Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-07-01
lTl a TIC
PLACs..s.,,
Conduct In an Emergency of A ~ "a
VINO Thought Him9olf a cswefd.

Recently some men on train wer'
flaming over this remark. made no
long ago by personal and politica
adversary of the senator from Arkan
sas.
We'll, | don't know how true thi;
remark may be as applied to the Dayi4
| person." observed Texan in the
group, but 1t is my opinion that suci
IL remark could be truthfully appliec
TO very few men. Most men are cour
ageous in tight pinches, even th l:e1
who imagine deep down in Their con
seriousness that they are instin2tively
and inherently cowardly.
Take, for example, the case OF
Judge Freeman Of Texas. Freeman
imagined himself coward He has
overwhelmingly, he said-been put
to test, but he was dead certain that
he would crawtish in tight place and
show himself to the world as a COW
ard.
This was before he ever ran for
Office in Texas. When he first ran
for office in Texas town peculiarly
vitriolic editor of paper published
in the Texas town began to attac
Freeman in a manner that could only
mean blood.
Judge Freeman's friends got
around him and told him that he'd
have to kill or at any rate wing lie
p2ifor nr oat ont Of 'Fex9S
Freeman came to me in his
trouble.
al feel like I'm going to show the
white feather in this business, he
said to me- You know what I've often
to,d YOU. I'm a natural born coward.
I've got yellow streak. Just now the
yellow streak is working this way
Two days after that the editor pub
lshed another vile broadside and
then we all knew 1t would happen
THE editor left his Office for home
that afternoon. He hadn't taken "a
dozen steps before he caught sight
of Judge Freeman emerging from the
postofflce, about so yards down the
street
Both men drew and fired at the
same instant. But they were poor
shots, both of them, and their bullets
went wide. They continued to fire
as they advanced upon each other
There was nary sign of weakn? 3s
in Freeman. On the contrary, he
looked perfectly COOL
There were only four cartridges in
the editors gun, and he fired all Of
them without making hit. When he
had fired all four shots he threw his
opponent that he was through with
firing, and that editor looked to me
like a man ready to run.
Judge Freeman still had two car
ridges left in his gun. But when
he saw his enemy throw his pistol
away, the big heart Of the man ap.
peared. He lowered his gun and stood
in the middle of the sidewalk, calmly
waiting
The editor advanced upon him,
seemingly for the purpose of thanking
the judge for his generosity in not
continuing the firing, and of making
up. The Judge, seeing this, followed
his enemy's example and threw away
his gun, in which the two cart.fd es
remaiued. So there he stood, enrirs
unarmed
"As soon as Freeman cast away IS
gun. the editor. who had advanced
close to him, suddenly whipped ou-
bowie knife from beneath the collar
Of his coat and began to slash at Judge
Freeman 1t was ours trick. and
that editor never was allowed to hold
up his head in Texas again.
Now here, if not before, was the
spot for Judge Freeman to show his
yellow streak, if he had one. The ed
ltor was chopping away at him, and
Freeman didn't have so much as
pocket knife on him. But the man
who so foolishly imagined himself to
be coward was not only equal 10
he occasion-he rose nobly above It.
HE reached out and grabbed the
EDITOR around the waist and, being IA /
powerful man, ne threw the EDITOR
o the ground. Then he planted
DOT upon the forearm of the hand
hat held the-knife and wrenched the |
Jig blade from the PROSTATE editors
hand Grasping the bowie, the judge
'ent over his bitter enemy and put |
he blade to the mans throat.
Are you through he asked
he man who was down.
81 am II you are replied the ed
tor
~tAll right; get up he said to the
nan whose life he could have taken
IS easily as Sitting the throat of q
,ossum.
THE editor got up and slouched
lway.
You're the great old coward, sup
,ose.' said to Judge Freeman an /,
lour or so after the encounter.
'.Hfs reply was curious.
al reckon l unjust as much 4
coward now as ever | was he told
me-
How DO you make that cutr 1
asked him.
Why. this way. he replied. 4
Easn't myself when had the run in
Nth that fellow. was somebody
49, nt2. o.4wtan :. 1855. a-..sA 4 49,