The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-03-14
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Strange Duel DetSeen Two Bad Men
of Colorado Who Hated
Each other.

1.-THE most affectionate-lookin two.
handed gun pay that ! ever saw
said a Colorado gentleman in one OF
the house committee rooms. was one
that happened at La Junta, in nv
Estate, between Big Divide jim Brat
ton and George Cannon, as pizenish
a pair of real bad men of the type
that has now passed away as ever
famed AS or twisted a bowie. Gan
non was the proprietor of the Gilt
Edge' honkatonk in La Junta and il
was a this place that he had some
trouble with Bratton. The argument
ended by Bratton backing out Of the
door with his hands up. Cannon hav-
ling the drop. Cannon didn't shoot
then because his gun wasn't loaded
he had been cleaning it and had for
gotten to replace the cartridges. He'd
have killed Bratton otherwise. as a
matter of course says the Washing
| ton Post.
THAT same night Bratton sent
word TO Cannon that he meditated
shooting him up some on the follow
ing day. Cannon wasn't a man to
take to the cliffs or the cactus, hav-
ing plenty Of notches on his gun bar
rel himself, and he walked around the
next afternoon like a light battery
Of artillery. Big Divide jim Bratton
bulged him, however, by turning
corner suddenly as Cannon paraded
down the main street, and then it was
Gannon's hands that went up, for a
change. Bratton had two guns COW
"'This,' said Bratton, is where I
get an even break for my coin. Now.
YOU like me so much. Cannon, that [
want you to sort of show your appre-
citation of me by wa}kin' around town
linked arms with me for awhile
ali was up to Cannon to comply
with this peculiar request. Big Di-
vide jim Bratton jabbed his guns
back into his belt, and then he
clutched Gannon's eft arm and passed
it through his right. The disadvan-
tage of this arrar cement accrued to
Grafton. It left Gannons gun arm
free, while in case of argument Brat
ton would have to use his left gun.
But Big Divide Jim wasn't selfish.
The population of La Junta was
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 Gannon's left. stopped |
and said:
George. I amt much on the blow
about any gun-suddenness that 1 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 atmos phere around here that |
there's not enough air left in this
for both of US to
breathe at one and the same time
I'm a-goin' to count three" it's a
Orea kaway and a finish. You've got ,
4 loose right arm. but l amt 30 hog
Dne-two-three!
"The event proved Big Divide JIM
Bratton the quicker man and the bet
-er marksman. He got Cannon
through the heart. whereas Gannon's
pail lodged in Bratton's right wrist.
'ratton had TO suffer his right hand |
o be cut off that same night
The last time | saw him was about
even years ago in Creole. He was
lifting on the edge of bunk in his I
'wn cabin. close to a claim he was ,
vorkin. hadn't seen him since he'd
ost his hand.
Jim. said |. it's too bad YOU c
hould have lost that right hand. II i
he fellow that plugged you had only G
often the left hand. why
'.'Oh, I don't know, said Bratton.
If I'd ha' lost my c
eft | wouldn't have been able to
lay the fiddle any more
He reached under his bunk and
rought forth an Cd violin. Then he
i~ged up an attachment he had for .
o.din@ the bow in his right stump.
nd he played the instrument real
weetly for me for half an hour. ,
- couldn't have done no ffngerin'
I'd ha' lost my left hook. you know
e said. simply, when he put the old
ode away.