The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-19

'eIT oFFN YER CRIrrER AND HOLD UP
YER Hands,"
around thar was tears in my eyes,
and wondered If the reputation which
old Wyoming has been hundred years
In buildin' up was to go to smash In q
day.
MY friends, have seen men and
women die. / have seen innocent ba-
bies have fit and go sailin' away on
angels wings. have seen the light
MIN bolt tear down mountains and the
awful cyclone level forests. / have
heard Digger Indian who had been
bit by rattlesnake call upon heaven
to save him, and have seen Chiney-
man who had taken carbolic acid
writhe upon the ground like a sarpint.
have held the hand Of an old man as
he died, and have smoothed the brow
Of woman as the death rattle sounded
in her throat.
Don't let any human hyenas In this
courtroom make mistake on me. For
twenty years I've been a resident Of
Sandy Bend, doin' my level best to
uphold the honor and dignity of this
sovereign commonwealth. For the last
five years I've been a justice of the
peace In and for the four counties Of
Ace High, Crippled Dog, Blind Hoss
and Hell Bent, and l reckon you'll all
agree that my great object has been to
uphold the glorious reputation left be-
hind by our forefathers. I've not only
been keerful to mete out justice, but
to let all my decisions rebound to the
credit Of the goddess with a handker-
chief over her eyes and pair Of scales
In her hands.
what happened three days agof
Gentlemen, gaze on Steve Taylor over
thar and let your souls wonder If sich
things can be in this enlightened cen
tury; also, gaze on Bill Whiting, on
the other hand, and let them same
souls O. yours play tag around this
courthouse and bring up all a-standln
agin the front door. Steve Taylor has
been among us for two years. He car
ries two guns, and he has given every
body to understand that the 'leven
notches cut into the stock represented
the 'leven men he removed from airth
while dwellin' in New Mexico. / can't
say that any of us have been afraid Of
him, but we have gazed on those
notches and been sorter keerful not to
Craze him with our elbows as we
passed. When he has asked for credit
at the Red Dog have smilingly given
1t to him; not because ! thought he'd
ever squar' up, but because didn't
want to seem to doubt his story about
them 'leven men sleepin' under the sile
of distant territory.
"On one occasion, and that wasn't
long ago, when Steve was one in FIVE
handed game of poker and raked in a
big pot on what he said was straight,
some of us knew that he was mistaken.
1t wasn't that we was afraid that we
didn't tell him so, but he seemed SO
happy that night that we concluded
not to upset him.
"As to Bill Whiting, he's been hang
in around for only few months, but
he was sized up from the very first as
a chump and dub. Bs thar anybody
present in this courtroom who hasn't
give him the boot2 Is thar Chiney-
man in this town who hasn't bounced
him around? If your gorge rises and
your souls palpitate as you look the
pair over / shan't blame you.
"Three days ago, as we all know,
Steve, the killer of 'leven men, sot out
on his broncho for Antelope hills. He
had tent and blankets and grub
along. He was goin' to search for
gold in the Antelopes, and he got as
many as five free drinks before he final
iy started. Them guns O. his was
chuck up with cartridges, and he must
have had boundin' of the heart as his
gallant steed ..ambled along with him.