Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-26
WATERLOO OF THE cHokERs.
Virginia City Episode In Early Days Of
Nevada.

| Nevada.
They're talking of revivinC the vigil
lantes in San Francisco for the pur-
pose Of coping with the disorder and
lawlessness of that distracted town,
but it sounds like bad medicine to me-
said a former territorial governor OF
Nevada to the Washington cores
pondent of the New York Sun.
There never yet was an outfit OF
this character that, no matter how we'll
II started out, didn't eventually degen-
ierate into a cruel and merciless above
the-law mob.
'I know something about vigilante
methods. 1 was in the territory when
the something happened that pulled
the swift curtain down on the vigilante
business in Nevada.
1T happened in Virginia City at the
time when the feverishness over the
Comstock business was settling down
to steady plugging away at the ground.
They weren't called Vigilantes in Ne
vada. They were called Chokers, in
rather gross allusion to their deftness
in handling the hemp.
THE Chokers took a pretty tight
hold on Virginia City for spell. They
weren't popular, but they were power
full I know of my own knowledge
that they turned several tricks with
the rope that were nowhere near on
the square. ......-.
"It happened, therefore, that when
this thing 1 started to tell about oc-
CURED there was a mighty strong un-
dercurrent of feeling against the Cho-
kers. The actual beginning Of their
finish was when one Of the most prom
inent of the Chokers began picking on
the Jordans. Bill and Neb.
"Old man Jordan ran a general store
in Virginia City and the boys were his
two eldest sons. They were both
square enough men, as men went in the
camps at that day.
"One day this prominent Choker that
mentioned strolled into old man Jor-
dams store. Bill and Ned to while
away their off-duty hours-they were
employed in the mines-were playing
seven up for silver dollars in the rear
part of the store. A few bystanders
were hanging around.
"This Choker man began sitting 1t
into Bill Jordan in a pretty strong
sort Of way about a stage robbery that
had been pulled off In the Frisco trail
into Virginia City, about a week be-
fore. Bill wasn't a coward nor any
thing like one, but he knew perfectly
we'll that II he opened up on the Cho-
ker he'd not only get 1t around the
neck himself, in all likelihood, but that
his brother and his old dad would
probably have to dangle. too.
Anyhow, Bill wasn't fixed. He had
laid aside his belt for more comfort, in
sitting down. So he kept pretty mum
while the Choker stood there nagging
him about the stage robbery. Ned, his
younger brother, fumed. but he refrain
ed from cutting in until the Choker
walked back to the bar, at the far end
of the store, to get drink. Then he
said in an angry undertone to his
brother Bill:
If you're not man enough to take
your end against that juniper cur am
I'm not fixed said Bill
Ned passed his brother a gun un-
der the table.
Nov, make him squeal,' he said to
Bill.
Bill sort Of hesitated. He wanted
to keep out Of trouble If there was any
way. So he jammed the gun into his
waistband and sat back. in a sort Of
guess. The Choker, having got his
drink, walked from the bar toward the
loor.
you'll probably be hearing some
thing he said, stopping at the door
and glancing back at Bill significantly.
Just wait minute, hombre,' said
Bill, getting up from the table and
walking over to the Choker. Let's
hear 1t now
1T happened right then. The Cho-
ker and Bill came together for quick
clinch before the shooting began, and
it was probably owing to that, that
when the firing did start their arms
were so unsteady that the only man
killed was the inevitable innocent by
stander, who was plugged as dead as
a mackerel, whether by ball from
Bills gun or that of the Choker no
body could tell.
"Then the Chokers seemed to come
right out Of the ground, and ten min
utes later both Of the Jordan boys were
landed in separate cells in the Vir-
ginia City calaboose. That night the
Chokers broke into the calaboose and
shot Bill Jordan to death In his cell.
They shot Ned up a heap, TOO, but he
was still breathing when they yanked
him out of his cell and strung him up.
This, then, wasn't any nice piece Of
work, and the blindest hombre in camp
could see that it wasn't. I got on the
nerves Of all hands more or less who
didn't train with Chokers.
| From that night there was plenty
of ugly talk-plain, open talk, uttered
right out loud. Among the people who
didn't hesitate to express themselvs
audibly as to the way the Chokers
were overstepping the mark were
Dan Lane and Doc Vail, both Of
whom dealt faro bank In Fred
Patterns big Virginia City house.
"They were so out in the open in
their talk about that one afternoon
few days after the murder Of the
Jordan boys, they received a joint
invitation, conveyed in writing from
the Chokers, to leave Virginia City
on the westbound stage that night.
They read the note together
You going Doc?" Lane asked Vail.
NO" replied Vail.
I'm sticking" said Lane.
| sOrbav 20 rriad tho ChokerS' invita-