Putnam patriot., 1908-07-24
A DESPERATE FIGHTER
Courage and Daring of coi,o.,
 James Bowie.
HIS DEATH IN THE ALApo
Dramatic Erd of This Eaxe. e. and Determined Spirit The u the Fearless Fighter Once H-o..... Preacher In Texas.

| ~f-~ (ft~< F~c<e--.s
 Preacher In Texas.
 One fine ss'naler morning in tSs.
 the year tisat santa Anna seiza4 = presidency of the new republic of Wa.
 iee-a sfnaH party Of horsel##za eFz.sss.
 the Sabine river about s.x5. e..l..
 from its mouth and enterezs FeTas <.
 ritory Most of them weie clad :
 buckskin and armed with Life pis.-,
 and knife-a rough. deterrIs. ned las.. Ing crowd wisb two nota 5Ia ev..
 tious. one clean shaven. dark sb nm. with bright. restless eFe that sea.
 ned the woods constantly. as f ;.
 search of all enemy. and tie othar small. mid EIannered ulaH. hasa ca.
 eral appearance betoAened the taeaeb
 er. I hese two were riding in from.
 talking earnestly Of the conyant,,,'
 which had just been held at San Fa
 iipe de Austin and of the poSSfbl5i,,.
 that Texas might one day become '.
 independent state. Suddenly Soi.,. ,,..
 in the party behind them started
 song with memorable chorus
 When other states reject US.
 This IS the one that always takes Tn.
 From that jingling rhyme some de.
 rive the name Texas" Certaiu it l.
 that this great new land took in an1
 sheltered many a fugitive who left
 his country for lis cos,ntry's rpoa, That piinee of pirates Lafiffe had saiI. ed away from Galveston ten years b4-
 fore. and his thousand freebomers
 were scattered to the four N inds haf crowds of al entufers from all parfx of the world were curing ill. win many of the better e!ass. b swell the tide of Texas i3Hnli -aati9.i
 The ittie band jnggad on and finally reached file municipality of San .Augas- tine then Il mere caisectiaa sf fti.le los bH5s. with eHe or two adobe stfuctures built by siiaHi~lI. missionaries. Here the preae.3ef posted a u5iiee that f6e Ee1. iieHzs Stephenson ef tife Meiho. dist denoniiaaiion would h5al d meet H.g ill tAe eEeniag. sAt tue haar nameI the house Nas crowded te es flowing win rough. desperate men, a aflHe,l and ready f8t ans fun oe fray that might arise an sHeh I n9fel occasion. Tie minister gave out hSIa1 and f WAS sung with spirit Then came lae text. but Lot another word would the crowd heaf. They booted and yelled. shot off their pistols. crowed and bray. ed n deliSieu The tumuit aas deaf ening The quiet little preacher stood his ground bravely, though iR his heart wishing lie were well out of it. Mith difficulty his traveling companion foreea his way to the front. still carrying his rifle and huge knife in his belt The wild cheer that broke from the crowd sounded n the ears of the preacher, DOW thoroughly alarmed. ike the hoNls ot | pack of wolves or the yeis of Indians hungry for scalps. But in- stead of jumping aPen him this strange man. with restless eyes flashing and long black hair streaming over his shoulders. jumped en u bench and. throw ing Lis hat to the ground shout cd i'll stentorian voice. Men this man has cone to preach to youl Ton heed preaching to. and I'll be blankel if he shant preach to you. The next man who disturbs him shall fight me, My name is Jim Bowie,'
 The effect was magical. With quiet, respectful attention the rough audience listened ta tine sermon. joined heartily in the closing hymn. and not few persons came up to shake hands with the little man and apologize for the rough reception they had given him. month later at the first camp meetiSs aver held i'll Texas some of them be ,ame members of the church, and in lS3s the cornerstone of the first Prot sstant house of worship in the republic was laid in San Augustine.
 The man whose timely aid proved So he knife i'll his belt was the noted bowie knife" given to him by hs lrather. ReZin r. Bowie. It was made If q large file. strong. of admlrabie emper and gave its name to fanny If terrible weapons not vet extinct 'roekett met Bowie for the first time n the Alamo. and he writes in hs ournal: While We were e0nFerslg 'oonei Bowie had occasion 10 draw lis famous knife. and l wish l nay or hot if the bare sight of I wasn't nough to give man of slueamsh tomach the eolic. He saw was sd' hiring it and said he. 'Co'anel FeR li-ht tickle fellows ribs iong tine gith this before you'd make aiia iugh. Brave, generous. determined and ea- arprising. James Bowie sought advef are for its hazards. and he was nala- ally among tie first to talk. ap aiihe or Texas independence. Three hivie esperate men were never brought 'e ether than Travis, Crockett and be"' s they took their last stand hilii'a he walls of the Alamo Sick ana he'sr .ss in bed on that last terrible ua'- i'm Bowie died fighting AS Ns an ran forward to kill him he rouse' imself by a supreme effort. caught a' ssailant ty the hair. plunged the i''si nife into his heart and fell back aeaa When the story of his death WIS "s , his mother in Louisiana. she sa"- I am sure Jim never died wi'h ouud in his back" ant. with ue nile. turned again to her hease""