The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-14
WINCHESTER VENDETTA.

I'd to the time Sheriff Kittredge took
charge of affairs in Nogales county
every white official played into the
hands of the COW men, and as it was
only the Mexican element that went in
for sheep and goats the trouble between
the fence faction and the range faction
took on all the characteristics of a race
war, in which the white herderss as
lawless and audacious a gang as ever
infested the border. had all the best of
it. The Mexicans in and about San Vim
cente seemed to be pretty well cowed,
but Kittredge may nave encouraged
them a little by promises of protection
and assurances that the law would be
enforced. The poor poems We're just
commencing to rebuild their fences and
increase their fiocks when Tom DAILY
and about four herderS came up from
steers Fences didn't stop him for a
minute Two of his men rode in adj
vance. brazenly displaying their wire
cutters, and when they got to San Vim
cente to ship there wasn't a whole fence
south of the town. The first night after
DaIy's gang got in they went down to
the Honk-a- Tonk across the railroad
tracks, got into fight with some Mex
leans and killed two. Well, Kittredg9
tailed the DAILY outfit all except Tom
The leader couldn't be found, and when
the case came to trial everybody, in
Guiding Days boys, Swore that it was
Tenn himself who had done the murders.
That certainly was the easiest way out
of the scrape for the four bird cowboys,
and I suppose they took it for granted
that as Tom hadn't stood by" they
were justified in saving themselves at
his expense. His reputation could stand
it, however, and the "greasers'' who
corroborated the evidence We're equally
positive. The queer part of the whole
matter was that Daily had escaped with
out his horse. He never turned up again
Il IA
find out, and the most diligent search
failed to show that he had ever left San
Vincente after that shindig at the Honk
a-Tonk. Everybody was puzzled. espe-
cially Kittredge, about what should be
done with the stock, or whether DAILY
had any people back East.
One fine morning, much to the aston
ishment of everybody, a big, raw
boned, redfaced chap with a black
Prince Albert coat and his pants in his
boots, got off the train and went look
ing for the court house. Once in Kilt
redge's little frame office, the new
conner promptly announced that he was
Ed DAILY, sometimes nicknamed Jump"
he said, Toms older brother. come to
San Nincente for the express purpose of
prosecuting his brothers murderers."
He said that he was a lawyer, had
studied law in the state penitentiary,
where he had served IAN unjust SEN
tenee'' for cattle rustling, and that he
meant to square things up with the
hounds that had made away with Tom
kittredge noticed that the new DAILY
was well "garrisoned,' carried a Win
chester and had a mean eye" So he
welcomed the stranger to San Vim
cente's hospitality and vaguely warned
him that, although the county had been
but newly organized. he, Kittredge, had
reputation at stake, and meant to
maintain the majesty of the law.
Ed DAILY got as far into his law prac
tice as hanging out a single, which he
himself painted upon the lid of a soap
box Then he began to sWagger about
for evidence" that his brother had been
foully dealt with. Not finding any
tangible clews and having a weakness
for roulette stud poker and craps he
the Swan and the Acme. where his
buster soon terrified the Mexicans and
discouraged the American gamblers. He
held up the Acme dealer one night
money on the cloth. Kittredge made
bluff at arresting him for this, but he
explained that the dealer had tried to
'hurrah'' him. and. as the latter made
no denial, it was considered good JUS
tice'' to let Daily go free.
Thus encouraged, the "avenger'' be-
gan to brOw-beat and terrOrize the town,
50 that Kittredge was afraid to go away
for day at a time for fear Daily would
cut loose Some Of the younger set
from the Bald Knob ranges began to
grow FESTIVE under the bullys harsh
predominance. but DAILY was either too
smart or too cOwardly to mix things
with his own countrymen. He killed a
Mexican one night as he was riding
home from a dance at Greasy Marys.
but swOre that he had been shooting at
a Jack rabbit and as the victim was
only greaser the coroner let it go at
| that. But one morning late in August
/ Daily failed to appear at the Twin Re
publics for his mornings morning" He
had set in at the faro table till past
midnight, and after that nobody could
remember having seen him. No freight
trains had passed, and to further nyS-
tify the community it was found about
noon that his horse, saddled and bridled
was grazing out on the Nogales trail
about mile from town.
OF course Kittredge got busy again.
but he never could find out what hap
pened the second of the DAILY brothers
Pete SWlntOn, who kept a dairy bought
the horse few months later. and then
gave it away because it wouldn't work il.
harness. That is, the horse would work
but had a trick of baking at the same
place In the road and standing there till
all human effort to drive it on was ex-
hausted. The horse was a good locker
and went pretty we'll in the saddle. but
every time it came to ROmerO'S hut at
/ tne end of Main street the stubborn
| beast would stand stock still. nor bulge
except when a fire was built beneath,
| and then only got out of danger. Pretty
| soon nobody in San Vincente would
nave the DAILY horse. Romero, who was
a sheep herder. moved away and the
miserable horse was left to wander
about the old shanty. unfed and I'M
watered till its bones almost stuck
| through the hide
Sheriff Kittredge and the new mar
snail fellow named Ma gruder, came
riding past one dav and found the old
/ horse stark and stiff right in the middle
/ q the road; Magruder was a good deal
Of q tenderfOot. all stuck up on San Vim
cente and full of queer ideas about
civic pride" sanitary precautions, and
SO forth. so as soon as be got back to
/ the court house he sent Patricio Mira
monies and his son to bury the dead
morse. They picked a corner of Rom
ero deserted field for the grave but
they hadn't dug two feet into the loose.
dry sand when they came upon Ed
DAYS Prince Albert. Patricio fetched
1 the coroner and they dug both the DAILY
DoYs out of the same hole in the sand.
! hlJTr6dOe made a CT Mo To fxr