Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-03
a}listellaneuus Beading.
HAND TO HAND GUN FIGHT.
Remarkable Duel Between Western
Bad Men to Settle Question of Su-

/ ~.
flashing "reminiscences is certain to en-
sure. In Spokane, Walla Walla, Col
fax, Cheney, Colville, Sprague, Mos
COW, Boise, The Dalles, and far away
Prineville, anywhere in eastern Wash
ington, oregon, or in Idaho, citizens are
still numerous to whom Hank Vaughan
was known.
Each one of them could probably tell
separate story Of his smiling fear
lessness. The northwest had gun fight
ers of note in the period between 1870
and 1890, but Hank Vaughan, by deed
and daring, is remembered as the king
Of them all.
A Spokane resident of today who
probably knew Hank best is H. w.
Fairweather, former state senator. He
was railroad superintendent on the
Northern Pacific and oregon Railroad
and navigation in the construction
period. Hank handled horses and had
frequent business with the railroad. 1t
| was Fairweather who went into room
in Walla Walla one day and found
Vaughan with a gun in his hand and
Congressman John HALEY on the other
side of the table, unarmed, inviting
Hank to commit murder HALEY was
administrator of the Robey estate.
Hank married Mrs. Robey after her
husband had been killed in the Snake
Indian uprising. OF the $S0,0O0 left her
Hank had invested about $4,000 in his
own fashion and felt that he needed
more. He was trying to convince the
administrator of the fact when Fair
weather interfered.
This was subsequent to Hanks fall
ing in with man down in Oregon VINO
was bound out of the country with
band Of horses. Hank was only boy
then, and may have been somewhat
hazy as to the proper procedure, when
Sheriff Mattox and posse rode up on
the camp early one morning and shot
Vaughan's companion. At any rate,
Vaughan shot the sheriff through the
face, which Mattox survived. Hank
paid the penalty for that and improved
an opportunity to learn the black
smiths trade.
It was on Fairweather's account that
Hank once rode his horse into saloon
on Riverside avenue after man
named Florence and urged him out OF
town by means of bullets. 1t was on
one of Fairweather's trains that Hank
put up his hands at the command of
three holdups-with revolver in each
hand. Not being particularly concern
ed, he merely shot one of them and
kicked the others off, two miles from
Sprague. After that he rode on pass
indorsed by Henry Willard.
Hank also prevented the railroad pay
wagon with about 100000 on it, from
being robbed between Spokane and
Pend Oreille Fairweather received
anonymous warning that Hank himself
had planned the hold-up, but he show
ed Hank the warning and engaged him
to guard the wagon for $50 day.
There was no symptom Of a robbery.
To put Hank on his honor was to win
his allegiance.
These are merely sample incidents
from a career that would fill book of
horse and gun history. In town Hank
was the extreme opposite Of the popu-
lar ideal of a gun fighter. He wore
Prince Albert coat and accessories, and
his auburn hair and mustache were
neatly trimmed. Occasionally he wore
species of Vandyke beard and might
have passed as a recently imported
professional man upon whom it would
be sinful to impose. With ordinary
citizens he was happily harmless, a
good-natured, soft-spoken person OF
more than average height, with splen-
did shoulders and engaging manners.
Yet he always had guns under his long
coat and marvellous facility in produc-
ing them when the occasion seemed
auspicious. On the range he was an
entirely different edition of the same
person. From the huge white hat with
the rattlesnake band to jingling spurs
can sash, guns and cartridge belt,
chaps, Spanish bit and saddle. He al
ways rode the finest horse he could get,
and right here in Spokane he has dis
played his horsemanship by picking up
coins on the street from the saddle
with his horse on the gallop.
With more gun fights in his record
than any other celebrity of the from
tier, however, Hank has never been
called murderer He is credited with
a reckless willingness to let the other
man draw and shoot first, which cere-
mony being completed, Hank calmly
transacted his part.
To have trouble of any consequence
with him the seeker for such diversion
had to be qualified as gun fighter.
Only men who were regarded as bad
and seemed anxious to impress the fact
aroused more than a friendly interest
in Hank. In the early eighties, when he
lived on a ranch near Peone Prairie, a
few miles from Spokane, he had no
CORY affairs in this town.
Yet he never heard of man with a
shooting reputation that sooner or later
did not come into that gents orbit. II
| happened also that the other party Of
ten experienced the same curiosity as
to Hank 1t was this fateful affinity
that brought Bill Singleton and Hank
together Singleton was no more quar-
relsome naturally than Hank, but he
had a reputation as a fighter to main
tain, and there was always more or
less speculation, which both Bill and
Hank were conscious of, as to what
| would be the outcome should the two
chance to come together.
1t happened one night over cards In
Pat Dillons saloon at Sprague. The
eyes of the crowd were upon them.
Each appreciated fully the nature of
public expectation that enveloped them.
A dispute started that otherwise
might have passed unnoticed, and both
men were on their feet Every voice
| in the saloon instantly ceased.