Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-09-07

I AAOuSOW I'LL 81
+ How His Elimination Was
! Accomplished 81
Z By WILLARD BLAKEMAN
$$<$%+$<<<*<*$$<**<*<$<<<*
Away back in the fifties when the
town Of Deadshot began to think OF
taking ON the hue OF civilization the
question was how to make begin
ming. Men had gone elsewhere Tor
wives, who had consented to marry
them and 60 to Deadshot without be-
Ing aware of what kind Of place 1t
was. Families had sprung up about
these couples, and 1t Is generally con-
coded that a place containing women
and children requires different man
agement from one in which there are
only men and the only law Is 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 were loud and long.
and the desire to stop the gun play
received a new impetus. A knot OF
men were standing on the only street
In the town discussing the matter
when Andrew bunker. grinding his
quid with pair Of timber Jaws, said:
Gents, so long as we was all men
together the gun was first rate
article for our differences, bein' much
moie effective and less expensive than
by a court Of law. But with wimmen
and children among Us it's different
It's onjust that q 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
widower with children Is put out O
business the care Of his children falls
on the town.
"Now, reccymend that we have an
orphan asylum in Deadshot, to be paid
for by them as gifts the better OF SIGH
as differs with 'em. Supposin' we start
fund for the purpose in this way:
Any man as bores a hole In another in
Deadshot pays q thousand dollars for
the privilege. When the fust thousand
turns up well begin the buildin' o the
asylum, and every thousand comm In
after that goes to carryin' on the good
work"
That's all very WELL" remarked Cy
Atkins, "but who's goin' to levy on the
man that bores the holeT
Mr.. Hunker ground his quid a tride
harder and slower and continued:
~ take it for granted that the sent-
ment O. this yere town has turned agin
hole borin', particularly In the bodies
Of fathers Of kids. I offer myself as
one to enforce the penalty. and l
haven't any doubt that I kin git all the
| assistance l need"
This clinched the argument, and the
same evening a copy Of the decree,
signed by u self constituted committee,
was posted throughout the town. Mr..
Hunkers name, written In style to
remind one Of John Hancock's on the
Declaration Of American Independence.
led the rest. and those who were dis
posed to sneer 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 5th of July. Not pistol crack
ed. Some Of the men We're seen going
about without their revolvers 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, moistened by the rain, did not
look 80 formidable, and there were
signs that they We're forgotten or at
least had lost their terror.
One morning two shots In quick sue
cession rang out In cabin where two
men We're playing cards. A third shot
followed a 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.
Mr.. bunker stepped up to Murphy
and demanded his arms. Murphy, who
still held his revolver, looked inquiring-
" into his face, then at six men back
ing him, all 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
that Murphy must pay $1,000 hole.
The decision staggered the citizens
Of Deadshot. Some declared that Muir
ply, having fred In self defense, was
not liable to the fine. Others declared
that $1,000 for two holes, especially
when one would have killed the man
receiving 1t, was exorbitant. The COM
mittee gave out that the price Of Dor
ing holes I'll human flesh was rising
and they We're thinking Of making it
80 per cent higher. They had nothing
to do with any other consideration than
enforcing the payment due from hole
borers at SO much hole.
Murphy was gambler, and, since he
never played to lose. he had plenty
of funds with which to pay his fine.
He added $500 as voluntary subscrip-
non, making the nest egg for the or
phan asylum $500. A hundred dol
lars was expended for lot and ma
terial was bought for the building.
After this more men left their guns
at home. and Deadshot was showing