New Britain herald., 1919-12-18
TEXAS TOWN IS NO
 LONGER ON MAP
Where Judge Dispensed Strange y Laws and Liquors

Houston, Texas, Dec. S.--Langtry Texas, once known as Eagles Nest, has vanished from the map, but re- membrance Of it's most picturesque characters remains to enliven the thoughts of a jaded and jumbled world. Eagles Nest was the home of Judge Roy Eean, famous as an eXpon- ent of Law West of the Pecos In that flourishing border town some years ago the judge kept a saloon and dispensed legal decisions of peculiar merit along with his red liquor, car ing not so much as the yelp of baf- fled coyote for the opinion of the world at large. Both were suited to conditions obtaining at that time, but today, under the iron bound reign of dry-rot moralists neither would be permitted.
 Marry huinoro uss aand many sefni-- tragic stories regarding Judge Bean have been handed down by friends and relatives, many of whom are ly- ing in or adjacent to San Antonio to- day. It was in a day when enforcers ot the law were few and far between, and when the men with the quickest trigger finger and the steadiest nerve were monarchs of a large portion of what they surveyed h-~ ,sE% @.s..
 Bean was justice, of the peace of pfeclhct NO. and the ranking rep.e- sentative Of the law for hundreds of miles north south, east and west of htm. Eqnipped with q copy of the statutes of Ohio of the vintage of 1885, 8 sense of fair play and a strong conviction of what the law should be even though it were not so written down Tn the books, he put up his sign: Judge Roy Bean,
 Justice of the Peace.
 Law West of the Pecos.
 Tn addition to being chief maeis- trate over everything West of the Pecos, Judge Bean conducted a thirst-quenching emporium typical of the day. The saloon was in the hall of justice and from behind the bar came the voice of authority backed by a brace of perfectly good six shooters.
 One day a noisily-garbed eastern- CT 'dolled up' in what he took to be acceptable evidence of his long resi- dence in that section and l1nowledge of the habits and talk of that sections men, sauntered lazily over to Judge Beans bar and bawled out in his widest and wooliest voice:
 Gimme a dose O tarantula iuice!"
 Without so much as raising an eye lash, Judge Bean reached to a little shelf took down a bottle containing a preserved tarantula, poured the con tents into a whiskey glass, added two swallows of red liquor, mushed the tarantula into pulp and showed the connection forward.
 ''A'w, aw, I was just foolin', don't you >now,''. said the customer "T'l1 take a little straight whiskey. please"
 Not on your life,' the judge re piled, presenting arms. You ordered tarantula, juice and that's what you got. Now drink it,
 The Wouldbe Lad man begged Dit eously. but 1he judge was firm, and the tenderfoot finally had to gulp the mess down.
 TWO Mexican men and women walked into Judge Beans court one day and informed him that they wanted a change; that they wanted to swap helpmeets. The judge made diligent inquiries Of each of the four. found all to be of the same mind. charged each of the men SIS and a dozen bottles of beer and called it done.
 When a state official from Austin on flying visit to Eagle Nest" conn., plained to Judge Bean that he was exceeding his authority, explaining that divorces should be passed Up to Q higher court, Bean is alleged to have retorted:
 Why say! Have I ever butted into your affairs: These people wanted to swap, they paid me for changin' 'em elcund, they're Twin together pu'fecuy happy, an nobody round here has complained You go on back 10 Austin an handle your courts like you want to, but this is out O your Jurisdiction
 Then there was Judge Beans fam ous decision in the case Of a man be- ing tried for killing a Chinaman The