The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-12
The Bad Man.

me days of the bad man are really past In
ie4as although there are times when he enjoys
"REMINISCENCES but the bad man. in SO far
an ne exists now, is either holdover or a throw
oack. He is no longer the proper thing the
nero OF half wild community, although he
sun where he exists at ALL has his coterie
VINO look upon him with the awe and admira
ton that Is accorded to a desperate character
and cause him to take himself so seriously as
eventually to get himself into serious trouble
IN the days when the bad man hourished h.
was accustomed to be half patroniz,ng hal
terrible to the officers Of the law and to quite
oVerawe the mere policeman by his reputation
and his bravado.
Inc bad man made everything persouai When
ne got into trouble the officer who tried TO
arrest him was held personally responsible: the
newspaper reporter who chronicled the event
became his enemy. and the editor who com
mented on his exploits In anything but favor
able tone became thereby his deadly foe
In the palmy days OF the. bad man iurymen
oincers and even Judges hesitated to fan under
MS displeasure. because he was bad man ann
WIS iReiy to be quite offensive in expressing
ms views or people who did not admire his style
No Bible saint was ever surrounded WITH =
greater cloud OF witnesses than the old time ba
man Witnesses are his long suit His friends
are always on hand--always see the trouble
always testify that the poor maltyeated h.n
man was threatened or attacked and tina, h a
JUST mad TO shoot another victim to save his LIE
III Is curious how otherwise inoffensiva Oft,
zens Will prosecute the bad man tust as ~ q
mouse should insist upon shaping a tom cat In
me race, and it is all the more curious because
hot
eemsrlty by being promptly shuffied off to the
graveyard. ~
The bad mans mode of procedure was ALWAYS
quite simple. Accompanied by his Witnesses = j.
would meet his victim. and aprly .sa,x.+ ,xsa sar
met some singing. slurring term of shame thar
men ma 1t hard to swallow even from n bad
man. ana then any move that the tnsulted man
might make was always Interpreted in terms n,
an attack and the bad man proceeded to punish
him accordingly.
somehow the community became tireS ~ ,bs
oad man~-quite tired of him He palies or
the community after awhile and gradually the
Rad man Is being eliminated from the comma,
social make-up.
Men with courage and common sense now
adasr when the bad man becomes foul mon.he<
nave the nearest policeman take him In charya
ana ne Is tried on the charge OF abusive lar
guase. The penalty IL ptifuliy inadequate but
d growing and healthy public sentiment has
arisen that does not lay great deal OF strss,
on the mouthings OF the bad man When a
oad man has had killing or go TO his credit
ana has been III several difficulties and h,s
oIhers' the public becomes weary OF his story
that he was abused and forced into from.
ana just mad to beat up somebody else or shoot
few holes in them
1t IL still difficult to convic, the killer hpt no
IA now pretty accurately classified by puhlfc
sentiment and the bad man, what there
lett OF him. Is playing out: and. while there Ia
survival here and there folk do mot th,r T.
he is pretty or even brave and there ara ,nts
OF people who will be glad to sec tina dav COVE
when the role OF bad man can only ba n,a,a'
on the highway to the penitentiary ana n tba
shadow OF the gallows-Houston fTexI f,hron
icle. - '"-