The National tribune., 1903-07-30

stairway, had swung that negro around
his head like war club ald thus cleared
| the way for about a dozen negroes whom
| the infuriated mob was about to hang upon
some lampposts. Also, that he carried
| upon his person constantly anywhere from
four to six rcvolvers ahI a bowie knife,
and would sooner fight than eat"
| am thus particular in describ ng this
man, whom every one at first acquaintance
would have taken tn be Il cultivated and
mild-mannercd gentleman 'of the old
school, because we shall see further on.
| in due chronological order. what an
amount of trouble he gave to the court ut
his trial; for i'll consequence of the testi-
mony given by the Constable aud Suhse-
quent events the Judge of the Police Conrt
| held that the occurrences related to him
made the case so serious that it had to he
brought before the Grand jury at its next
session. Duiiicld and hIai,h. it seems. had
arranged to fight IL regular duel with fire
arms. proceeding which. according to
| the Statutes of the Territory then called
the Howell Codei. took the ease beyond
| the jurisdiction of Justice of the Peace.
The memorable trial which lesu ted during
the following year lives still in the MEM
| ory of old-timeIs as an event In the
meantime the would-be duelists We're put
/
besides, held under bonds TO appear before
the District Court at its next session.
There has also arrived in the town about
| the same time q trio of tOughs. called the
kelsey boys said to be brothers. |
only knew two of them. the two younger
ones. The elder of these appeared quiet
enough man: he was i faro dealer. and
kept sober at all times. The younger one
was hard drinker. an all-arourd gam
| bier tough. and bully. He would prob
ably not have been tolerated in the town
| long. j. @. alive had it not been for the
generally known fact that his two elder
brothers would protect him to the utmost
and make every quarrel Their own in which
he might become complicated. whether it
were just or unjust, and no matter how
provoked.
Now, few days after the above de-
scribed fight, there presented himself at
my bar the youngest Kelsey. a heavy-set
/ man of about 30 years of age. with a
1 bloated face and malignant smile, and
demanded stiff cocktail. 1t being early
morning, there. was nobody stirring yet
anywhere: | interrupted my occupation Il
was sweeping out the place at the timel
and mixed his drink. which he imbibed at
one swallow, Immediately demanding an
other. L complied and said: -Four bits,
please" t-,
| He reached behind his right hip. pulled
ont a big Colts revolver Gt looked very big
to mel, cooked it, and laid it before him
on the counter within easy reach of his
hand but out of my reach, / felt no de-
sire to reach out for it, anyway, under the
| circumstances. "1ou-Dutchy,' he said,
you see this:'
| l saw. He grabbed the weapon and
retreated backwards toward door,
through which he sappeared.
| When | reported the case to my employ
ers they simply said | must not let him
have any more liquor on credit.
| Mr.. Kelsey must have thought he had
me badly scared. At all events, he re-
turned early on the following morning.
had consulted over night with an expert
enced old German named Cam Wise This
man had been in the Territory s.nce 1854.
and he gave me the following advice:
| When you see that a scrimmage is un-
| avOidable, see that yOu get in the first
lick, and be sure TO get il in good" When,
therefore. the Kelsey boy made his de-
mand for cocktail / put my hand under
the counter as if reaching for n tumbier; in
reality l took n good grip on that heavy
piece of wood called bung-starter, and
asked my customer for payment in ad-
vance. He fared up in anger, and made
il motion toward his right hip. This in
the ethics of that time and place under
| like circumstances was q sufficient provo
cation for using club not only, but pis-
tol if desired. That bung-starter came
out from under the counter and descend
ed upon the head of the tough with the
rapidity of lightning. and all the force
was capable of. Kelsey dropped, and |
ran out, making bee-line to the office of
Charley" Myer, the Justice Of the Peace.
To him l related the circumstance and
paid fine of S5-which operation, he
said, would settle the matter. 1t did.
When / returned to the barroom the. man
had gone: there remained only n spot of
coagulated blood where his head came in
contact with the floor Then | shut up
shop, took and delivered the keys of the
place to the owners, to whom | declared
that keeping bar in Tucson. or, in fact. in
any other place, did not suit my complex
ion and inclination.
Although no legal proceedings We're tax.
en- against me for my self-administration
of justice. l was told by several persons
that l had better be ON the lookout for
trouble with either the Kelsey boys them
selves or others Of their gang" and when
l heard that the situation OF Suffers clerk
at Crittenden had become vacant and was
urged by two officers of that Fort, tempo
rarily at Tucson, to apply for the place, /
readily accompanied them thither and OBJ
tanned the situation.
| (Toa be continued)