The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-22
Arkansaw Bill
How His Elimination Was
Accomplished


Away back in the fifties when the
town of Deadshot began TO think of
taking on the hue Of civilization the
question was how 10 make a begin
ming. Men had gone elsewhere for
wives, who had consented to marry
them and go TO Deadshot without be-
ing aware OF what kind OF place il
was. Families had sprung up about
these couples. and it is generally con
coded that place containing women
and children requires different man
agement from one in which there are
only men and the only law il gun law.
Nevertheless the shooting Went on. and
in time there were a number Of women
left widows and children made father
less.
For some time there was talk Of
stopping the gun play, but nothing was
done till three little children, whose
mother had died natural death, were
deprived Of their father by an I'M
natural one. This came home TO the
citizens OF DeadshOt. inaSmuch as they
felt obliged to provide for the children.
The grumblings We're loud and long.
and the desire TO stop the gun play
received a new impetus. A knot of
men We're standing on the only street
IN the town discussing the matter
when Andrew Hunker, grinding his
quid with pair OF timber jaws, said.
Gents so long as we was all men
together the gun was a first rate
article for our differences. bein' much
n re effective and less expensive than
by court of law. But with wimmen
and children among lis it's different
It's unjust that Il woman should be
deprived Of her husband and his sup
port because he's suspected OF holdin'
two aces O. clubs when there's only
one in a regulation pack. And when a
a widower with children is put out o
business the care of his children falls
on the town.
Now, I reccymend that we have an
orphan asylum in Deadshot, to be paid
for by them as gifts the better Of sich
AZ differs with EN-. Supposin' we start
a fund for the purpose in this way:
Any man as bOres a hole in another in
DeadshOt pays thousand dollars for
the privilege. When the fust thousand
turns up we'll begin the buildin' o. the
asylum, and every thousand coTRin in
after that goes to carryin' on the good
work
That's all very WE'LL" remarked Cy
Atkins. but who's g0in' to levy on the
man that bores the hole?"
Mr.. bunker ground his quid trihe
harder and slower and continued:
Il take il for granted that the senri-
ment o. this we're town has turned agin
hole bOrin particularly in the bodies
of fathers Of kids. offer myself as
one TO enforce the penalty, and
haven't any doubt that kin git all the
assistance | need"
This clinched the argument. and the
same evening copy Of the decree
signed by a self constituted committees
was posted throughout the town. Mr.
Hunker'S name, written in style 10
remind one OF John HancOck's on the
Declaration of American independence
led the rest and those who were dis
posed to sheer ut the document, on see
ing his signature, desisted. The women
approved, seeing In the edict promise
Of being able to keep their husbands.
For several days after the posting of
the notice the town Of Deadshot was
like the 9TH Of July. Not pistol crack
ed Some of the men were seen going
about without their reyOlvers at their
hips, indicating that they would rather
get shot than be held for the thousand
dollar penalty But by and by the no
tees, moistaned by the rain. did not
look 80 formidable. and there were
signs that they were forgotten or at
least had lost their terror.
One morning two shots in quick sue.
cession rang out in cabin where two
men were playing cards. \ third shot
followed few seconds later The
Signers Of the edict gathered at the
scene OF controversy and found Ben
Rogers on the floor stone dead with
two bullet holes in him. Jim Murphy
was unhurt.
Mir HGnker stepped up TO Murphy
and demanded his arms Murphy. who
still held his revolver. looked inguiring
~ into his face, then lit six Men back
inG him. al having cooked weapons in
their hands and surrendered
The body being examined. it was
found TO contain TWO holes. The com
mittee after due consideration decided
thar Murphy must pay $1,000 hole.
The derision staggered the citizens
of peadshet. S~nme declared that Muir
ply. having fred in self defense, was
not liable 10 the tinc Others declared
that S2OOo for two holes. especially
when one would have killed the man
receiving 1t. was eSorbitlnt. The COM
mittee gave out that the price Of Dor
inG holes in human flesh was rising
aud they We're thinking Of making il
- per cent higher They had nothing
10 do with any other consideration than
enforcing the payment due from hele
horers at so much A hole.
Murphy was a gambler and, since he
never played 10 lose. he had plenty
II funds with which to pay his fine
He aided 500 as a voluntary subscrip
tiop. making the nest eGG for the or
phan asylum $500 hundred dol
lars vas expended for a lot and ma
teriaI was bought for the building.
After this more men left their gun,
al home and DeadSh0t was showinE
a.. r-r.a Errrns