Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-06-04
I'M A IGlFH' I
p ACE:
Conuact In an Emergency Of a Man
Who Thought Himself Coward.

long ago by personal and polltlcal
of the senator from Arkan-
sas
"Well, don't know how true this
remark may be as applied to the Davis
person." observed Texan in the
group, but it is my opinion that such
a remark could be truthfully applied
to very few men. Most men are corlr-
ageous in tight pinches, even the men
who imagine deep down in their con-
seriousness that they are instinctively
and inherently cowardly.
Take, for example, the case OF
Judge Freeman of Texas. Freeman
imagined himself coward. He had
overwhelmingly, he said-been put
to a test, but he was dead certain that
he would crawfish in a tight place and
show himself to the world as cow
ard
This was before he ever ran for
Office in Texas When he first ran
for office in a Texas town a peculiarly
vitriolic editor of paper published
in the Texas town began to attack
Freeman in a manner that could only
mean blood.
Judge Freemaa's friends got
around him and told him that he'd
have to kill or at any rate wing the
editor or get out of Texas.
Freeman came to me in his
trouble
81 feel like I'm going to show the
VII; ~ in, h11cinaCC' he
said to me- You know what I've often
told you. I'm natural born coward.
I've got yellow streak. Just now the
yellow streak is working this way
1.-Two days after that the editor pub
lished another vile broadside and
then we all knew it 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
postoffice, about 60 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 weakness
in Freeman. On the contrary, he
| looked perfectly cool.
There were only four cartridges IL
the editors gun, and he fired all O
them without making hit. When he
had fired all four shots he threw hi!
gun on the ground to indicate to hi
opponent that he was through will
firing, and that editor looked to m
like man ready to run.
Judge Freeman still had two car
tridges left in his gun. But whel
he saw his enemy throw his pistc
away, the big heart of the man ar
peared He lowered his gun and stoo
in the middle of the sidewalk, calml
waiting.
| THE editor advanced upon him
seemingly for the purpose of thankin
the judge for his generosity in no
continuing the firing, and of maxim
up The judge, seeing this, followe
his enemy's example and threw ava
his gun, in which the two cartridge
remained. So there he stood, entirel
unarmed.
AS soon as Freeman cast away hi
gan, the editor. who had advance
close to him, suddenly whipped out
bowie knife from beneath the cola
of his coat and began to slash at Jude
Freeman. 1t was ours trick. an
that editor never was allowed to hol
| ut In in
Now here, If not before, was tt
spot for Judge Freeman to show h
yellow streak. if he had one. The e
itor was chopping away at him, ar
Freeman didn't have so much as
. pocket knife on him. But the me
who so foolishly imagined himself
be a coward was not only equal
the occasion-he rose nobly above
'He reached out and grabbed Il
editor around the waist, and, being
powerful man, he threw the edit
to the ground. Then he planted
foot upon the forearm of the hal
that held the knife and wrenched Il
big blade from the PROSTATE editor
hand. Grasping the bowie, the judi
bent over his bitter enemy and p
the blade to the mans throat.
"'Are you through?' he ask
the man who was down.
81 am if you are,' replied the G
itor.
"'All right; get up he said to t
man whose life he could have tax
as easily as Sitting the throat Of
possum.
The editor got up and SLOUGH
away.
YOU'RE the great old coward, 1 81
pose, said to Judge Freeman
hour or so after the encounter.
His reply was curious.
81 reckon l am-just as much
coward now as ever | was he to
me.
How do you make that out?'
asked him.
why, this way he replied
wasn't myself when l had the run
with that fellow. l was somebo
else. Otherwise, l never could ha
gone through with those proceedin
But l only laughed at him, as