The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-04
4 e5x5,. <<9~az4- 49,

overheard three townsmen idly discussing
-ddaS May. He took offense at tho
language used by Barry, one Of the men.
Approaching The party he said: Get
your gun; I'm going to shoot you, The
astonished man spoke no word but moved
his hand IN some manner that Curry con-
Strued as reach ng for weapon. The
latter drew his own pistol and fired The
man fell instantly. They were not over
four feet apart and the victims beard
was sinsed by the powder 1t was all
done so quickly that the bystanders
didn't realize what had happened at first.
With the smoking weapon still in his
hand Curry backed against the wall. He
sill had five cartridges in the weapon.
Barry died in minute or two and then
Price, another of the three men, leaped
to MS feet and with a fierce oath said:
Either you or die right here" The
words had scarcely left his lips when he
staggered TO q bench with two of Cur
rvs bullets in him. A general fight
seemed likely. With no chance to re-
load and but three -oads left Curry began
to back along the wall toward the door
His face was calm though slightly pale
and he held the cooked pistol on the
crowd
When near the door a voice shouted:
Don't let him get away" and two or
three men sprang forward and again
man was wounded. The crowd instantly
fell back. The desperate engineer, seeing
his chance, backed out the door and with
weapon-,ever ready walked away the
crowd outside keeping at a respectful dis
tance.
The dead and wounded in this encoun-
ter were not Of much value to the public
and no one thought 1t worth while to
avenge them. Curry came and went on
his engine as before but was always so
so ready that none cared to offend him.
There was no organized county as yet.
A drummer named Edwards made fire.
quent trips for his firm along the new
railroad and on his visits to Hays he
always called on Ida May. If ne had kept
a wise tongue no harm would have come
of il. but he was vain and foolish and
boosted of his. supposed conquest The
anxious woman begged him not only to
keep still but to stay away entirely. Her
anxiety only served to initiate his con-
eeit and he babbled with tnfantile joy
all along the railroad. Curry got exagger-
ated accounts of this talk and the next
time the drummer came that way sub
stitute went out in Curry's cab while
the engineer shut himself in his room and
watched his mistress house. In time he
saw Edwards go in. He followed. Ida
May saw him coming and in her fright,
tried to steer the visitor out Of the back
door. Curry expected this and as the
fugitive turned the corner Of the house
they came face to face. Neither spoke.
The girl ran between them screaming:
Jim. you shall not kill another man on
my account" She even seized the pistol
he now held and tried to wrest 1t from
him. Edwards was rooted to the spot,
terror showing in every feature. The de-
lay was short. With a curse Curry flung
the Slight figure from hin. and then coolly
shot the drummer between the eyes, kill
ing him. instantly.
According TO the code OF morals pre-
.vailing there. these were private ma tiers.
If friends OF the dead man saw fit to take
up the quarrel it was all right, but it was
no business Of outsiders. There were no
local newspapers and few daiIles got that
far up the road.
About this time Abilene was the great
shipping point for Texas cattle and the
men. after their long journey overland,
were guilty of the most grotesQue exc
cesses. They killed strangers, citizens
and one another with smiling grace and
polite inpartiaIity that have never been
equaled. An accident detained Curry's
train through whole day. He spent the
time with acquaintance around town,