The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-04-25


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was going to be row until he
looked down a gun barrel for one
brief moment before bullet ended
his career.
A killing In Deadwood was
rather the usual than the unusual:
yet the Staying of an inoffensive
"tenderfoot" who simply protested
when he discovered that he was be-
Ing robbed was more than the people
would stand, and there was general
demand that bad Bill" and his
cronies should be lynched. But Bull
lock counselled moderation. 81 am
the sheriff, boys" he said. "I'll
have to protect those fellows, If any
attempt at lynching them is made.
But I'll arrest them and you can
try them in the regular way"
Bullock's quiet manner won the
day, and it was agreed that the law
should take its ordinary course with
the murderers.
But Bill and his two "pals' had
no idea of submitting to arrest. "Tell
Cap. Bullock, If he wants us, to come
and git u.s." they said, defiantly-
and the words was carried over to
| Bullock.
1--WE don't low no blamed ten
derfoot' to tell us we cheat" the
three rascals added. "And we don't
low no sheriff to arrest us. We
won't be arrested, and if Cap. Bull
lock fools with us we'll fix him. -
| Again the word was taken over
to Bullock that Bill and his partners
said they would fight to the death
before they would submit to arrest.
Nevertheless, it was up to Bullock
to arrest those three men or to lose
his reputation for courage, and prac-
| tically his life. If he showed the
white feather for a moment some
desperate would shoot him while his
back was turned. It was only as an
undefeated marshal that he had DOW
er over these roughs.
The murderers knew Bullock
would make an attempt to capture
them, but they did not know from
which quarter the attempt would
| come. The marshal had SO many diff
ferent ways of tackling fellow that
the three miners were worried. If it
was a straight shooting ARRAY, they
| were ready; but they feared some
thing-they knew not what-When
Bullock started after them.
Bullock went about his business
very deliberately. He sent word to
the three desperadoes that they had
better come in, surrender themselves
and stand trial-thereby saving
themselves the trouble of having him
| come after them.
But again the trio hurled defiance
at the marshal, and, retreating to
| their log cabin, barricaded the door
and yelled through the window that
they were ready for siege.
But Bullock paid no attention to
them. He sat in his little office and
smoked. Some miners, new corners,
shifted, and declared that Bullock
was coward and was afraid to go
| dlIcr TIE men ne wanted.
| But the old timers, men who had
known the captain long, knew bet
ter; and they also knew that cap.
Seth" was working out some scheme.
The marshal's very quietness had
a disturbing effect on the wanted"
men, and during the night they evac-
uated their log cabin and took refuge
in an abandoned prospect hole where
they thought Bullock would not find
them. Eve are afraid he would dy-
Mantle us during the night" they
told an acquaintance later. They
took provisions into the hole with
them. and there was little stream
Of water at the bottom, SO that they
were ready for disappearance of
several days, or even a week, if nee
essary.
The "hole" consisted Of shaft
some fifteen feet deep and a tunnel
running into the hill from the bot
tom of the shaft The tunnel was
about twenty-five feet long, and be-
cause of an elbow it was quite impos-
sible for any one to come down the
| shaft and into the tunnel without
being exposed every minute of the
time to the bullets of the despera-
does.
The three men were observed
stealing away from their cabin into
the old mine, and Bullock was in
| formed as to their whereabouts. Then
he quietly came out Of his little Office,
walked down to the shaft, and made
a minute examination of it, and re-
! turned to his Office. Before doing so,
however, he pulled up the old ladder
which the original prospectors had
left in the hole. Bad Bill'' and his
partners were thus left without any
means Of escape unless some friend
let down the ladder again.
Like SO many Of the Western min
ing towns at that period, Deadwood
had a considerable Chinese popula-
| ton, most of whom had come direct