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match for all of you when I get started。 I will give you proofs； and
then if my friend here still insists； I will try to accommodate him。〃
The table we were sitting at was about five feet long； and unusually
cumbersome and heavy。 He asked us to put our hands on the dishes and
hold them in their places a momentone of them was a large oval dish
with a portly roast on it。 Then he sat down； tilted up one end of the
table； set two of the legs on his knees； took the end of the table
between his teeth； took his hands away； and pulled down with his teeth
till the table came up to a level position； dishes and all！ He said he
could lift a keg of nails with his teeth。 He picked up a common glass
tumbler and bit a semi…circle out of it。 Then he opened his bosom and
showed us a net…work of knife and bullet scars； showed us more on his
arms and face； and said he believed he had bullets enough in his body to
make a pig of lead。 He was armed to the teeth。 He closed with the
remark that he was Mr。 of Caribooa celebrated name whereat we shook
in our shoes。 I would publish the name； but for the suspicion that he
might come and carve me。 He finally inquired if Brown still thirsted for
blood。 Brown turned the thing over in his mind a moment； and thenasked
him to supper。
With the permission of the reader； I will group together； in the next
chapter； some samples of life in our small mountain village in the old
days of desperadoism。 I was there at the time。 The reader will observe
peculiarities in our official society； and he will observe also； an
instance of how； in new countries； murders breed murders。
CHAPTER XLIX。
An extract or two from the newspapers of the day will furnish a
photograph that can need no embellishment：
FATAL SHOOTING AFFRAY。An affray occurred； last evening； in a
billiard saloon on C street； between Deputy Marshal Jack Williams
and Wm。 Brown； which resulted in the immediate death of the latter。
There had been some difficulty between the parties for several
months。
An inquest was immediately held； and the following testimony
adduced：
Officer GEO。 BIRDSALL； sworn； says：I was told Wm。 Brown was drunk
and was looking for Jack Williams； so soon as I heard that I started
for the parties to prevent a collision； went into the billiard
saloon； saw Billy Brown running around； saying if anybody had
anything against him to show cause； he was talking in a boisterous
manner； and officer Perry took him to the other end of the room to
talk to him； Brown came back to me； remarked to me that he thought
he was as good as anybody； and knew how to take care of himself； he
passed by me and went to the bar； don't know whether he drank or
not； Williams was at the end of the billiard…table； next to the
stairway； Brown； after going to the bar； came back and said he was
as good as any man in the world； he had then walked out to the end
of the first billiard…table from the bar； I moved closer to them；
supposing there would be a fight； as Brown drew his pistol I caught
hold of it； he had fired one shot at Williams； don't know the effect
of it； caught hold of him with one hand； and took hold of the pistol
and turned it up； think he fired once after I caught hold of the
pistol； I wrenched the pistol from him； walked to the end of the
billiard…table and told a party that I had Brown's pistol； and to
stop shooting； I think four shots were fired in all； after walking
out； Mr。 Foster remarked that Brown was shot dead。
Oh； there was no excitement about ithe merely 〃remarked〃 the small
circumstance！
Four months later the following item appeared in the same paper （the
Enterprise）。 In this item the name of one of the city officers above
referred to （Deputy Marshal Jack Williams） occurs again：
ROBBERY AND DESPERATE AFFRAY。On Tuesday night； a German named
Charles Hurtzal； engineer in a mill at Silver City； came to this
place； and visited the hurdy…gurdy house on B street。 The music；
dancing and Teutonic maidens awakened memories of Faderland until
our German friend was carried away with rapture。 He evidently had
money； and was spending if freely。 Late in the evening Jack
Williams and Andy Blessington invited him down stairs to take a cup
of coffee。 Williams proposed a game of cards and went up stairs to
procure a deck； but not finding any returned。 On the stairway he
met the German； and drawing his pistol knocked him down and rifled
his pockets of some seventy dollars。 Hurtzal dared give no alarm；
as he was told； with a pistol at his head； if he made any noise or
exposed them； they would blow his brains out。 So effectually was he
frightened that he made no complaint； until his friends forced him。
Yesterday a warrant was issued； but the culprits had disappeared。
This efficient city officer； Jack Williams； had the common reputation of
being a burglar； a highwayman and a desperado。 It was said that he had
several times drawn his revolver and levied money contributions on
citizens at dead of night in the public streets of Virginia。
Five months after the above item appeared； Williams was assassinated
while sitting at a card table one night； a gun was thrust through the
crack of the door and Williams dropped from his chair riddled with balls。
It was said； at the time； that Williams had been for some time aware that
a party of his own sort （desperadoes） had sworn away his life； and it was
generally believed among the people that Williams's friends and enemies
would make the assassination memorableand useful； tooby a wholesale
destruction of each other。
It did not so happen； but still； times were not dull during the next
twenty…four hours； for within that time a woman was killed by a pistol
shot； a man was brained with a slung shot； and a man named Reeder was
also disposed of permanently。 Some matters in the Enterprise account of
the killing of Reeder are worth nothingespecially the accommodating
complaisance of a Virginia justice of the peace。 The italics in the
following narrative are mine：
MORE CUTTING AND SHOOTING。The devil seems to have again broken
loose in our town。 Pistols and guns explode and knives gleam in our
streets as in early times。 When there has been a long season of
quiet； people are slow to wet their hands in blood； but once blood
is spilled； cutting and shooting come easy。 Night before last Jack
Williams was assassinated； and yesterday forenoon we had more bloody
work； growing out of the killing of Williams； and on the same street
in which he met his death。 It appears that Tom Reeder； a friend of
Williams； and George Gumbert were talking； at the meat market of the
latter； about the killing of Williams the previous night； when
Reeder said it was a most cowardly act to shoot a man in such a way；
giving him 〃no show。〃 Gumbert said that Williams had 〃as good a
show as he gave Billy Brown；〃 meaning the man killed by Williams
last March。 Reeder said it was a d…d lie； that Williams had no
show at all。 At this； Gumbert drew a knife and stabbed Reeder；
cutting him in two places in the back。 One stroke of the knife cut
into the sleeve of Reeder's coat and passed downward in a slanting
direction through his clothing； and entered his body at the small of
the back； another blow struck more squarely； and made a much more
dangerous wound。 Gumbert gave himself up to the officers of
justice； and was shortly after discharged by Justice Atwill； on his
own recognizance； to appear for trial at six o'clock in the evening。
In the meantime Reeder had been taken into the office of Dr。 Owens；
where his wounds were properly dressed。 One of his wounds was
considered quite dangerous； and it was thought by many that it would
prove fatal。 But being considerably under the influence of liquor；
Reeder did not feel his wounds as he otherwise would； and he got up
and went into the street。 He went to the meat market and renewed
his quarrel with Gumbert； threatening his life。 Friends tried to
interfere to put a stop to the quarrel and get the parties away from
each other。 In the Fashion Saloon Reeder made threats against the
life of Gumbert； saying he would kill him； and it is said that he
requested the officers not to arrest Gumbert； as he intended to kill
him。 After these threats Gumbert went off and procured a double…
barreled shot gun； loaded with buck…shot or revolver balls； and went
after Reeder。 Two or three persons were assisting him along the
street； trying to get him home； and had him just in front of the
store of Klopstock & Harris； when Gumbert came across toward him
from the opposite side of the street with his gun。 He came up
within about ten or fifteen feet of Reeder； and called out to those
wi