The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-10
When Justice Brewer Was
Mistaken for a Train RObber

| tGl F Mr.. JUSTICE BREWER rrera a
judge of a criminal court instead 81
| member OF the supreme bench of
the United States. I believe he wouId he
/ merclful 70 prisoner at the bar" said an
/ Oinaha man at the Fifth Avenue hotel The
81 UrneL hlshl he eminent justice could
put !, himself in the place Of the accused.
u SuPPose II Is contempt OF court 70 tell
! ~, Ou1 me Judge was once suspected of "A
/ grave crime, and il took the combined ef-
! 4oftS OF his friends and A fOur-eallon ing
" WHISKY 10 keep him from being dragged
OF 10 JAIL The sheriff of Natrona county
/ " youlthg' coCldn see it any other way
! IMAM that the justice was train rObbeT
| we We're hunting out in Medicine Bow
paTkl ~ IN me party were Justice Brewer
anu ". II. Munger (the last named now
Judge of the United States court for the
district of Nebraska. Henri d Esta-
] brook general attorney for the Western
lion IeiesTaph company. and one or two
otherS Medicine Bow park is one of the
most beautiful parts of Wyoming. and in
| those days il was practically inaccessible
70 wagon travel. 1t was an excellent
hunting ground for this reason and in
Whether man or beast if a cowboy got
INTO trouble he was even more likely to
Stfike cut Tor Medicine Bow park than
! Tor the Hole in the Wall
Game was plentiful and we had a good
Tune We bagged several elk and "a couple
4 of grizzlies before we had been there a
! WNths VIC tultAeU ourselves IN regular
INWild west fashion and gave one another
Wllu =eSt names. Justice Brewer was
known as Kansas Dave. and thew called
me 'Broncho Jack. Justice Brewer. i'm
Struggling growth OF chin whiskers wear
ing hlgh-topped boots, blue flannel shirt.
! bread-brimmed hat and a cartridge belt,
looked about as much like a jurist as
Dynamite Dick himself
"One day Justice Brewer and Judge
Munger stayed in camp to look after
things while the rest of us went out
hunting. happened 60 return in advance
OF the others in the evening, and there
seated before the fire were two stran-
grs. The two judges were there. too but
they both looked rather uncomfortable.
Wen, how Is Kansas Dave? l
bawied out, addressing Justice Brewer.
- All right he replied. with q sheepish
grin. while one Of the strangers gave
start and looked at him more closely
m the sheriff of Natrona county,
announced the newcomer. and he had his
hand al his pistol belt as he said it.
Glad to meet you. sheriff / replied.
Make yourself at home
But the sheriff waved aside my offer
OF hospitality and an ugly frown over
spread his tanned cOuntenance as he once
more looked the supreme court justice
over
" 1t sortar looks as though I'd have to
make some of you at home down 70 my
place at Casper he said. The Union
Pacifcs had another train robbery, but
don't reckon it's any news to this
bunch
We'll. indeed. il is news / said with
whistle of surprise.
But the sheriff was rot to - diverted
from his suspicious.
How long have you known that fell
ler?' he asked, with a nod at Justice
Brewer.
More than fifteen years replied.
! That is Justice Brewer Of the United
States supreme court
'Aw. he'll came the sniff of con-
tempt. L seen his picture before 1 left
town. and he's wanted for BLOWN open
an express car" Here he whipped out
his six-shooter. No monkey business.
bunch. Your judge has got TO come with
me. and Wen see il they don't know him
better down at Casper than You do.
1T looked Just bit serious. ! knew
the justice wouldn't relish a long ride on
q fractions brOncho any more than the
rest OF us. I tried to calm the sheriff
and persuaded him TO put his weapon
back N his belt
"T'u show YOU few papers that
have in our pack ! said. ~ they don't
convince you Wen all go with you.
II showed the sheriff those papers. but
not until his hostility had been somewhat
mellOwed by liberal draughts at our camp
supply of snake-bite antidOte Before he
left he decided to postpone the arrest but
his suspicious were not entirely alayed.
as was shown by his parting remarks
TO me-
Keep yer weather eye on that feller
TIL I see YOU again he gurgled. as he
jedge You've got your sand with you
to try to poke that down me. Looks
devil of a sight more like an Arizona
stage robber.
And the law of Natrona county, Wyo-
ming. rode to the north