The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-02

They soaked him when he was
They pumped John
They beat II like coyotes"
And then they put II all together and
told Il again and again from the be-
ginning.
Shooting Follows Apology Call
The saloon was the two-rooy7 wooden
shack with bar and gambling house
combined, the common type in the Mid
die West a quarter Of a century ago.
Ed was playing pitch at n of the
little side tables In the gambling room.
At one end Of this room the town band
was giving a concert. "A score of craps
shooters were busy On either side.
sgm Houston and Jack Love came
in by the back door, passed in front
OF the band and separated, Houston
going toward Ed, Love sneaking, un-
seen behind his table. Both men were
drunk.
Are you going to ~apologize?" tHous-
ton ~blubbered. Ed turned and faced
him. His back was to Houston.
When you're sober come back. Apol-
ogies will be settled then"
That's all / wanted to know" Hous.
ton answered, .shuffling off. AT the
same instant Love ahmed his As
against Eds head and fired. AS he
dropped Houston rushed up and pumped
two bullets into my brothers skull.
When the shooting broke the 6 m-
blers barricaded themselves behind the
tables. Men in the barroom scurried
into the street. John was standing out
side. He rushed in as Ed fell, Half
way across the outer room Houston and
Love caught him with a full volley. Be-
fore anyone recovered from the sudden
panic the murderers were gone.
Lawless Temper Cause.
They brought Ed home. John lay dy-
ing. My father sat up and watched. II
could not go near the house. Il went
out to the barn and waited. l felt like
another Cain.
There was no indecision in my hind;
| knew that my lawless temper had
precipitated the killing. But Love had
been laying for Ed. He had ribbed
Houston to the shooting. They had
murdered deliberately, cowardly--theyl
had shot from behind.
Before the night was over the news
went like a flame through the country.
Woodward held its breath and waited
for the answering shot.
Houston and Low would come back.
They expected me to get them. Al
The remorse Of the night before had
reared like a coiled snake into a poi
sonous vengeance. There would be no
quitting now.
The mean, sordld gray OF, early morn
Ing had just streaked the night sky. My
rather came to the barn. He looked tall
and grim. but blanched as a leper.
lone IN with me- his voice seemed
pTresseu anu iiattened with misery.
ro Oone IN nere. re led me way to the
lirium.
mere one he pointed.
And then he moved silently into the
other room where Ed had been placed
on the boar table.
into mine In q blazing scrutiny.
There's twegt he said: a u.
Now what are you going to do? Are
you going to finish us3'. 9
-
AZ ~
Il GhARIEH- SIN;
,n was \ q whip iash cutting a
welF across my, lace feit like a beat
ehS JVwerlns o..
NeIeneL VI ~ spoke. u was nara even
s T hand trembled did not want to
What did he mean? Did he expect
me to do nothing, while the whole of
Woodward waited for the blow?
He knew the spirit of these prairie
towns. Men settled their own accounts
in swift and deadly fashion, Ex-fuei-
tives and old range men made up the
population. They paid little tribute to
law.
The marshals who administered II
were the meal est men in the country,
They were all former horse thieves.
rustlers or renegade highwaymen.
The outlaws did their iii anceering
with a six shooter; the marshals used
a whisky bottle.
| nave seen them, dozens of times
deliberately sneak the bottle into the
schooner wagons going across the
plains: double back on the occupants,
search the wagons, find the bottle, tie
until the scoundrelly trick gave them
about 10 prisoners, Then thew would
drive them all Into Fort Smith. nro-
duce their fraudulent evidence, collect
mileage and cold bloodedly have thoss
innocent men sent up for four or five
years on the charge Of introducing lio-
DOR into the indian Territorv olhfio
p%enitentiary when / landed there. was
chucked with men serving time on such
trumped-up cases.
~
Little Stock in Justice
-.
The marshals grabbed off about $4,000
on the deal. The ~cowpuncher and the
TTts took os'H little tIeN stock @en in ot the e0 justioe Of
sneak e thieves.
nhese tnrnss ! knew. IL was not muir,
der 70 strike down the men who had
shot IRON tne pack' In the MIDDLE west
II was hohor' -
" Wa not hohor that wanted, put
.ensea lce' f'u y a peen ~ years
loeetner' ne had TAKEN the pace OF
Sthn'oh, OF Chicken lie was more
) tnan ei'her 10 me Big hatureo, clear
nralned, the gentlest felloW that ever
nVeaEana mere ne was WIN me paeK
OF ms peer head oiown OH with the
: murderous bullets,
[ listen 10, me-! MY Iat ers voice
seemed rumbling through a wall OF
pain 1t ,jerked me back Listen &c
me. There's been killing enough rhere
been sorrow nough
you brother has paid the penaltS
: o. lawlessness Jonn' zoe may pay
where VIII, II endE When WOODWARD
: runs with oloodY' r
lie went on as though ne were pos
SeSseu, -
You snail not 90 IL. / am the Judge