The New York herald., 1921-12-25
HERO OF ROMANCE
SLAIN IN REAL LIFE
Mormon Joe, Sheepherder.
Shot Dead in Gambling
House Like Story Told.

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
CHEYENNE, Wyo, Dec. 2i.-"MormUn
Joe" Wyoming's man of mystery. story
book hero. described by Caroline Lock-
hart in her Western tale of "The Fight
ing Shepherdess.'' sheep herder and
gambler, died in real life last week just
about as the he died in the story book
died with his boots on and a bullet
through his heart. He was killed in q
gambling den in Kirby, Wyo.--shot
through and through because he refused
to play n crooked game of dice.
In appearance Mormon Joe" was q
typical trapper and sheepherder, with
all that the appearance means. His
speech was that of thorough refinement
His official name was James Smith,
and somewhere "Dacll East his people
were supposed TO be somebody. In wy
oming he was a sheepherder With his
collie dog, Mormon Joe" followed the
sheep into the solitary places on the
slopes of the mountains, sometimes not
seeing q human face for weeks. Then
with the wages OF months in his pocket
no reentered "civilization'' and in a few
hours lost all his money at the gambling
table.
Mormon Joe recently entered Kirby
from three months trip with the herd
During those three months he had
scarcely seen soul. He wanted re-
taxation and excitement. He went to
Henry Bruce's gambling house.
Here is the story of the end of Nor.
mon Joe. as told in a Wyoming local
newspaper:
After having killed james Smith al
Kirby. twenty miles north Of Casper
Harry Bruce's conscience evidently
bothered him. for he asked friend "a
call Sheriff Holdrege at Thermopoiis s.
with the result that Smiths body was
found dead in Bruce's gambling hall
with a $40 bill clasped in his hand.
Smith started gambling at Bruce's
gGm Bruce became dissatisfied witt
the amount of money being taken in on
craps. He ordered Smith 10 change the
dice. This Smith refused TO do.
quarrel started and ended when Bruce
opened fire. shooting Smith eight times
in the body. Just before the gun PLAY
started Bruce had paid Smith $40. After
the shooting the gambling house wa,
deserted, Bruce going over to Sam kel.
Tvs residence Then he asked the au.
thorities be % flied. When the Sheriff
came Bruce irrcndered. The Coroner
verdict was that Smith came to hi,
ceath of gunshot wounds and recon-
nlended that Bruce be held for trial on
charge OF first degree murder"
That was all tho killing OF Mormon
Joe was worth in his home town. ~,
had been only a sheepherder with q
past in the country in which he lived.
The story book Mormon Joe had ar
old violin which he carried with him IN
tho mess wagon. At night after tho
sheep had settled down under the shin
ing stars, the sheepherder with a past
would bring out the old fiddle. from
which he would draw STRAINS from the
world's best music which proclaimed thu
travel stained sheepherder in his faded
overalls and limp trimmed. peak crowned
hat another of the incongruities of tho
Far Vests West that has been q
haven for civilizations mistakes. fail.
ures ami nisiits.''
Here's the way the story book Nor.
mon Joe died: ~ weaving figure was
making it's way down the middle OF
Main street. a thick coated collie fol.
lowed closely. The swaying figure
looked like a drunken gnomc in Its
clumsy coat and peak crowned hat.
"a scrcam--it must have reached th,
sky. Piercing, agonized--the agony OF
"a man screaming with his mouth open
screaming without restraint IN animal.
like Inconsistencies Of what he was
doing.
80 Mormon Joe, screaming in agony
staggered IN the alley. leaving q Grim
son trail behind him, the sheepdog fol-
lowing like a shadow. Mormon Joe had
gone over--dying as he had llved--a
Man OF Mystery"