The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-04-19
The Arizona Kicker
Editor Hellso Meets With q Misfortune,
Owing to a Dispute With
Colonel Thompson.

He is the horse editor Of the
Kicker on a salary of S12 per week.
with bullet holes thrown in.
His style is somewhat jerky. This
is because he has to jerk out a gun so
often.
Jim Hellso, the editor and owner, is
lying in bed with a bullet in his Shout
der, and it falls to the lot OF the horse
editor to write the particulars Of a
lamentable occurrence.
Mr.. Hellso desires us to observe at
an early stage that three months ago,
when his fourteenth victim was laid
away in the Kicker editorial graveyard.
there was every hope that no further
shooting would have to be done for
years.
Despite this hope, a fifteenth has
fallen.
The horse editor could ring In sew
eral Scriptural quotations at this juno
ture to point a moral, but the small
ness of his salary forbids extra e1er-
ton.
The name of the fifteenth man was
Colonel Thompson, late owner of Gray
Wolf ranch and q person widely
known in this section Of Arizona as an
impulsive, hot tempered man. On four
different occasions he pulled a gun on
the writer of this, and his record was
that of a shooter.
In addition to knowing the cattle
business from A to 2 the colonel was
a man of considerable education and a
student of history. 1t Is believed that
he had a history of America about
ready for the press when the misfor-
tune occurred.
Some five years ago the Kicker pub
lished an article in which Nero was
not mentioned in the most fattering
terms. Colonel Thompson at once took
exception to the article, claiming that
Nero was a man of shining character
who had been m~aliciously vilifed. The
paper apologized in its next issue, but
the incident ranked in the coloneI's
mind.
There was another scene. The Kick
er had published a brief article about
Cain, who is popularity supposed to
have killed his brother Abel. Accord
ing to Colonel Thompson, it was a ma
licious SANDER on Cain, and he didn't
propose to stand by and see a good
mans memory smirched. After some
discussion, in which pistols We're
drawn, the Kicker agreed to apologize,
and its next issue contained the fol
lowing:
An AnnlnCu IN fhA H---ry - -1f-- 20
press last week we inadvertently admitted
article rejecting on the character of
Cain or Biblical memory. We exceedingly
that the Kicker should have given
to the report that Cain killed
his brother Abel and trust that neither of
them will suffer any inconvenience from
the publication.
The apology did not entirely satisfy
Colonel Thompson, but he had to make
the best of it and wait for another op-
That opportunity came last Wednes-
day. On hat day the Kicker pub
lished an article that Diogenes, the
didn't pay his debts. Two
hours after the paper was mailed Colo
mel Thompson came storming in to
claim that he was q direct descendant
of Diogenes, and that the article was a
gross SANDER.
The horse editor was in the editorial
sanctum to borrow 50 and saw and
heard everything.
Mr.. Hellso expressed regret that he
had injured the reputation Of anybody
and promised that the usual apology
should appear the next week. He add
ed, however, his desire to secure a list
of Biblical and historical things object
ed to by the colonel in order to prevent
future mistakes, and the colonel didn't
take it as a joke.
On the contrary. he emphatically &c
nounced Mr.. Hellso as Il slanderer Of
the dead and a man Who ought 10 have
been brought to book long ago. Sever
al remarks were made i'll an et.I-s to
soften him. but he |OEiG not accept TIE
olive branch. He was about 10 have
the Office when lie va asked !. O.
Kicker couId publish anything $50
Jonah and tie Whale without ben
forced to apologize fer i.
The remark was made il tie Gce g.
good nature and was accompanied by
a laugh, but Colonel Thompson uttered
an oath and pulled a gun and began
shooting.
The horse editor at once lay fat
down on the floor. The horse editor, il
may be remarked, knows his gait.
Colonel Thompson had fired three
shots before Mr.. Hellso reached for his
gun and replied. Indeed, he was al
ready wounded. At his first fire the
colonel fell, and he never spoke again.
The horse editor notified the police
and the coroner and got a dray to take
Mr.. Hellso to the hospital. The coro-
ner's inquest held that same evening
acquitted the editor of any blame what
ever.
In rendering their verdict the jury
added, 1--WE also find that the man