Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-12-02
AVENGED BRoTHER's INSULT.
Silver Wirs Jim Went Into Dangerous
Faro Room and Cleaned Out the Place.

silver Wire Jim Went Into Dangerous
Faro Room and Cleaned Out the Place.
II read in a Denver newspaper the
other day that "Silver Wire Jim Cor
by, a famous Colorado character Of the
boom days, had piped out peacefully in
his bunk up at Nome" said an official
from Colorado in one Of the depart
ments. Jim was the last man I'd ev-
er figure on to make finish between
blankets. He was as game a man as
ever accepted grub stake to hunt for
pay rock. When I knew him back In
the early eighties, and later when the
Creede excitement was putting the hec-
tic flush into the cheeks Of all the old
time prospectors, Jim was so dauntless
a chance taker that I used to think
that nothing short Of really busy bolt
Of lightning would ever get the breath
out of him. He wasn't afraid Of any
body. He stuck up some good men In
his day at the points Of his sawed on
guns, Just to indicate that he was
right there and in the game, but he
never took mean advantage nor flash
ed a gun until his minute to do IT
had arrived. The nickname Silver Wire
Jim was fastened on to Corby because
once down in Arizona after he had
been cut up a lot in a bowie fight, he
sat down and very carefully sewed
up the torn places on his person with
silver wire, the sawbones Of the camp
having been absent at the time.
IT happened to be in Durango Colo,
where this famous prospector and tam
er Of pizen bad men did one OF the
nerviest jobs Of his life. Jim had a
brother living in Durango. young
fellow in his twenties. Jim looked up
on this brother as a good deal Of a
dude and didn't have much commerce
with him.
zone day, though, while Jim was In
Leadville, he got a letter from this Kid
brother Of his. saying that he'd been
abused in Tom Fleets faro bank IN
Durango. He'd gone up against Fleets
brace game, and after the brace bank
had got all Of his money, some $1,000,
Fleet and his understrappers had drop
ped the youth out Of a second story
window and the fall had broken one OF
his legs.
"'Silver Wire Jim Corby made bee
line for Durango ten minutes after he
got that letter in Leadville.
Now, this Tom Fleet man was
pretty evil ombrey for anybody to play
tag with. He'd been running flyer faro
layouts all over the Southwest and the
Rocky Mountain country for years, and
he'd never been known to duck or blanch
when the toughest Of his victims had
started in to puncture the fixtures aft
er dropping their rolls. He was a gun
tanner and a knife fighter proper and
up to the time Of this Silver Wire Jim
incident nobody had ever called him
and got by with 1t. -.
Fleet ran four faro tables at his
Durango plant, and he'd picked every
one Of the four lookouts for his quick
ness on the trigger. Corby knew Fleet
and he knew all about those four sud-
den propositions who sat in the look
outs chairs, too. 3.
"All the same, at ten o'clock on the
night after he'd got that letter from
his brother he showed up at the en-
trance to Fleets layout. He hadn't
been to see his broken legged brother
at all. He Just wanted to see Fleet.
There was a half Greaser on the
door and this Greaser, under instruc-
tions, tried to tell Corby that he could
mt get in. Corby gave the half breed
a slap In the face and then the FOOT.
The next instant he was in the lay
out, gently waving his forty-fives from
side to side, so as not only to cover
lookouts, but the whole bunch VINO
sat playing at the faro tables.
FLEET" said Corby to the boss Of
the plant, who sat at the desk like a
man carved out Of stone. come over
mere 10 Tie d-Tullliiu6s
Fleet got up from his desk in a
hurry and walked over close to Corby
at a pretty nifty pace.
T. "'That's near enough said Corby,
still tanning his guns so as to keep
the lookouts in order. Fleet, what's
this I'm a-hearin' about your messin'
up that dude brother O. mine?'
"'He lost his coin and made beef
said Fleet, with a bad look In his eye.
Then, when he got mussy, he was
dropped out Of the window
"'Who done the droppin'?' inquired
Corby, not looking at Fleet but watch
ing every move Of the lookouts.
. Fleet hesitated, until Corbys blood
shot, fire-spitting eyes pinned him.
"T did, he replied then.
$50 I heard said Corby, quietly.
Then in a voice that could be heard
block, he gave the command:
"All hands sashay to the corner
over yonder,' indicating by nod Of
his head the corner Of the room where
there was the most space. The men
in front Of and behind those tables
knew that it was lottery as to who'd
get 1t first II the order wasn't Instant
ly obeyed. They rose as one man.
dealers, lookouts and players and glid-
ed into the corner.
"'You stay where you stand Corby
said to Fleet. The boss had turned
as IL to join the crowd in the corner.
It would have been so perfectly easy
for one Of the gang over in the cor
ner to have plugged Silver Wire Jim
where he stood that it seems peculiar
that none Of them took a chance. l
suppose it was that they perfectly we'll
knew that in the shooting Corby would
do, as he went down, each would have
a chance to get some Of the lead.
Fleet said Corby, never taking
his eyes off the crowd in the corner,
you are more different kinds Of a
skunk tin horn and four flush than
I've got hairs on my head-ain't your
yes replied Fleet. swallowing a
gulp. A man who looks into pair
of fiickering gunmuzzles will agree to
any old proposition.
"'And you don't want to do no more