Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-01-05
HE STARTS TOCARRlE NATIONlzE Til. JOINTS
With Three Trusted Deputies He Suddenly DesCends Tulsa and
Fires Three Gambling Houses-Rads Other Towns and
Puts Crnp in Gambling and Saloon Business.


ties. AS hes hccm e2as WIGS the
ia0pias on place ics aaas Of ht gam
Z lAays and bod 1lea WHO had infested
Indian ferdtogy J1haHon went over
Tie border Is shcrmap, and. here he
pulled ca . coup which gave him the
reputation ol being The 4nerviest'
oan IL the Southwest In fact, his
deed IS believed 70 ha without parallel
outside of dime novel fiction.
Ehere was a certain establishment
known to be both a liquor Joint" and
gambling house, but it was almost
impossible to get into the place witE-
out being known, and. once in, IL was
practically impossible to obtain evil
dence that would convict, for the law
required a man to be identified before
he could be convicted OF the sale Of
liquor.
Going to the building, johnson found
guard posted. He talked his way
past him with his good-natured.
smooth Yankee accents, and went on
till he met another guard. He talked
his way past him also and met a third
guard. The third guard, after cross
questioning him. admitted him to an
inner door, which was locked. A voice
on the other side demanded TO know
what Johnson wanted.
I'm from the Territory and / have
a ten-dollar thirst" said johnson.
well. If you're thirsty, come in"
answered the voice. The door was un-
locked and Johnson found fourth
guard behind it. He went further and
came to place where about 100 men
were gambling and engaging in yari.
GUS amusements.
At the far end was q bar, where
drinks of all sorts except soft" were
being served The bartender wore a
mask and was dressed in Mother
J Hubbard, so that the only way in
which he could be identified would be
by his production In court.
Whats yours?" he inquired OF John
son.
"Oid rye" answered Johnson.
The bartender placed the bottle
upon the bar. AS he stopped forward
Johnson whipped off his mask and
pulled his two Colt revolvers. you're
under arrest" he said.
Jerking him across the bar. he
marched him through the midst Of the
astounded gamblers, opened the locked
door. passed the four guards, who were
still too much confused to realize that
there was only one raider, and took
him to the lookup.
Shortly after this a man in small
town near Okmulgee sent word TO
Johnson that If he came to his town
to start anything he would kill him
on sight. This was the sort of situ-
alton that always ticzled Johnson,
and he met it in his characteristic
way.
After making inquiries he learned
that the man knew Of him only by
reputation and by photographs pub
lisbed in the newspapers. According
" Johnson changed his appearance as
much as possible-which was not
mnch--got on horse and rode to the
town, where he at once made for the
saloon. 1t was wide open aud appar-
emily in a prosperous condition,
What's yours? inquired the letter
writer.
'Old rye answered Johnson.
The proprietor, who had Colt as
in each hip pocket. turned his back
to Johnson for moment to get the
bottle. Johnson leaned over the bar
and with each hand deity extracted
one of the reviewers. Then he arrested
the man at the point Of his OWL
weapons and marched him away.
At the beginning Of his career, vari-
Gus epithets- were applied to Johnson.
Whisky Johnson" and Pale Ale
Johnson" were familiar sobriQuets. But
after this sensational exploit he was
known as "Pussyfoot Johnson" This
appellation clung to him. and in every
! state where an Indian reservation ex-
lists he is known today only under that
title. johnson worked almost inyari-
ably at night He never gave the out.
laws chance tC shoot il he could
help it. lie says, too, that he never
killed man in his life But the
murdcrous nature of his undertaking
is shown by the fact that some two
dozen outlaws and deputies persisted
during Johnson's Indian Territory cam
paign.
1t was a case OF one man against
NAL ~. y.
Territory, and that one man created
revulsion OF sentiment that entirely
suppressed the liquor traffic anoAs
Indians until the time OF statehood All