The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-12
Each lay wn the overland EXPRESS came laundering through tn, canyon Roy Bean wal he enter Of
the CTMd Hachng the rain

Each day when the overland EXPIRE
WRITTEN FoR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
II was a sad shock 10 the majesty OF the
law In the wild Southwest when Squire
Bean OF LAngtry. Tex, died the other day.
For years his Honor Roy Bean had
manufactured law to order and enforced it
with hnes-and six-shooters. II necessary
He was belored and famous from the Rio
Grande TO Frisco as q dispenser Of Ameri-
can justice.
He had been on the gold coast in the
early days and was an oid-time vigilance
committee personi6ed IN one sn-hi yer
diets rendered while you walt
Like other pioneer statesmen and "Arst
citizens" he ran a saloon 1t was called
the Jersey LAY" and was q popular in
stitution in Lanstry. q one-street frontier
town nesting In a deep canyon Of the Rio
Grande. where the railroad crosses the big
river.
Over the front door Of the saloon. in
flaming letters. WAS the sign. The Jersey
LAly."
Judge" Roy Bean was known everywhere
as The law West OF the Pecos-" He
was not even a lawyer. but his decisions
pleased the people and they called him
Judge"
Each day when the overland express
came laundering through the canyon he
was the center OF the crowd on the wide
veranda o, the Jersey Lily. watching the
train.
The Judge was a solid. well-built man OF
80 years. OF medium height.
Under his sombrerO was fine massive head
"a regular United States Supreme Court
head-with gray hair and beard and a face
Intelligent. expressive and fun OF quiet
business. lie wore a checked SHIFT open
al the throat and trousers held By one sus-
pender.
HIS LIFE IN THE SOUTHWEST
Judge Beans life had been a part Of the
stirring history Of the Southwest He WAS
a typical Kentuckian. born away back in
1879. went TO Independence. Miss. when a
boy: at 10 made a trip TO Santa Fe. whittier
Spanish priests carried civilization and be
gan irrigation within ffty-seven years after
the landing Of Columbus
Later Mr.. Bean went with General Dona-
phan to Mexico in the early stages OF the
Mexican War. where Grant. Mcclellan. Lee.
Jefferson Davis and other famous men won
their first spurs.
For forty years Judge Beans life was a
succession Of Wild adventures. Even when
he tried TO settle down to civil life IN Chi
huahua. he Was forced to resume hostilities
and shoot u Mexican for rObbing his
brothers store. or the arrest. trial and es-
cape. his stirring life In e Psso. Tomb
stone. Tuscon and other frontier towns in
the Apache Southwest the incidents would
make a book Of 500 rawhide pages The
man and his deeds became the talk OF the
country.
After running a gambling saloon and
danee-house in Is5o-5l at San Gabriel Mis-
Sol. near Los Angeles. and selling whisky
at the Peno Alto mines in Arizona, he
drifted back to Texas. and during the war
freighted cotton from Abortion. the ter
minus OF the first little railroad in the State.
10 Lodi. Eagle Pass and Brownsville. bring
ing on his return trips supplies for the Con-
federate Government.
When the Southern Pacific was being
built across the plains he opened a saloon
and followed the camps
He first located near the Pecos. to which
he gave the name NinegerOne. Here he
built rock walls. with a canvas awning for
q roof. and sold whisky TO the thirsty Ia
0orers-
MUCH SHOOTING ON THE PECoS.
II Was here that he began MS so-eaned
@@a~Ao N-&N(a IN ~ ALI
there was so much shooting and such a
rapid increase IN the population OF the little
cemetery thAt the contractor In charge OF
the works wrote to Governor Ireland and
had Roy commissioned as a Justice Of the
Peace and a company OF rangers detailed to
assist him.
Roy Beans judicial career was marked
by those extraordinary decisions which be-
came history.
OF his methods Of reaching Justice at a
single sitting the following Is told:
An arm OF Cinnamon. building Mr.. Hun
tington's Southern Pacific Railroad. was
sometimes dif1cult TO manage. They were
divided into gangs with a white boss in
charge. One day a Chinaman assaulted the
foreman. who replied with q bullet and
killed his man A white rival perferred
charges. and the case came before Judge
Bean
white men, armed to the teeth.
immediate trial for the prisoner. Intending
to release him II declared guilty. Judge
Bean told them to picket their horses and
make themselves at home-he would try the
case next day.
There was wisdom In his action They
squandered money IN the Judges saloon.
until he decided that the statutes contained
nothing showing 1t q crime to kill n China
man So the offender was discharged.
A NOTED VERDICT.
Another famous verdict was when the
Peeos bridge in course o. construction feu