The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-28
Arkansaw Bill
How His Elimination Was
Accomplished
By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

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I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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 for
wives, who had consented to marry
them and 20 to Deadshot without be-
Ing aware of what kind of place it
was. Families had sprung up about
these couples, and it is generally con-
ceded 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 a natural death, were
deprived of their father by an un-
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 new impetus. A knot of
men were 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
m,.e effective and less expensive than
by court of law. But with wimmen
and children among us it's different
It's unjust that 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 regulation pack. And when a
a widower with children Is put out o
business the care of his children falls
on the town.
"Now, l 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
a fund for the purpose in this way:
Any man as bores hole in another in
Deadshot pays a thousand dollars fol
the privilege. When the fust thousand
turns up Well begin the buildin' O the
asylum, and every thousand COMM in
AI,nA 70, I'M In
work"
That's all very WE'LL" remarked Cy
Atkins, but who's goin' to levy on thu
man that bores the hole?"
Mr.. Hunker ground his quid trifl'
harder and slower and continued:
81 take it for granted that the senti
ment O. this yere town has turned agil
hole borin', particularly in the bodie
Of fathers of kids. l offer myself a
one to enforce the penalty, and
haven't any doubt that kin git all tn
assistance l need"
This clinched the argument, and tn
same evening a copy Of the decree
signed by q self constituted committee
was posted throughout the town. MI
Hunker's name, written In a style t
remind one Of John HancOck's on tn
Declaration of American independence
led the rest. and those who were di:
posed to sneer ut the document, on SCI
ing his signature. desisted. The wOme
approved, seeing in the edict promis
Of being able to keep their husbands.
For several days after the posting {
the notice the town Of DeadshOt wa
like the 9Th of July. Not n pistol cracl
ed. Some Of the men were seen gOin
hips, indicating that they would rattle
get shot than be held for the thousan
dollar penalty. But by and by the n
tees, moistened by the rain, did nj
look so formidable. and there wei
signs that they were forgotten or {
least had lost their terror.
One morning two shots In quick su
cession rang out In cabin where tw
men were playing cards. A third sh'
followed a few seconds later. III
signers of the edict gathered at IL
scene Of controversy and found BE
Rogers on the floor stone dead wit
two bullet holes in him. Jim Murpf
was unhurt.
Mr.. Hunlcr stepped up to Murpt
and demanded his arms. Murphy, wi
still held his revolver. looked inquirin
ly into his face. then ut six men bac
ing him. all having cooked weapons
their hands, and surrendered.
l..s, n1
found To contain two holes. The col
mittee, after due consideration, decid,
that Murphy must pay $1,000 hole.
The decision staggered the citiZel
of Deadshot. some declared that MI
ply, having fred in self defense, W
not liable to the fine. Others declar
that $1,000 for two holes, especial
when one would have killed the mi
receiving 1t, was eXorbitant. The col
mittee gave out that the price of b,
ing holes in human flesh was risi
and they were thinking of making
80 per cent higher. They had nothi
to do with any other consideration tn
enforcing the payment due from HI
borers at so much hole.
Murphy was a gambler, and, since
never played to lose. he had pier
of funds with which to pay his fl
He added $500 as voluntary subscr
ton. making the nest egg for the
phan asylum $500. A hundred d
lars was expended for lot and Il
tprial was bought for the building.
After this more men left their 81
at home. and Deadshot was show