Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-10-17
"wen, 1 found Williams a frst-rat.


fensive, and yet I wondered that he
was not more popular than he ap-
peared to be in the gambling houses,
in every one of which he seemed to be
well known. Every body nodded to him
respectfully, but rather darkly. and
the bartenders all seemed to be intent
on keeping their eyes on him. And the
way that man could hold liquor was
wonderful. I had already begun to
spend money very freely, and to keep
up my self-described reputation of be-
ing sort of an eastern bad man. began
to swagger little.
81 was somewhat astonished while
standing at bar on San Antonio av-
enue to observe Williams draw his gun
and put bullet into a small mirror
hanging just back of the bar. 1 was
equally surprised but relieved beyond
words to observe the bartender smile
a sickly smile as he same out from
under the bar and accept ten-dollar
bill from Williams in payment for the
broken mirror.
"'Ene up here. you galoots, and
have drink with your Uncle DickeyH
| shouted my inoffensive friend to as
rough a looking lot of gents as ever
and let me introduce you to my friend
and pardner from the east. and he's not
| one of your old tenderfeet, eitherr
This last referred to me, but what
surprised me and lifted a load off my
mind at the same time was that this
mob of ruffans promptly lined up and
| shook me by the hand.
William bought drinks and paid
with a $50 bill, spurning the change.
| snow, it struck me that I would have
to make good in some way, and then.
in grand finale of fierceness and gen
crosby, break away from Williams
who was fast becoming too strenuous
for me.
I essayed a number of picturesquely
violent expressions, and while order
ing up the next round of drinks drew
my revolver. I had picked out small
glass pitcher standing behind the bar.
which I figured on costing me about
SIS, and intended to put bullet
through it, but my nerve failed me at
| the last moment, and I bought another
round of drinks instead.
well, things went from bad to
worse-that is. Williams did. He be-
came wildly hilarious and careless the
|
wanted to go home but Williams
wouldn't hear of it. He even began tic
get ugly with me and threatened tc
shoot me if I deserted him, my old
pal.
The word soon got around that
Jake Williams, from Sage River, was
on the rampage, and that there was q
devil of an eastern highlander with
| hoI 10
| ton. I found out that Williams, wher
drunk, in which condition he got OF
each annual visit to Ell Paso, was bou,
as wild and vicious an Indian as ever
came out of the sage brush, and he
was such good shot that it was gen
orally agreed among the men in towr
to let him alone.
"We1l, nobody will ever realize the
horrors of that night Williams shot
at something in about every place we
got into, and in order to save my life
I was compelled at times to follow
suit, and several times came near TAX
ing off bartenders' heads. A number
of men, 1 could see, wanted to kill me,
but they were afraid of Williams. who
was shouting and singing and shoot
ing and spending money like a crazy
man. I followed suit with hollow
mockeries of defiant bellowings, and
during the course of the evening paid
for two window panes, two mirrors
and dog which had fallen victim to
my unwilling shooting arm. I was fas t
going broke with the enormous drain
on my finances. Williams said I was
all right not knowing how little in
terest I was taking in the proceed
ings. I finally got Williams to bed
in hotel, an entire floor of which we
had engaged, and in the quiet of the
night told the clerk of my troubles
and bribed him to send me over to the
station, where I took the first train
out of Ell Paso, a sadder and a wiser
MANN. Y. Times.