The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-12-06

"I'vE DRUNK DAH'Ls o HUMAN GoREW
kept the best liquor. ana his poker
rooms have given me squarest deals.
He's had TO Kill seven men in that
time, but in every case the coroner
has complimented him on his shooting
"For ten long years Tom Iloke has
been Judge Hoke. lie has mixed jus
tice and common sense together and
lnded it out the best he knowed how
In arriving ut his legal decisions he
has been careful of the honor of the
great and only west as well MS the
rights Of plaintiff and defendant
Where honor Is lost all is lost
"You all remember the case of Joe
Bin versus 1arantula Jim | sent Joe
10 the pen for five years for highway
robbing Jim. He appeals to higher
court and gets the decision reversed
on me. and am directed to give him n
new trial
"My friends. go back with me year.
Il is n perfect fall day The birds are
singing and the kyotes yelplng. ana
every critter In Sandy Bend is a-thank-
ing heaven that he's alive and kick
fng. AS he dwells on the thought that
he's son of the west his heels lift
up as IL he had been drinking cham
pagne.
Down from the mountains on n
spotted cayuse comes riding Tarantula
Jim. We see him when he Is yet ufar
off. He sees us He rides his cayuse
in circles. He makes him stand on his
tail lie shoots up the sky. lie utters
warwhoops. We look at each other
in doubtful way Is n bad. bad man
coming into our midst;
Enter Tarantula Jim.
"And then Tarantuu lin comes a.
eaIloping aud a-yeling aud a-shooting
and a-frothlng Mt the mouth. and we
have him among us. Bndf Oh. yes.
lie was grizzlies. rattlesnnkes. cent?
pedes. scorpions. timber wolves and
mountain lions all combined and mixed
with prussic acid. He had a voice like
a thunderbolt He had an eye that
flashed lightning He had Il roll to his
gait. and when he sat down he Jared
the town of Sandy Bend from center
TO circumference.
"Of what use to 90 on? You all
know him. You all know how he has
staggered and lorded it over US Ear
" I'm the game was asked my opinion
Of Tarantula Jim. May heaven forgive
me. but | sized him up as bad-bad
from hair TO heel thought he carried
the true brand This 'ere court. not
only as court. but as Tom Hoke OF
the Red Dog, has seen many. many
bad men He has dropped a few OF
them. He has had years of experience
IN sizing up human critters I'm say
ing this. and I'm saying that I'd have
bet the Red Dog agin' an army mule
that Tarantula was the worst Of the lot
II haln't saying that any OF us trem
bled in his presence but we was rath
er careful IN addressing him. aud We
didn't win from him in poker beyond
II certain point We ginerally agreed
with him IN all he said, ana II there
was any drinking we paid the shot.
The Unpretendins Rif.
HAS Tarant"la ever killed a man In
Sandy Bend? Nary one He's made
TO draw on several. and he's yelled al
others til they was made TO leave
town. but rs for shooting he's with
held his hand His excuse was that II
he was once aroused he couldn't hold
hisself. anG the town Of Sandy Bend
would be laid IN sackcloth and ashes.
"Joe Rifi Is not bad man. He new
or pretended to be. He's allus been
ready TO admit, like the 'sle gentle
man he l.. that he's more'n half kyole,
ne hain't got but one sound lung. ana
he's cockeyed In the left eye
zoe is over 10 Wild Cat hill on bis