The Cotton Factory Times. — 1892-04-01 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

TRIPLE MAN. "John Zaccheus," said Piggott, "is the best man in the world formoney. He's a man killer, my son. He's done it afore, an' he kin do it agin. You ought ter been on the range and seen him paralyze a society for the prevention of cattle stealing. That's how he kin by the title the ' Triplet of the Niobrara.' Wonst be was a modest sort o' chap, but year arbor year when there was no one to fight as could fight going by kinder made him egotistic. When the Anti-Cattle-Stealing Association held its meetings John got to thinking that he ()rte.! oount for two among 'em, for he ruther despisedMie rest on 'em, ye see, an' he wanted to vote double on all big pints. The other fellers looked foolish, an' got off on one side and talked it over. Some wuz for giving him his way, while Borne others wuz dead sot agin it. Arter a long debate, they tuk a vote on it, and the majority sez Jack wtiz only one man, and that he should vote only ez one man, same ez all the rest. The fellers who wuz in favour of 'lowing Jack to double up knew there wuz trouble abed. Well, ez I was saying, when it kim to the next vote Jack sez he would vote twice so and so. The Chairman sez that proposition had bin ruled out and defeated by the society. By which?' sez Jack. By the majority of the association,' sez the chairman. Where is that majority?' hollered Jack. Well, then, about seven or eight of 'ern sez, We is the majority, Jack Zaccheus, right here.' I hope to die, sonny, if I kin give enny straight acconur o' what happened in the next four minas, but I'll try. The rneetin' was in a log house with one door and two windows. The men as wuz frens to Jack, and some o' the others, too, clim' out the winders, but there wuz six on 'em ez staid in. No six men ez ever lived ever had quite such a exciting time, my boy. Jack, you know, is almighty tall. Well, before the six could collect their ideas, so to speak, Jack had driv two on 'em into the ground, pretty nigh, by a bitting of 'em on the top of the head. Oh, that's a man-killing blow. It kinder shatters 'em. It drives their scalps down over their eyes, sets their jaws, dislocates their necks, curves their spinee, and makes 'em bow-legged for life. Well, as I wuz saying, he gave two on 'em that sort of a prescription, and the other four were hollerin' for their lives before he hit 'ern. He didn't let up, though. Two or three on 'em drew their knives, but he never touched his'n. Be just reached and reached for 'em two at a time. Jack hez arms longer'n a lasso. No man kin git near enuff to Jack when he's movin' to ,break his skin with a knife. No, sir-ee, tirey can't. Well, my son, there wuz nobody in that cabin to fight in lees time than it takes to tell it. Jack picked 'em up, and corded 'em up in a corner of the ranch, one atop o' the other, and then he steps smilin' to the door, and sez to the gentlemen outen the show, Will the minority kim in an' resume business?' Well, you betcher life they kim in. Hold on,' sez Jack, as they were about to proceed to business, hold on, you fellers. Arter this I vote three in this aseociation. D'ye hear?' They all said, kinder agreeable-like, that it is perfectly proper that he should count three. Art' sonny, count three he duz on the Niobrara. That's why he calls himself the triplet.' D'ye see the p'int ? But you orter seen him put that pile driver of biz on top o' Seder Ben's nut. The Beefer had been licked wonst by the man killer's old mother, but he never knew what trouble wuz till he met the boy. Jack didn't want ter fight. He never duz. But the Beefer kept looking at him ugly when they met, and Jack got tired. He gets tired o' some things awful easy, my son. Well, one time, when the boys wuz together, down near the Bad lands, Beefer and Jack had a little falling out, and Ben squared for the fight. Someone in the crowd hollered to Ben that he was committing suicide, but Ben never heard it. He•made a kind of a lunge and jump at Jack, but Jack's left stopped him so quick he saw all the stars at oncet. The worst was to kiln. Before the Beefer could think what hit him, Jack got in his man killer on top o' the head. Ben was as handsome a man as ever you seen afore that. He was nigh six foot high, an' had a fine face. As the boys rushed in to pick him up, someone sings out, I thought the Beefer wuz a fighting Jack." It wuz the Beefer,' sez the crowd. It didn't seem Fip though, for his features were all changed. His forehead had shrunk. His face bed kinder broadened out, and his nose was not the same nose at all. His head seemed to set down in his coat too much, and he looked irregular somehow. Well, he hez always stayed just so. He's the quietest man in the valley no*, with no more fun in him than there is in a graveyard. Oh, brit—" Piggott was about to relate another anecdote when in walked the Niobrara Triplet himself, accompanied by a host of admiring friends. He had on a bearskin cap, a buffalo robe coat, and a pair of enormous hightopped boots. He towered head and shoulders above every man in the room. He good-naturedly answered questions, and permitted the first citizens of the hills to inspect his hands and his muscles. Zaccheus stands six feet seven inches in his stockings, and weighs 200 pounds. His arms are of remarkable length, even for a man of his size, and his hands are as big and heavy as granite paving stones, and about as hard. He is full-chested, but his body is short, when his height is taken into .account. His legs are long and solid as adamant. -His face is round and rather pleasant, but there is a hard look about the mouth when in repose. He says he has never had any training as a tighter, except that given him by his mother, who he declared with a show of filial pride, had a good deal of science.