The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-02-10
BENTON SHARP MEETS

The Most Noted Desperate in South
west Texas Shot to Death In the
Gold Front Restaurant-Promfnen
State Official Successfully Defends
Himself Against the Noted Bully
Magnificent Exhibition of Quick
Gun Play.
Last night about eleven o'clock Ben
ton Sharp, with two other men, en-
tered the Gold Front restaurant and
seated themselves at table. Sharp
| had been drinking, and was loud and
boisterous, as he always was when I'M
der the influence of liquor. Five min
utes after the party was seated a tall,
well-dressed elderly gentleman entered
| the restaurant. Few present reCog-
ntzed the Hon. Luke Standifer, the
recently appointed commissioner of In
| suTance, statistics and history.
Going over to the same side where
Sharp was, Mr.. Standifer prepared to
take a seat at the next table. In hang
ing his hat upon one Of the hooks
along the wall he let it fall upon
Sharp's head. Sharp turned, being in
an especially ugly humor, and cursed
the other roundly. Mr.. Standifer apol-
| ogtZed calmly for the accident. Mr..
Standifer was observed to draw near
and speak few sentences to the des-
perado IN so low tone that no one
else caught the words. Sharp sprang
UP, wild with rage. In the meantime
Mr.. Standiter had stepped some yards
away, and was standing quietly with
his arms folded across the breast of
his loosely hanging coat
! With that fmpetuous and deadly
rapldity that made Sharp so dreaded,
ne reached for the gun he carried in
MS nip pocket-a movement that has
preceded the death of at least a dozen
men at his hands. Quick as the mo-
tlon was, the bystanders assert that it
was met by the most beautiful exhfbi,
ton OF lightning gun-pulling ever wit
messed in the southwest. AS Sharp's
pistol was being raised-and the act
was really quicker than the eye could
follow-a gltttering A appeared as il
by some conjuring trick in the right
mana or Mr.. Standifer, who without a
perceptible movement of HIS arm, shot
Benton Sharp through the heart. I,
seems that the new commissioner Of
insurance, statistics and history has
been an old-time Indian fighter and
ranger for many years, which accounts
for the happy knack he has of hand
ling A.
It is not believed that Mr.. Standife,
VIII be put to any Inconvenience he
yohd necessary formal hearing to
day. as all the witnesses who were
present unite in declaring that the
deed was done in self.defense,
: When Mrs. Sharp appeared at fhe
Office of the commissioner, accordine
10 appointment, she found that pen
, tieman calmly eating a golden russo,
apple He crested her without em
barrassment and without hesitation ~
approaching the subject that was the
topic of the day.
4 i had to DO it, ma'am," he said
simply or get it myself Mr., KauT
I man. he added, turning to the o,I
clerk, please look up the records y,
I the Security Life Insurance comnsn,
and see if they are all right"
I mo need to look" grunted Ko,r
5 man. who had everything in his heal
i us all 0, X. They pay all losse,
! within ten days" '07's'
{ Mrs. Sharp s3on rose to denart Oh,
s naa arranged to remain in town rnti
n the policy was paid. The commtssinn
/. er did not detain her. She was -,
!. woman, and he did not know met T.s =,
70 say to her at present, Resi- an.
70 time would bring her what She ~, a,',
a But as she, was leaving, LIKE $50
/ lter INDUCED himself in an oF,cioi ,'l ~
n mark t oNieiat re
me department of Insurance %,
- ustics and history, ma'am ha. so ot''
" inc pest 1t could with your ease ~ '
- case hard to cover acocrdins - b WA VA
" tape Statistics failed, and b,s.o se'
missed fire, but. If may be- nsrn mJt" :
le 10 say it, We came out parti t,o,s,
ie strong on insurance" ''eu'''r'!
% Chinese Business H..