Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-06-09
EARLY DAY STORY.
How ''IOs" StiGSOn Turned the Trick
on Bad Man, "WaIIy" Henderson,
ELIzABETATOWN, N. ". EPISODE.

NO use to waste time talking about
him he was the only one of his kind.
And when | say was. | mean Just that.
for. though he is alive today in an old
I soldiers home in California. hes a has.
been, and-was Is was
Thus spoke William II. Baker. cheer
ful. content and %corpulent. dispenser
o, lithia water at 1880 Stout street
Lithia water, Harkee. 1t is true.
And it IS the same Little Billy, - whom
the old-timers at Elizabethtown. n. M.
knew back in the '70s. when a mans
life at Elizabethtown was worth
well, whatever he could get for it. and
il was always on sale.
Little Billy was talking to Joseph
S%tinson. who was born in Maine sew.
enty years ago. but deserted the At
lantic seaboard early and came west to
rough it. and rough il hard. Nobody
would recognize him by the name Jo-
seph. however. He was always 10"
good old Joe but a mighty bad old
10 when he was aroused.
A Quiet Time.
1t would take a big book of a good
many chapters to tell all about Joe"
S%tinsOn. but it is well worth while to
wait while BILLY" Baker tells of the
killing of "Wally" Henderson. a Job
which Joe attended to one morning
at the early hour OF A, to avoid I'M
necessary excitement and the disturb
ance of the sleepy inhabitants. Billy"
tells it something like this:
81 had blown in from Dodge City,
Kan, and had gone in with Joe in the
saloon business. OF course that meant
a gambling place with a booze attach
ment. Ordinarily, | attended to the
bar and Joe dealt faro while a hired
man of ours ran the high ball poker
game.
Joe was a big. good natured fellow
when he was sober. but he was a bad
man when he got his load on. He
didn't pick any trouble, even when he
was full. but he was awful ready when
he thought it was up to him. Several
times he lost all we had between us
by an unlucky deal or two and. when
he lost heavily. he used to wind up by
smashing all the furniture and glass
ware in the place and inviting every
body in till the booze was all drunk
up.
1T was along about 1879 when Wally
Henderson drifted into camp. He was
a mysterious. quiet, drinking sort of
a cuss. tall, black moustached and gen
tie in his manner But his reputation
came along with him and the widest
Of the boys went slow with him. for
it was known that he would shoot, and
it also leaked out that he was a marks
nan from whence, who had laid out
several pretty confident fellows.
New Man Assumes Charge.
81 was tending bar about that time,
and one night Henderson came quiet
ly in and took charge of the place.
" Don't you go behind that bar. he
said to me, as | returned after being
out about five minutes. You may
think you own this place, but I'm run
ming it for the time being
''Well, you may believe. | didn't go
behind. Then Wally asked everybody
up and he went behind and set 'em
up to everybody, Joe was dealing
faro at the time, but he was fairly So
her and didn't appear to be taking any
notice of him. He went right along
with his game and let Wally run
things, and smiled grimly when he
saw Wally giving away everything
we had on the shelves.
After awhile Henderson took a
drunken whim to close up the place.
and he drew his revolver and ordered
me to close.
Just do as | tell you and YOU won't
have no trouble, he said, and I looked
over to Joe for instructions. Joe nod
ded TO me and I began putting out the
lights and Joe put away his faro lay
out and told the boys everything was
off for the night. Henderson seemed
satisfied, but he stil appeared to have
his grudge at Joe.
Joe when the place was about closed
and we were all coming out.
I'm kill you some time. ne said to
An right. said Joe, calmly, for he
was in a peculiarly amiable mood that
night, but don't let me catch You at
il, Wally,' and that was their good
night.
Turned the Trick.
q slept badly and was up early, for
there was something in the manner Of
Joe that made me feel that there
would be somebody to bury before
long. I got mp at 4 o'clock and went
down and opened up by candle light
There was no need of it, but | felt like
| had to be up and about and doing
something.