The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-01-29
A MAN OF MYSTERY.
The End of Bronco John, Gentien nn
FrOntiersman Who Was Light
ming with q Gun.

ming with u Gun.
Bronco John Daley has cashed in.
His name doesn't appear in any OF the
school histories, but that is the fault OF
the men who write them, not of John.
In the days when the frontiersmen were
blazing the trail from Julesburg, in Col
orado, to Virginia City, in Nevada, Daily
was known far and wide as the quickest
man on the draw in the whole region.
This says a Lincoln (Neb) report tc
the New York Sun, did not even except
Wild Bill Hickok, who had better press
agent.
Daley died in destitute Circumstance
ces in the wilds near Julesburg, where
he first made himself known. He was
always a mystery.
He started from Missouri with party
of men who broke out the trail to the
big gold camps, and he first attracted at
tention by his book knowledge. After
the crowd got little farther along to-
ward the west his ability in the gun
tanning line earned for him a respect
that his book learning had not awak-
ened.
Some of the boys" said Harris Chat
field, a New Mexico cattleman, who was
one of the party that accompanied Daley
to the gold camps, made an attempt to
find out where he came from, but they
were blocked in every attempt.
"He had an air of distinction about
him that was strange in our crowd, and
it was not until we saw him handle his
gun that we saw what an expert he was.
1t was a treat to see that mans hand
go to his belt and flash back again with
the drop on fellow.
Zone of our men found to his sorrow
that it had a magic quickness. He was
left handed and nearly always got his
man in the region of the heart. He new
er wounded. He always killed.
Il remember an incident that hap
pened after we got to Virginia City.
Daley and | took a stroll up the valley
to see what this country looked like.
After short walk We came upon sa-
loon and Daley invited me in to have
a drink with him.
There were many bad ones around the
hang-outs in those days and when We
went in we were scrutinized by more
than dozen of bad lockers. Daley
gazed about him in his rather austere
and with his usual dignity. He
was always the gentleman, no matter
where he was.
Somehow he did not take with the
bunch and one of the crowd walked up
to him.
"'Your kind don't go here said the
chap. who was evidently seeking fight.
DALEY looked at the man with an ex-
preston of contempt. He pulled out
gun that reached nearly to his knees
and laid it on the bar With a quick
of his hand he sent it spinning
about on the surface Of the rude counter
and then made the soul of the braggart
feel the taste of terror
when he turned his piercing eyes upon
him.
"'See, | am unarmed,' he said to the
man. If you have the nerve to shoot
take that gun and get to work. You have
the look of a murderer, but not one who
does his work in the open. Take that
gun. you coward his voice rising. No?
| thought so. l knew it wasn't in you.
DALEY knew his pan and the fellow
fell back in the crowd, never once hav-
ing moved to draw his own gun or take
that thrown upon the bar by Daley
After that Daley was the king pin of the
town.
But he wasn't taking any chances
when he tossed his shooter on the coun-
+or Tn bic ua aictooat ponlot he had two
derringers, with which he would have
killed the man upon the first sign that
the latter meant to do business"