The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-27

she conceal her identity that scarce any
two places where she has lived know her
guise. But wherever she has been there
she has always been "on the square
COLOR AND ROMANCE.
Few lives. whether OF men or woman,
have been SO rich In color and romance,
SO crowded with thrilling adventures and
exciting experiences as the life OF this
woman of the plains and mountains of the
west. Once In Il brush with Indians
when she was freishtinc between the Mis-
souri, River and the Rocky Mountains she
was shot In the abdomen and narrowly es-
capped death. A short time after her ra-
covery from her wound she was taken
prisoner by a band of Indians and given
up for lost by the other members CT the
freiGhtinx outfit to which she belonged.
ono DARK night, however. sho cantrived to
elude tho vigilance of her rel-SkiEned
captors and. mounting one of their hsetest
ponies, rlaile her Cscape under cover OF
darkness and In few days rejoined her
companions.
Hills. she was singled out and challenged
to mortal combat by young Indian chief
tain eager to win his spurs. He recognized
the young pale'aee as crack shot os
that II he could Set the scalp of so worthy
foe his farne would be secure. The young
woman IN male attire promptly accepted
rode, out upon the plains to battle to the
death. Tie savage. a fellow of 6ne
phyAqpe and bearing. superbiy mounted
ana at IN pain, a sna feat With
ioped forward, while the paleface rodc for
ward slowly and without demonstration.
Inc Indian took the first shot and missed
his mark. No sooner had the smoke from
hts ride cleared away than Kate Ataher
raised her rifle. took dalibarAte aim and
hred. The Fedskin fell headlong from his
mount with a bullet through his heart.
Soon afterwards near Deadwaod in q fight
with bandits who held up the stage coach
she was driving she nortally wounded one
man and was herself painfully wounded
by one OF the outlaws.
STAGE RSBBERlEs.
Stage rooherIes We're OF frequent occur
renee on the border in those days, and
the occupation of q stage driver was at
tended with great hardship and danger,
but this woman was Injured to hardship
ana bad relish for danger and drove her
stage In all kinds OF weather Tor several
years. Nor DID passengers whose husi- !
nnfs Iis ca,ied na h them frequently to the Black
young driver ever feel easier in their |
minds on the long journey than when she |
wa9 on the box and held the reins. She |
knew where to look for danger aud when |
danger came she could always bo counted |
on TO meet 1t with flrnness and courage. |
to hold up her @ stage a Elm in % lonely in piaes in
the hills. He stepped cut from behind a |
large tree and commanded the driver to |
stop. He was novice at the hold-up |
business and Kate .Maher. instantly. saw |
IL AS quick as a flash she whipped out |
her siX-shooter and took a shot at the |
bandit, at the same instant cracking her
outlaw fell with a mortal wound in the
head and his dead body was found the
next day. 1t was buried beneath the big |
tree from behind which he had emerged
to commit his crime.
lnoss were days not only OF hold-ups
and other crimes but OF lynchingS as well, |
ana Kate Maher did her part as a citizen
preserve peace and order. No man in the !
hills was mora intolerant OF crime and |
CRIMINALS than she. and few did. more 20
When a lynching seemed necessary sh. |
stooo ready TO do her part in executing It, |
ana on more than one occasion did sha
take s. hand in str:nSins up to the limb OF
iested ana mado life and property insecure
in the West
STOPS LYNCH1NG. |
But II she were quick to punish the
guilty, she was equally quick to defend,
with her life il need WERE tho innocent
Once she saved from the vengeance OF a
mob man unjustly accused OF Q murder
IN an alteIcat.on oyer 2 game OF cards in
shot and killed a miner in sef-defcIse
Fearing trouble, he left the resort before
the Town Marshal arrived to arrest him |
fusion Of the moment most OF those who
saw the shooting got tho impression that
1t WAS done IN cold blood. Kate Maher,
tho trouble. knew T that 1.-THE the As miner a''s was as
killed in self-cefense, and said So Tho inn
was popular, however. that she
was va! mistaken. mistaken. and when tho man who DID
formed to lynch him.
Despite his protestadons OF innocence. he
was taken out to be executed but Kate ,
done, saved his life at the peril OF her own
A rope had been put arouno the. accused
mans neck and THO leader OF the posse |
fore his I Death aavs somet;ns g
gentlemen" said Kate Maher, stepping |
forward, sixshooter in hand. and deliver
ate'y proceeding TO remove tha rope from
This man - not guilty. I'll stake my
own life on that, for saw tho shooting
with my Own eyes: and ths first man who
lays a. hand on or harTnS q. hair OF Ills
head will haye to answer 60 me for It |
You try TO Kill him ana I'll kill you"
nsF fnss Mss a, pale as death. and her
knew she meant what she said. aid NV '
BY = | reckon you're risht" said ono
oc them, walking up and crashing her
band and vii ,1d an, Sy you to the Bit,
of, and reckon you aln't going to begin |
now. Boys, the mans innocent; let him
co.
And let him 60 they did. The posse rode
back to town. Kate Mailer and tho man |
whose life slle had saved at thsir head.
nnd; n,Ns. seirE TO- a,ss' ss,oen thsy .'mst n
OF the accused miner.
SEARCH FOR TREASURE.
Kate MaheI's life on the range was not !
less picturesque and exciting than 1t had
been elsewhere. She was q superb horse
woman, and sbc quickly became one Of the
best-knovn COW pupchers in the West
She learned to bust bronchoe. ride out
laws. rope, hog-tie and cut out steers.
round up the herd and do all tho other
difficult feats that cowboys are wont
to do.
But her life In the hills had begot in her
q love for the mining camp and all that
the mining camp involved aid implied and |
q relish for fortune-hunting and by and
She cared little for money Of itpelf, but
the instinct of the. adventurer and the
gambler vas strong n her and the noun
alluremcnts and their wild, free life. called /
Irresistible to her. and she responded to
the call: Nor did she ever again return to
the prairies.
In her search for treasure she was un-
successful, but when hops Of finding 1t was
Eono she went INTO the mines and worked |
kept tho secret Of her sex locked tight Il, |
her own heart. and but for the accident |
Of sickness she might hays kept It there |
till she died. As It was, 1t got out But |
Doubtless she is going by the nam. and |
under the Guise of a man. wherever abs ts |
now. She has passed as q man and taken |
mans part in the world 50 long that she |
would scarce know how to act wor1an'e |
part, In aspect and manner she bears a |
much closer Resemblance to q man than a |
woman: nor could tho nlere putting on Of |
essentially masculine character she has
been for more than quarter Of q century, |