Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-07

the suspender button connects with
the trousers, and the handle was un.
derneath is vest. At 20 yards with a
hall from his pistol he could drive a
ten-penny nail into plank as good
q carpenter with a hammer. In a mo.
ment Of danger he never tried to get
Where the other fellow couldn't hit
him, but his impulse was to shoot,
without one thought for himself; and
shoot he did, and straight to the mark
He died with his boots on, and dozen
bullets, from as many pistols, in his
body, without ever knowing who killed
lin. Ben Thompson, at one time, was
marshal of Austin, Tex. His presence
alone did more TO deter lawlessness
than 40 policemen or rangers.
| saw the fight in Houston, Tex, be-
tween Mat" Woodlief (another bad
NAM and Alexander Erickson. Erick-
sen was marshal, and, as the cowboys
say, would fight a circular saw cutting
both ways, after 1t had started. With
out particularizing, they met on the
street and commenced shooting. Both
men fell wounded. On the ground they
emptied at each other every ball in
their pistols and then crawled toward
one another, still swapping the empty
pistols, unconscious of the fact that
their pistols were empty Woodlief
didn't know what fear was. This alb
sence of fear cost him his life. Alex
ander Erickson was the bravest man |
ever saw. He WIS small man. He
arrested criminals and desperadoes
without even a pocket knife in his
hand. The consciou5pe ss of some one
hurting him was entirely foreign to his
nature. AS an officer he carried pis-
tol, not as an intimidator but as an
"executioner" Well might the motto
on his pistol have been: DO not draw
me without reason, nor shield me with.
out honor''-and he didn't.
Within my time in Texas land | am
not an old man either two stage
coaches containing about % passengers
we're stopped, and all the valuables of
the passengers taken by one man. The
robber made them all stand in a row
and hand over The route was only
Travelled by one coach, but on account
Of the large number CT passengers an
additional coach was put on that day
The robber stopped the first coach
and made the passengers step out
When the passengers in the first coach
were lined up. the second coach made
its appearance. He made them get out.
and then told them that he didn't ex-
pect two coaches. That was nerve. Al
Jew insisted on retaining enough of hi
money to get his dinner. The robber
took all and then gave him back so
cents, and the Jew got into an argu-
ment with him as to the amount being
sufficient to get a meal. That was
cheek. The ro0ber went off with all
the money Of the % passengers and yet
there were many brave men in that
caravan, but discretion was the better
Tart Of valor The robber had two PTS
tolls out and ~eady. A shot from. one
~ the % would have caused the ROB
Der to shoe and several wculd have
been killed. hats the way they looked
1T IT. A Thompson Erickson or Wood.
lief would mt have hesitated. Discre-
tion was the last thing either Of them
would have fought Ct It never would
nave occurred to them that somebody
was going to be hurt
a fight occurred in Richmond. Tex,
between two political factions. tom"
Smith. deputy sheriff, with 10 men