The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-11

True as you live, he turns and rides
back without firm a shot, and he reach
es Sandy Bend and my saloon with his
teeth clickin' together and his boss all
of a lather. He tells me he's bin rob-
bed. He tells me he's bin assassinated.
He tells me he wants bar'ls and bar'ls o.
jestice. l ask him why he didn't shoot
back-why he didn't take kiver and let
seven kinds O. daylight through Jim
O'Day and he breaks down and cries.
He hain't no more nerve than coyote.
He's bin holdin' up his record on bluff
alone.
Well, he gifts jestice. That's what
I'm yere fur-to deal out jestice by the
hunk or by the carload. 1 issue a war
rant. send out a constable, and three
hours later the officer leads him in by the
ear. Jim admits to the robbery and he
admits to the shootin'. He also admits
that that was the only bullet he mad
and that when he fired 1t his hand was
shakin' so he couldn't tell within rod
of whar' it would go. He was calculatin
on takin to the woods and leav1n' every
thin behind, and when he sees Bill Pc
tiers maxim off he was the most surpris-
ed man in the west. Them facts was
brought out yere on the trial, and most
of you was right yere to hear 'em.
yes, that buffer of a Bill Peters still
wanted jestice, and he reckoned on
seem Jim O'Day sent to prison. Jim
robbed the outfit and wasn't mean huff
to deny it. and he said he was willin'
to go to prison fur a year to obleege the
court The court had other ideas, how
ever. While it was yere to dispense Jes-
tice, it was also yere to uphold the rep
utation of the glorious west, instead of
bringing the blush of shame to the cheek
of every man who wears a gun.
My decision in this case was that Jim
ODay should walk out a free man, put
not to do any more slxullduggery bizness,
and that Bill Peters should pay the costs
and mount his boss and git out o sight
1t was a decision satisfactory to all but
Bill He sneaks over to Cooper Hill and
hires a shyster lawyer to appeal the case
ion has bin reversed and that the case
must be tried on its merits
Thar ar little courts ana pig courts,
and the big courts reckon to walk over the
little ones. Thar are also men ana men,
however As a court I'm Wilhn TO retry
the case but as man I'll be durned II l
will! That is. I'm goin' to give Jim O'Day
ten davs to git beyond my jurisdiction and
l don't believe he's fool nun 10 come PACK
fur the next three months. He don't hap
pen to be yere today, but 1 reckon he'll git
the news. - -, it, o,.ou 49,.
chawin' terbacker and talkin' to his law
yer, my opinyun is the same as it was two
months ago. and should ne nave nav the FACE
won't be served. 1 may git into fuss
with the higher court over this, and I'm
lookin' to do it. They may complain to
the governor and try to impeach me, but
if 1 am busted the explosion shall be heard
| fur Ave miles around
I'm fur freedom and liberty and patriot
ism The man who buckles on two guns
| is supposed to be free man and a pa
! triot but if he hain't the sand to use 'em
to git back his own-if he comes weepin'
around for jestice when jestice is right in
his own hands-then we may look to see
the stars and stripes turned into boss
blanket and the American eagle cooped up
in the same cage with 5uzzard-
1 lumbia, as we git outside.-(Copyright
1903, by c. B. Lewis)
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