Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24

Accordingly, an audience OF more than
20 assembled In the building In fun ex-
pectation OF an enjoyable evening. These
old-timers had few opportunities for en-
tertainment, and to listen to a violin
was all that any Of them could ask.
The storeroon1 where the program
took place had waist-high. pine-board
counter along one side and one end.
making an ell. Diagonally across the
room from the corner of the ell was a
door opening from the south.
Two of the visiting cattle outfit acted
as an arrangement committee and dis
posed the audience for the performer
They Insisted that every individual In
the vicinity be present In the room
After making sure that all were there.
every one was seated on the boxes and
on the counter. A cracker box was
placed in the corner OF the counter
ell for the performer. After all had
been seated the man of the evening
suddenly appeared in the south door
way. Quick and 1.-the as cat. he
sprang into the open door and balanced
there. He was above medium height.
thin and muscular. CARRIED as q
typical cowboy from head to foot. he
carried fiddle and bow in one hand
M4lO q lA44G AL lIlC Obiltk.
He hesitated a moment in the door
way as he swept the faces of every one
In the room with keen, ccmpre-
hensive glance. In another moment he
was striding like panther, softly and
swiftly, toward the ell In the counter.
Arriving there, he wheeled about In the
fraction Of second and glanced about
again to see If any one had moved.
Placing his violiA and bow on the
counter at his left, and never lowering
his eyes, he felt for the box, placed 1t
and sat down.
Once seated, he placed his rife
against the counter on his right. Then
followed some moments of adjusting
his rifle at exactly the right angle from
which to snatch 1t In the least fraction
shot. The same action that snatched
up the gun would cock 1t, Without re-
moving his glance from the room an
instant, he tried the gun position sew
eral times, snatching 1t up and replac-
ing 1t until satisfied.
u II u
WITH the same quick, catlike mo-
w lions he picked UP the violin
and bow, and commenced to play with
out tuning up. AS he played he was
only partially seated. with both legs
drawn up under him ready Tor .
spring. There was never o second
that he did not cover every man In the
slightly from side to side. He could,
and did, play almost every selection
familiar to the audience. Encores were
given, and every tune called for he
played. He was there to please, ana
did so.
It was good music by master hand
and the audience sat spellbound Tor
that reason, and for another also.
Every one there had recognized a
killer who was on the lookout for the
man who would try to get him. A false
move by any person there would have
caused the violin and bow to drop.
while the same move would nave put
the balanced rifle into deadly actlon.
Every one knew the type, and that was
one audience which did not move It's
hands or shuttle It's feet. Present-day
performers might try the same tactics,
The finish came when he suddenly
placed the fiddle and bow In one nano
and, picking up the rifle. lett the room
as rapidly as he had entered. turning
at the door, he surveyed the room1ui
of men, and In the next instant nao
leaped into the dark.
This hip-shot violin virtuoso was u
deadly killer we'll within the cattle coun-
try code His killings were OF va
stand up first on the-draw variety.
such Killings we're not looked upon as
murders. This man held the respect
and loyalty of every one who knew MN;
The first killing in self-defense NAG leo
to others of the same nature untn ms
life was a continuous every-minute-oI-
the-day expectation of revenge on the
part of some one.
In the end, he would certainly cash
in" on the action Of some one VINO
caught him unawares. unth tnat event,
eternal vigilance on his part was tne
ticket to existence on this munoane
sphere. yet this man loved to enter.
tain those who desired his art and not
his life. His outfit were his pals" to a
man.
Besides corralling every one on the
premises, they guarded the windows
with their own bodies against possible
shot from without.
Many killers were Of the foregoing
type. The old West saw many OF an
other kind, also. Stripped. OF all TO-
nance, they were mere murderers' Iney
murdered in cold blood without giving
the victim a warning or a chance to
fight. Again they murdered IN pure
viciousness to vent spite or uncontrolled
anger. but never unless they had all the
advantage. These men had to make q
quick getaway after murder, 20
escape the vengeance Of the fair-mind:
ed. Again, there were those who apeo
others, and In building up Q pseudo
reputation would aspire to kill . man
who had more "notches" on his gun
But such braggarts seldom accomplished
their purpose except when they had the
advantage of numbers or "ths drop" on
the victim.
X " n
TOR a week at one time Red Fork
Ranch harbored real killer while
he practiced for particular murder ne
had In mind. He was "bronco-buster"
by profession, with a disposition to
match the worst outlaw" he ever rode.