A Desperado

A company of gentlemen sat in the office of the Hotel Palomares in Pomona the other evening waiting for a late train to Los Angeles. Each one of the party knew every one e Isa cigars were freely passed arotmd, and all wene enjoyinj; a tak about early experiences on the fi'ontier, and especially in southeru Califoruia, before railroads were bailt tn this región. The best story of the eveniug was told by Colonel John Williamson, one of the most important orange growers in southern California. "From 1873 until 1878," he said, "I was engaged by a Chicago lumber company to travel through the country from Denver to St. Louis to look up openings for lumber yards. It was my business to visit new towns and settlements, and when I found men of capital in them to induce them to go into the lumber business and buy of the Chicago concern. At that time Ogalalla, on the Union Pacific railroad, was famous throughout the country as the tougbest place in the west. Then Dodge City, Kan., carne into prominence for its cowboy episodes and the rough, tough and desperate character of a large portion of its residents. I passed a night in Dodge City in October. 1876, and I assure you that I carne quickly to the conclusión that life in any other town would be tame and without excitement in oomparieon with the pleasnres that place could afford. "On one side of the railroad track stood a big barnlike building called the Americo-Mexican hotel, and on the other a row of 20 or 30 one story frame houses, almost every one of which wa6 a barroom, with a gambling house attached. Over the doors hnng such eigns as 'Cowboys' Retreat, ' 'The Divan' and 'The Fron tiersman 's Delight.' Behind the town, on top of the hill, was the city graveyard. An immense cross stood at the top of the hill and served as a landmark for travelers for miles and miles across the barren prairies. That graveyard was the pride of every man who lived in Dodge City. The inhabitants watched it grow and pointed with pleasure to the fact that there was hardly a man taking his final rest there who had not come to his death by violence. "It was toward afternoon wben I halted my horse in front of the Americo-Mexican hotel after a 40 mile rida Heavily armed men stood about in i groups. The looks thrown at me were far from reassuring, but I pretended not to see them and hastened into the hotel. Hardly had I taken my seat in the dining room when four men, evidently forming a delegation, approaohed me. They demanded to know what brought me to Dodge City in a way which lef t me no alternativo but to answer. My answers seemed satisfactory, and one of them informed me the reason of their curiosity. They had some idea that I was a deputy sheriff and frankly told me that if I had been I should have been esoorted out of town, as no government officers were wanted about Dodge City that night. They further informed me that there was to be one of the prettiest lyuching bees in town that night that had ever taken place. "Three men had como to Dodge City 10 weeks before and had taken the towu by storm. They had made their headquarters at a tavern almost oppositethe hotel and had levied a tax on every one who entered. Anybody who objected to paying or standing treat was beaten, and when resistance was shown pistola were used. Ten men had received death wounds from these three men, and the town had determined to set an example to all such characters by hanging the three without ceremony. It was not easy, however, to accomplish this, as the men were intrenched in the barroom and refused to come out or allow any one to enter. It had been determined to dislodge them that night in spite of all resistance, and I was invited to take part in the aff air. The men were nained Hank Martin, Jack Willis and Wat Simmons and were desperate outlaws, with large sums upon their heads. "Jnst at dark the citizens of Dodge City prepared for battle. The attacking parties were divided into two forces. One approached the point of attack from the rear, while the larger number marched up to the front. All the citizens wore handkerchiefs over their faces. I was in the main body of attackers, or rather behind it. We were brought to a sudden halt by a rifle shot from one of the windows of the besieged house, and one of our leaders feil. Various means were tried to dislodge the three men, but to no purpose. Every time the slightest advance was tnade their rifles rang out, and some one on our side dropped. At last a small man siipped up in the shadow of the adjacent building and threw a lighted can of kerosene under the building. Soon it began to burn. At last it was enveloped in flames, and the three men were obliged to rush for their lives. They were half blinded by the heat and smoke of the burning building, so they were quickly captured. "Then all the citizens of Dodge City, not excepting the women and children, formed in line and marched down to the cattle pens, where an old tree stood that had served several times as a gallowa A rope had been brought along, and it was quiokly thrown over a Dranch, and everything was ready for ihe hanging. It was at first intended to dispose of all three at the same time, but there was not enough rope, so it waa decided to hang one at a time. Jack Willis was the first to be strnng up. His end wu hastened by a dozen bullets, which were fired into the body while it was stili writhing. Wat Simmons was then disposed of. "Nest carne the turn of Hauk Martin, and all heid their breath when the boldest desperado known on the plains in those days was brought out. Just as the big, powerfui fellow was led under the tree he made a sign that he wanted to say something. The gag was removed from Martin 's mouth, and he sald: " 'If you will take this rope from ' round my neck and slightly loosen these 1 bonds, I will teil you men something that will interest yon all. ' "There seemed no danger, with so many on gnard, so his request was complied with. When his fetter6 were loosened, he rose, stretched himself and begaii his speech: " 'You are a set of villains, ' he yelled, 'and you can all go to heil!' "He knocked down the two men nearest to him and made a dash for the sagebrush en the opeu prairia All the horses were eft outside the barroom when the desperadoes were captured. A few men dashed into the sage af ter Martin, which made it impossible for the men under the tree to use their guns, lest they hit some of the pursuers. After an hour's useless chase the hunt was giveu up for the night. "At daylight the nest morning a rauchman rode into Dodge City and electrifled the town by saying he had seen Martin near Fort Leary, 16 miles below He said he had just flnished his breakfast when a hatless man, whom he recognized as Martin, came in and demanded shelter. The ranchman suspected something was wrong from the man 's manner and at once started for Dodge City and gave the alarm. Thirty men immediately saddled their horses and started in pursuit of the man they had avowed to hang. As they approached the hut a man appeared in the door with a winchester rifle in his hand. Without a word he opened fire on the advancing party. Two men dropped from their saddles, and as the rest of the party put spurs to their horses and dashed toward the hut Martin, who had done the 6hooting, rushed down the hill and plunged into the Fox river. There had been heavy rains, and the river was a torrent, which made it seera impossible that a man could reach the other side alive. All the horseruen drew up along the bank and waited in readiness to shoot Martin shonld he by any chance get across. They waited half an hour. and as there was no sight of him they returned to Dodge City. That af ternoon the other two desperadoes were buried in what is known as 'Murderers' row, ' and beside the graves was placed a board, 'To the memory of Hank Martin, drowned in the Fox river while escaping capture. ' "Two years after leaviug Dodge City I chanced to be in a little Texas town that I don't want to mention here. A man passed me on the street one day whose face was strikingly familiar. I turned to my companion and asked who it was. " 'That,' said he, 'is Henry Martin, one of our most respected citizens. ' "Suddenly the scène of the lynching at Dodge City came back to me, and I knew that the last time I had seen that man he was standing under a tree with a rope around his neck. I told my friend the story, and he evidently doubted my sanity, if not my veracity. He told me that Martin came to the town early in 1879, when it was first started. He invested money in town lots and made a fortune. He was a promoter of school3 and churches and was talked of for the next mayor. That night I was at my hotel when a tall man, with aslouched hat, walked in. He looked round and then came straight to me. " 'Are you. the man,' he said, 'who has been telling a yarn about Hank Martin being lynched?' "I acknowledged that I was. " 'Well, ' he replied, 'Henry told me to teil you that he would 6hoot you on sight if you were in town tomorrow. ' "Twohours later I was taking a night