Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-12-29

N@TNNH frank, deep DrOWn
eyes and a laugh
YoH that rippled across
~0 the prairie like
the sound Of a hidden brook. The name
Of it was Rosita McMullen: and she
was the daughter Of old man McMul-
len Of the Shutdown sheep ranch. =,
There came riding on red roam
steeds-or, to be more explicit, on q
paint and a hea-bitten sorrel-two
Wooers. One was Madison Lane and
the other was the Frio Kid. But at
that time they did not call him the
Frio Kid, for he had not earned tho
honors Of special nomenclature. His
name was simply Johnny McRoy.
It must not be supposed that these
two were the sum of the agreeable
Rosita's admirers. The bronchos Of a
dozen others champed their bits at
the long hitching rack of the Sun
down ranch Many we're the Sleeps
eyes that were cast in those savannas
that did not belong to the f1ocks OF
Dan McMullen. But Of all the cava-
liers Madison Lane and Johnny Nc.
Roy galloped far ahead. wherefore
they r to be chron1cled.
Madison Lane, q young cattleman
from the Nueces country, won the
race. He and Rosita were married one
Christmas day. Armed, hilarious. vo-
ciferous, magnanimous, the cowmen
and the sheepmen. laying aside their
hereditary hatred, Joined forces to
celebrate the occasion
But while the wedding feast was at
its liveliest there descended upon It
Johnny McRoy, bitten by jealousy.
Ike one possessed.
"l1l give you q Christmas present"
he yelled. shrilly, at the door, with his
As in his hand. Even then he had
some reputation as an ofhand shot.
His first bullet cut a neat underbit
I'm Madison Lanes right ear. The bar.
rel Of his gun moved an inch. The
next shot would have been tho brides,
had not Carson, a sheepman. poo
sessed q mind with triggers some.
what we'll oiled and in repair: The
guns of the wedding party had been
hung, in their belts, upon nails in tho
wall when they sat at table. as q con
cession to good taste. But Carson,
with great promptness. hurled his
plate OF roast ventson and frtjolee q
Mercy, spelling his aim. The second
bullet, then, only shattered the white
petals Of a Spanish dagger flower sus-
pended two feet above Rosita's head.
The guests spurned their chairs
and jumped for their weapons. It
was considered an improper act to
shoot the bride and groom ut q wed"
ding. In about six seconds there were
twenty or 80 bullets due to be whiz.
ting in the direction Of Mr.. AcRoy.
I'll shoot better next time" yelled
Johnny; and thereu be 4 next time"
He backed rapidly odt the door.
The cattlemen swept out upon him
calling for vengeance.
But the sortie failed in It's ven,
Geance. Mercy NJ on his horse and
away, shouting back curses and
threats ~ he galloped into tho coor
eealtng chaparra.
That night vas the b1rthnight Of
tho Ftio Kid. He. became the bad
man. Of that portion Of the state. The
rejection Of his suit by Miss ME1kul,
len turned him to q dangerous man.
When officers went after him tor the
shooting Of Carson. no killed two a
them. and entered upon the life Of an
outlaw. When he Wa. ct l9st shot
and killed BY / 'nttlo one-armed Mex
!. lean who was nearly dead himself
from fright, the FRO Kid had tht
Deaths Of 10 men on his head. =.
Many tales are told along the Dor
der Of his impudent courage and
daring. But she was not one Of the
breed Of desperad6es who have 80
sons Of generosity ana even Of soft
ness. They say he never had mercy
a. the object 81 His singer. Yet q
this and every Christmastide It IL
ven to give each one credit. II It can
b done. for whatever speck Of good
he may have Possessed. II the Fro
Kid ever did q kindly act or felt Z
throb Of generosity In his heart It was
once u. such = time and season, ard
this IL the way It happened:
One December IN tho FRO country
rodesths trio XII, and III asatellfttss
and . murderee. MssxEioansFfank. -
1kld refined IN his. MUSTANG. and sath
- saddle thoaagIlhf6fM and qtn, VT
16ngerousl1tfk &fslOrvtng egea.
I don't know what / been Thinking
a1nntysaaNYs ~ aavannarh etl-fu *hfa unral