The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-06-20

around) thar was tears in my eyes,
and / wondered If the reputation which
old Wyoming has been a hundred years
in buildin' up was to go to smash in q
day.
MY friends, l have seen men and
women die. l have seer innocent ba-
bies have a tit and 60 sailin' away OH
angels wings. l have seen the light
MIN bolt tear down mountains and the
awful cyclone level forests. l have
heard a Digger Indian who had been
bit 10y a rattlesnake call upon heaven
to save him, and l have seen u Chiney-
man who had taken carbOlic acid
writhe upon the ground like q sarpint.
I have held the hand Of an old man as
he died, and l have smoothed the brow
Of a woman as the death rattle sounded
In her throat.
Don't let any human hyenas in this
courtroom make a mistake OF me For
twenty years I've been a resident of
Sandy Bend, dom my level best to
uphold the honor and dignity Of this
sovereign commonwealth. For the last
Ave years I've been a justice Of the
peace in and for the four counties Of
Ace High, Crippled Dog, Blind Hoss
and He'll 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 a pair of scales
In her hands.
"What happened three days ago?
Gentlemen, gaze on Steve Taylor over
thar and let your souls wonder If SIGH
things can be in this enlightened cen
fury: 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-standin'
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. l 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 l have smilingly given
1t to him; not because l thought he'd
ever squar' up. hut because l didn't
want to seem to doubt his story about
them 'leven men sleepin' under the sile
Of n distant territory.
ION one occasion, and that wasn't
long ago, when Steve was one in a five
handed game Of poker and raked in Il
big pot on what he said was Il straight.
some of lis 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 a few months, but
he was sized up from the very first as
a chump and a dub. Is thar anybody
present in this courtroom who hasn't
give him the boot? Is thar a Chiney-
man in this town who hasn't bounced
him around? II your gorge rises and
your souls palpitate as you look the
pair V l shan't blame you.
"Three days ago. as we all know,
Steve. the killer Of 'leven e sot out
on his broncho for Antelope hills. He
had Il tent and blankets and grub
along. He was goin' to search for
gold in the Antelopes. and he got as
many as Ave free drinks before he final.
" started. Them guns O. his was
chuck w with cartridges. and he mus,
have had a boundin' of the heart as his
gallant steed ambled along with him
Little did we think as we stood in from,
Of the Red Dog and saw him disappear
around the first bend in the trail tha:
] he was the one man Of all who'd soo,1