The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-29
BUNK eAosoE, LAWYER.

city the ofiler haff-the bad haiI-callea
i rhe camp. Bunk's advent created
something OF Juror on the SHADY side Of
F-lagstene. for he brought with hira the
reputation of fifteen years Of horse steal
Ing. an old Colts revolver ssith eleven
notches in the handle. and the fame Of
having passed four years in the Texas
peuitent farE. whittier lie had been sent
by an awakening deed OF killing sheep
herder with shot fred 81 the dark
through "a thin board partition
When Bunk landed in Fiagstc-1e he
wore new Prince Albert and q WincheS-
ter. TO say nothing OF small clothes and
lesser artillery concealed about his ample
person lie Was big his look was fierce
and his talk large His first move was
Ia hire "a room over the Plaza saloon and
hang out a sign Bunker Hilt GadSoe,
Attorney at Law" The next dav half the
town knew that Lawyer Gadsoe had come
10 town to defend Bass Intake. the rust
Ter then in 5ail under a charge Of muir
dering Colonel Forest in the desert If
Shifting Sands, above Joila. Gadsoe eN-
planned that lie had spent his prison term
studying law. and that he meant 70 follow
his new profession on a high plane
However, Lawyer Gadsoe made a had
start. for his client. Bass Intake was
hanged and the whole Comanche county
breathed a sign Of relief in spite OF Cad
soe's publicly given harrangue against
judge, Jury and prosecution After that
the man from Brazos didn't flourish as
lawyer He began 10 show his old Colt,
with its fateful nOtches, aud tell stories Of
his desperate deeds. Ia June he got into
scunle with Jere B-owniow and killed
him in a iifIy. Brownlow had been fore
man OF The jury that convicted Intake.
and there was feeble show of proSecut-
ing Gadsoe. The Jury IN the first case
stuck" as they say IN the west, and the
next enc let GadsOe 20, finding that the
killing of BrOwnlow was a case OF self
defense. That decision established Cad
soc in Flagstone. He haIf-bulled. half
cajoled Pete Carroll into selling him
q half interest in the Bucket q Blood
the only live dance hall and gambling
Joint in town-and then he got into poll
tics.
There wasn't a man around that cared
for his game" Some hated some de-
spised him. but the bad men looked
leery' at his notched pistol-always in
view-and the good people feared him as
q bold. bad man y lantern jawed.
stoop-shouldered giant with the facial OK
preston OF q hyens, he yet chung 10 the
legend that he was "A lawyer come TO
Flasstone TO practice his profession on
high plane. while his daily life was
Sinking. bullying, sinister continuance Of
the only life he knew or understood. In
side of six months he was recognized hy
all classes & a boss The toughest OF
the lingering frntier rowdies feared him,
and the decent people agreed that It was
better 10 avoid him than 10 incur his ven
ON. For these reasons when a new town
marshal became necessary Bunk Gadsoe
got the job.
Being now duly authorized and ap-
proved authority, Bunk extended his
sway to that degree that every game IN
town paved tribute 70 him and the NUM-
cipal authorities began 10 praise his dom
nance over the 'laWiess element There
was no doubt about his dominance.
There wasn't a half-and half bad man
in town that didn't fawn before his
prowess and the silent voice OF his notch
ed pistol. Fighters from the hills and
cowmen Of tried mettie who blew in from
the mines and the ranges, and who had
heard of Bunk Gadsoe. felt honored TO
have a drink with him, but. drunk or
sober. nobody dared To waken his anger
or summon the famous weapon that hung
always al his right hip. He gave often
sive men hours TO leave town without
so much as arresting them.
You sit forenoon r I'll run you out
like wolf he said 70 Scarface Boyd,
the LAREDO bully. And Scarface did
git" Old Hansbrough, the town drum
kard, invoked his doom by refusing to
leave table ina the Echo saloon one night
when Gads0e wanted tn entertain two
friends at the same single table. The
marshal didn't wait for explanations; on
the contrary, he hardly gave Hanshrough
time 70 measure the distance 70 the door
but shot him where he sat and after the
drunkard was on the floor emptied his
colt into the defiant one. That MADE
stir in Flasstone and some were bold
enough 70 hint that C;adsoe was a bully
and even coward. There was another
trial. but the marshal proved that Hans
hrough had made motion for his CUR"
and there Was another acquittaI.
After that there was no stopping Bunk.
He l0red IL To a degree that terrified an
classes Of men. He boosted openly Of his
prowess and levied larger tribute from the
saloons, gambling resorts and dance
halls. on the slightest provacstion his
gun was OUT. and his method OF enforc-
ing what he understood as the "law on
a high plane was "a terror 10 the daring
and q disgrace to the gentle. when Cap
tain Galloway and ten rangers came
down from Jolla To round up the snug
glers above Flagstone Gadsoe looked the
band over with a naughty eye and de-
clared.
They amt a fust-ciass man among
EN-"
But il was Willis Pierson. the dude Of
Getaways troop. that "rlledT Gadsoe
the most The rangers circulated all
right-quiet fellows most OF them-but
nobody expected trouble between them
and the marshal I'll the latter and Willis
Plerson sat in 81 the same wheel one
night. and while Gadsoe lost continually
ou large bets the dude raager won inces-
sanity on smau ones
cash en- Carroll" sneercd Galsoe az
last with "a ieer IT Pierson. = kalrt win
settin' next 70 no French DOH"
P.frsou looked un. hiashed and laid
his chips on the spot vacated by Gsdsoe.
Take them cheap bones out a my
graveyard- snarled the marshal hitch
INK round SO thay his pistol vas easy.
and with his left hand swes Ping away the
stack ~ white chips
Beg parion Colonel Gadsoe" smiled
The ranger iE voice IKE woman p;
Il Thought yeu w.er through
who the HI cares what sou thorFhtG-'
sneered Gads0e rising
~ very sorry. resumed the polite
mnn ~ Galloway troop. also rising whsle
tie players an suiekered at what they
regarded as tae Etfle fellow Iadyike
ceVsrd1e But SIZE iafter kept step u'fh
G1dsoc as be staieed nHaF. ara 81 her
they Ecr near the doorway Eafa- Colonel
viii yoa kiaflr ~ gre have = rnatch
Ga1soe. fatterei ufih hIs triumph ard
with the daae har.liittie1- hau1ss olt
match rEal took it WITH mars
thanks sr3 coping e. acres the ~
~ h-s cori r1t ~ agHt g. shipped
OFT BIZ revolver ard he'd n rllsfrnfrr az
TIE 7aae - EurE G1ls7e
you h1ne-s.lcsfrr etzz ~ he r7d
smiling toc- lse glr- gca cone win