Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-10

was one of those mining camps that |
existed half a century ago in which |
was gathered the toughest population
on the face Of North American soil.
| One visiting it now would see an at
tractive town with paved streets and
| sidewalks, rows of neat dwellings and
spires piercing the branches of shade
| trees.
| But fifty years ago-then there was a
| different picture. There was but one
street, and that was dirt road lined
with log cabins and board shanties
The most pretentious OF these were
drinking and gambling dens. Theirs
was no law nor semblance Of law. A
few respectable women had gone to
the place, but at the time this story
opens they were preparing to leave.
The citizens of Deadshot had encour-
aged the coming Of the women, hoping
that their presence would have a salu-
tary effect on the rougher element, for
the most brutal affairs were perpe-
trated by few individuals, and now
since within a week after their arrival
the ladies were about to turn their
backs on Sodom a meeting was called
with a view to the adoption Of meas
ures that might change their resolution.
The meeting took place in the EN-
pire saloon.
Pete Henshaw arose and said that
be had heard one of the women say
that If the citizens Of Deadshot wanted
to become civilized the first thing they
; must do was to build a church. He
therefore proposed that collection be
. taken up for that purpose.
No objection being made to the prop
osition, the hat was passed. and when
| the offering was summed up the value
of all the donations Of various kinds.
including a dirty pack of cards, was
found to be dollar and fifty-six cents.
\ The movement was a failure.
Cy Allen then made a proposition
that met with much more favor. He
suggested that the first man who shot
another should be fined thousand dol
lars to build the church and that a
committee Of three of the quickest and
surest shots be appointed to see when
the transgression occurred that the
transgressor put up the amount at once
or suffer the consequences.
i 1t did not occur to any one TO ask
I what the intended consequences were
I All understood at once that the delin-
quent was to be riddled. The motion
it was put and carried, the committee
whose duty it was to see that when
the fine needed for the church was
due 1t should be paid was appointed
and the chairman named another to &C
to the ladies and ask them to defer
their departure until it could be deter
h mined whether the action taken would
be effective The latter consented Il
give time for a trial, and Deadsho
waited for the man who was to builc
the church.
Pools were made as to who would bt
the offender. Arkansas Jack, Pet
Skinner and Andy Grimshaw were The
b favorites. Andy Grimshaw was thu
winner, shooting his man down in COLI
blood within two days after the pas
sage Of the resolution. The committee
appointed for the collection Of tn
funds called on him and asked him t,
fork over. He laughed them to scorn
There was a fusillade, and he fel
pierced with three bullets. One of tn
committee was wounded, but not seri
ously.
The next man to lay himself liable t
the fine was Arkansas Jack. But, tax
= ing warning by the fate of his prede
\ cessor, he cit out" before the com
y mittee had time to pay him q visit
Results thus far were favorable. On
of the worst men in the town had beel
eliminated by the bullet; another ha,
gone of his own accord. The only IN
fortunate circumstance was that n
fine had been collected for the building
l of the church.
= Pete Skinner, one Of the pool favor
ties, still remained in the town an
above ground. He had disappointe
{ his hackers in not turning out a wiz
ner and was therefore disappointe
himself. The reason he was inactiv
NJ, and unframed was that he had nc
m succeeded in picking a quarrel wit
any one before his colleagues had sir
ned and suffered He was disguise
with the working of the city ord
nance" for he had no mind to Civ
up Ills ldNOEILe duluSeLlenL anu Hdu
- money with which to pay for indul:
ing in it.
y, The ladies were only partially sati
fed with the results of the effort to r,
form the town, and so long as Skinne
remained there above ground they ha
>, no confidence in a reformation. Tw
left, and the others began packing NJ
- The citizens were hoping that Skinnt
- would kill some one and give them a
~ excuse to eliminate him. But Skinnt
got wind Of their desires and kept II
peace.
There were three young men
. ;, DeadshOt who had been attracted
three young women who were gettiI
ready to move. These men owne
property in Deadshot and not on
ha wished to keep the girls, but to recol
struct the town so that the.Ssould i
duce capital to come in and develC
what they believed would give the
!, , a fortune. Pete Skinner stood not on
- betwe them and the girls, but b
ts-c--. than and uecuniary success
They met one evening to discuss Z