The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
81 DAvIDsONs HURRICANES.
A Missouri kinsman Of Jim Mckinney
the Outlaw Killed Recently.


+ Jim Mckinney. the outlaw who was
shot TO death in a chinese joss house at
bakersfield. Cal. last Sunday. belonged
to a family Of terrors on both sides.
Twenty wears before the Civil War there
was n kinsman on his mothers side who
was known in the county where he lived
as 81 Davidson
The present generation in Cas- county.
No, probably never heard OF him, yet he
was the first terror OF region which pro-
duced the Younger boys. and In a strip of
the State over which Quantrel and his
guerriIlas rode by day and night when no
mans life was safe.
So far - was known 81 Davidson never
killed his man In the time in which he
lived the man who killed another had TO
show that his own life was in danger before
he killed his asSailant, IL he wanted to con-
tinue his residence in the county.
One of the early instructions OF one OF
the first Judges OF that part OF the State
was. according To the memory OF his grand
son. also Judge. a. follows:
IF the ju-y believe that the deceased
was dead shot, as the Court understands
he was, and that he fired at the defendant
first and was drawing the bead on him the
second time, the Court instricts the jury to
acauit the defendant on the spot
Piat was the law on the Big Blue River
There were those who used to say. when
ever there was a murder or other crime
committed in the county, about which
there was any mystery: 1T would have
been like 81 Davidson IL nobody else had
a-done it, But " was never indicted
for murder,
1t was his principal delight to stop b'isi-
ness at the county seat, Harrisonville, or
cause the stagecoach and the mail carrier
to take to the brush or cut across fields
81 was feet 2. lank and nearly as dark
as an Indian. When he was mounted
on little white pony. as he always was
his feet nearly touched the ground When
he crossed a creek he doubled his legs
under him.
There was a sort OF fairness in his nature
For example when he planned a hurricane.
as he called his raids on the county seats,
he sent word ahead that a certain day
would be 81 Davidson's day in town. and
mothers and old mammies gathered their
broods from the yards, Fairgrounds and
streets. locked their doors, and remained
prisoners until Isl Davidson was through. Z"
While the hurricane was on, 81 David
son was riding his gray pony into the court
house, galoping the little beast through
| from one door to the other, making a tar
get of the ceiling as he galloped, and fol-
| lowing il up with a ride through the streets
| Woe to the man whom he met. That
man was compelled to dance while 81 David
sons shots kicked up the dust in the imme-
date vicinity of his feet. Another diver
sion was TO put a bullet through the citi-
GEMS hat. always warning the citizen to
stand still il he didntbsant to get hurt.
The Sheriff of the county. who was the
only officer authorized TO make an arrest /.
! was never in town when il was 81 Davdson's
day. Besides, Si Davidson controlled all
the votes in his part Of the county Oh
| election day.
One of 81 Davidson's exploits was on the
occasion Of the laying of the cornerstone
of a schoolh ouse by the Masons. 81 did
| not send word BE- would lie there, as was his
| custom. but he arrived during the Cere-
| monies aud while the stone was being low
cred he came whooping up the street on his
| gray pony, firing down, right. left. up,
Initiating the old music teacher just before
| he strikes the air. 1t Is said that he shot
| all round the stone. and there was a story
| for a long time. that he made the lodge
open the box afterward. but. of course,
| he didn't.
his return to his farm that night he en-
countered a bigger hurricane than any
he ever managed.
The flood gates opened. The big creek
which he had 70 cross went out Of its banks.
and ri Davidson's body was found when the
waters receded. lodged in the top OF a tree.
His funeral was rather remarkable, con-
sidering his record The people felt that a
| burden had been lifted from them-that a
curse had been removed and they at
tended his burial, each to satisfy himself
or herself that ri Davidson was dead.
The women whom he had made prisoners
we're there. and the children were shown
the dead ~ that they might underst and
| that there would be no more terror-no
| more Davidson hurricanes. The little
white pony he rode in life was hitched be-
hind the wagon which contained his coffin
A short time after the members Of the
| family left the county and went to Cali
| fornia To this day no one In Cass county
| can tell where 81 Davidson was buried