The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-12-07

at College park. Mr.. Johnson, after
the machine had been brought to
earth, languidly " lowed" he liked
flying. When someone suggested
others might have thought the trip
hazardous Mr.. Johnson did. not even
think the joke deserving of a smile.
For compared with some of the
picnics Ben Johnson has come out
of, an aeroplane ride is just about
as dangerous as an old woman's
home Sunday afternoon. BY the
way of explanation it might be stat
ed that Mr. Johnson, besides serv-
ing a term as speaker Of the Ken
lucky house, came out triumphant
and with a whole skin after four
years as collector of internal revenue
for the Fifth Kentucky district-and
life insurance rates are high on rev.
enue collectors in the blue grass
State.
It was while Mr.. Johnson was
speaker of the Kentucky house in
1887 that he made his best gun rec
ord, though he was known as good
man on the trigger even before then.
Johnson as speaker was the storm
center of bitter factional fight. The
element that Johnson fought hardest
contained a number of well-known
gun fighters and Johnson, knowing
it, carried his own gun handy.
The climax came when it was seen
that Johnson would soon be in posi-
ton to rule against his enemies and
rule hard. Four "bad men" took it
upon themselves to get johnson out
of the way. Meeting him on lone
ly road one afternoon they invited
him to start then and there for the
State line, not to return to Kentucky
upon pain of death at sight. And
they didn't keep their guns under
their coats, either.
Not long ago. when Mr.. Johnson
was asked about the story, one of
his audience interrupted at this
point:
what did you do, Mr.. Johnson?"
why" replied the Kentuckian, in
a matter-of-fact way, Il killed two
of them, wounded another, and the
fourth ran"
Which is exactly what happened.
In the course of his service as col
lector of internal revenue, Johnson
had occasion several times to use his
gun in a hurry. And it is generally
understood he used it to good advan-
tage. ....
''If taking my foot from that chair
would prolong my life five years
wouldn't move my foot, but I'D fight
until / lost every last drop of blood
in my veins before I'd let any human
being be responsible for shortening
my life,'' explained Mr.. Johnson
when a listener remarked on his
dare-deviltry.
Johnson is not the only member of
the Kentucky delegation who has
carried a gun to good advantage.
Caleb Powers, the Republican MEM
Der, thrice tried for the murder Of
Gov. Goebel, of Kentucky, found no
slight solace in the companionship
of blue steel six-shooler during the
fierce private and political feuds
through which he fought his way to
a seat in the house.
One man lost his seat for time
because of his gun record. James S.
Davenport, of Oklahoma, who runs
Cherokee politics in that State and
carries a gun as matter of course
at least when he is at home-has
been through the fiercest of political
storms and in a country where six
shooter gives rise to less comment
than in the effete east.
Davenport has twice married into
the Cherokee nation. He is the only
''intermarried" white to attain politi-
cal prominence in Oklahoma. Fol-
lowing heated argument, he shot
and killed a man in the old territory
! days. He was tried, pleaded self-de-
fense, and was convicted of man
slaughter. Granted new trial, he
was acquitted: In 1908, when run
ming for reelection, at the eleventh
hour his political enemies obtained
access to the records of the Federal
courts at Fort Smith, Ark, where the
first trial was held. Taking certain
damaging parts of the testimony
they reprinted them in pamphlet
form and mailed them broadcast
throughout the district. Davenport
was defeated, but he won his way
back at the late election.
Judge Rucker, of Colorado
Rucker Ridge, suh!-began his gun
record as a soldier of the Confeder-
ate army, and continued his famili-
arity with firearms while practicing
law in Missouri and Kansas at time
when a lawyer carried something
besides bound volumes of United
States statutes when he went tC
court. In 1879 he moved to Colora,
do and divided his time between the
practice of law and the care of q
flourishing young ranch near Denver
Pretty soon, however, he was pre-
sented with the alternative of Civ.
ing up his law practice or abdicat,
i oe ~