Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-11-12
@.::s-: 10 500. 80 ;..ss. pe.:
THE ONLY ;
KILLING F.;
That Troubled the Sheriff (,
, b. f. a. Mitchell
/, Copyright. 1910 by American Press
Association
Bv F. A. Mitchell
1910. by American Press
Aegogtafion

Jake Rodman was sheriff In the
then territory Of Dakota lie had land.
ed more dcsperad0es alive aud dead
than any other sheriff. but IL must be
admitted that by far the larger num-
Der were dead when captured. for very
few of them could be taken alive. BE.
sides Rodman didn't take any chances.
for nm officer Of the law was no more
immune from these people than any
one else once asked him II he had
any shrinking at killing one Of them
or any qualms afterward He replied
that II he had been built that way
they would have landed him instead
OF his landing them.
But ther, was one KILN" he said,
that has troubled me ever since
wake up nights some time and get
to thinkin' about II and always feel
the same sinkin about the heart. II
was this way:
Before | was made sheriff was
workin' on ranch owned by gen.
tleman as had come out from the east.
He had been banker or somep'n like
that. but had given up the business
10 bring his daughter. little gal
about nineteen. who was threatened
witlAronsumption. our here hopin the
dry air would do her good Havlu'
plenty Of money the natural thing fer
him 20 do was 10 buy ranch and
stock H. But he didn't care nothin'
about that, except 10 give him somep'n
10 do. Ho was bound up In his daugh-
ter Susie. just as everybody else was.
Talk about heart winners. Susie could
slaughter more people that way than
any one | ever seen. There wasn't
any one on the ranch or ofI'n It that
wouldn't swaller u dose % lead fer
her.
II never could tell list what II was
about her that had this ciicc. but
allowed the principal part OF it was
that her heart went out TO every
body When they WAS hankerln to
do somep'n fer her she was worryin
because they was putin themselves
out'n their way on her account Be-
sides. delicate people allus attract
strong ones. Susie was SO frail she
looked as II the fust good wind that
blew would carry her away. But bc.
sides all this thur was somcpn win-
min about her that no one could re.k.
on on.
Il got ahead of every one else with
her this way: | owned hlooded mare
that was as easy managed as Il kitten
and could git along like the wind.
Nothin' Susie liked bcttcr'n 10 ride on
horseback, but she wouldn't ride any
other horse than my Kate. | used 10
go with her lots o times. Ter her IA
Their wouldn't let her 90 alone and
didn't like TO have her 20 under the
care o any one else. was only
about ten years older than Susie and
unmarried: but. laws. I'd as soon cal.
cuated on maxim love tu some gal as
come down from heaven. But this
didn't matter no how. fer there was 4
Young gent as had left college Ia 20
TO ranchin' that Susie had met and
tumbled To- Ia our rides together she
got confidential with me aud tote me
all about il; tole me when the fcller
hisscf didn't know nothin' at NIL
about IL. In fac was the only
pusson as knowed it except the little
gal herself
This Young mans upick Walcotu
ranch was n matter a fifty miles from
ourn. which was known as the
Courtney ranch from Susie's father
who owned IT, IIut Wnlcolt used to
come over quite frequent. maxim eX-
cuscs all the time. 10 see Susie
Gosh. how the young Teller was
wrapt up IN her. lie would any lime
have crawlc,i nn the ground before
her. She tole me she didn't let On
she cared any more fer him than any
one else. because she wasn't strong
and healthy and wasn't willln To pull
any man down lay marvin him Jist
think - this angel eniidln' this To a
rough teller like me when nobody else
knowed II,
There was one - the hrrdcrs IN Mr.,
courtney's employ that WIS bad egg.
He TUX some sort o malice agin young
walcoit I didn't know the reason NJ
first: jist reckoncd that Walcoit had
treated him like the gaiooi hc was.
This herder Jim Stiggs. WAS not only
powerful man. bui was one a the
quickest and siraightcSt shots I ever
seen. all - allowed that II | had q
dispute with him | wouldn't do much
slcepin. but would keep my right eye
on him continually ill The fracas WAS
settled. was sorry he'd turned aein
walcott. for Walcoti was no match
fer him whatever more Of Teller 10
handle books than rcvolvcrs. Mind
you. wasn't thinkin' of Waicoit.
was fearful for Susie. KNOWN mighty
well that II anything happened Ia him
Il would knock her into smlthcreens.
We'll, one day the secret Of Stiggs'
dislike came gu, with vengeance
Susie came 10 me all ~ II tiutier aud
a-wringin' of her hands and said
Jim Siiggs has left here to go 10
the walcott ranch TO XIII Dick StIrgs
n