.
Cannon wasn't a 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 a light battery of artillery. Big
Divide jim Bratton bulged him, how
ever, by turning a corner suddenly as
Cannon paraded down the main street,
and then it was Gannon's hands that
went up for a change. Bratten had
two guns covering him, and Cannon
knew his gait.
"1Ehis,' said Bratton, is whage I get
an oven break for my coin. Now, you
like me so much, Cannon. that l want
you to sort of show your appreciation
Of me by walkin around town linked
aEms with me FOR awhile
at was up to Cannon to comply with
this peculiar request. Big Divide jim
Bratton jabbed his guns back into his
belt, and then he clutched Gannon's
left arm and passed it through his
right The disadvantage Of this ar
rangemant accrued to Bratton. 1t left
Gannon's gun arm free, while in case
Of argument Bratton would have to use
wasn't selfish.
The population of La Junta was
amazed to see Big Divide jim Brat
ton and George Cannon, who had al
ways been more or less sore on each
other and who had had a quarrel that
meant the death of one or both of them
on the night before. walking arm in
arm up and down the main street of
the town. 1t looked like a peripatetic
love feast between the two Of 'em. But
they were watching each other like
cats. At the end of the street Bratton,
still with his right arm linked to Gan
mons left. stopped suddenly and said:
George, l amt much on the blow
about any gun suddenness that l may
possess, but | sure want to give you a
chance. You thrung it into me last
night in a 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
at n and the same time. I'm a-goin
to u three. and when l say three
It's a breakaway and a finish. You've
got a loose right arm. but l amt no
hog. One-two-three!'
1.-The event proved Big Divide Jim
Bratton the quicker man and the better
marksman. He got Cannon through
the heart. whereas Gannon's ball lodg-
ed in Bratton's right wrist. Bratton
had to suffer his right hand to be cut
off that same night.
'"The last time l saw him was in
Creole. He was sitting on the edge Of
a bunk in his own cabin. close to a
claim he was working. 1 hadn't seen
him since he'd lost his hand.
Jim said l, it's too bad you
should have lost that right hand. If
the fellow that plugged you had only
got the left hand, why
A'Oh, l don't know said Bratton
phibsophically. If I'd ha' lost my left,
I wouldn't have been able to play the
fiddle any more
HE reached under his bun nd
brought forth an old violin. Then he
rigeed up an attachment he had for
holding the bow in his right stump,
and be played the instrument real
sweetly for me for half an hour or so.
81 couldn't have done no fngerin If
I'd ha' lost my left hook, you know he
said simply when he put the old fiddle
~away."-Washington Post