Mulligan's Lastday

"His name was included in the little list of Nevada desperadoes made by Mark Twain in 'Roughing It,' " said the Nevada pioneer. He did not say "Mark Twain," by the way, but "Sara Clemens, " the name by which all old Nevadans and Californiaus knew the f amous humorist. The pioneer was talking of men of his time who had died with their boots on, and Billy Mulligan ■was the oharacter who just now was to the front. Some of the hostile mix ups and shooting matches in Vhich that young Irishman had taken a hand had been related, and now the narrator had come to the day of his taking off. "Billy Mnlligan had run a long string and lasted a good while for a man of his temper and practices, for he waa tough ont and out," continued the pioneer. "His ueck was in danger in the days of the San Francisco vigilance comraittee, and he ran some narrow chances with the lave and lynchers afterward. He was a brave, desperate man, handy with weapons, and would fight 'at the drop of the hat. ' But he pulled through all trouble until the tiine carne, which seems sooner or later to befall almost every desperado, when the strain of danger and the effect of -constant drinking and excitement got the better of his nerves and judgrnent. When a desperado gets that way, there are two courses that he may take - quit the country, quit drinking and get to work at an honest calling or stay and get killed. The last was what Mulligan chose, but he kept the business in his own hands and forced tho pace to the end. "It was at Carson City that the end came to Billy Mulligan. The cards had goue against hiin all night. The liquor he had drunk had made hira ugly as he walked out of the Esmeralda saloon one morning. Next door was a laundry, and a Cbinaman, ironiiig clothes, lifted his face to the window just as Mulligau was passing. Without a word the desperado drew his pistol and fired through the glass, blowing the Chinaniau's brains out, then went on to the hotel where he was staying, and np stairs to his room in the top story. The door of his room opened near the head of the stairway, and when the sheriff's officers came to arrest him for killing the Chinaman he stood them off with hia revolvers. They knew it meant certain death to some of them to try to rush up the stairway, and they stopped at the foot to consider. John Coleman, a particular friend of Mulligan, who was with them, tried to persuade him to surrender. " 'No use, John,' said Mulligan. 'I shan't be taken alive. This is my last day, and the game'll end right here. You keep away and don't get mixed up in the trouble. ' "Colemau was working along up the stairway as he talked, with the object, perhaps, of getting near enough to the desperado to disarm him. " 'Stop where you are, John,' said Mulligan. 'One step nearer and I'll kill you.' ' 'Colernac made another step forward, and Mulligau shot bim through the heart. He permitted the ethers to take the body away, keepiug them covered with his pistols all the time. A crowd gathered in the hotel and the public square which it faced, and plans were discussed for capturing Mulligan, but his character for deadly desperation was such that voluuteers were scarce. At last it was decided to cali out the militia conipany and take the desperado iu bis stronghold by regular assault. "The troops were mustered in doublé line in the public square, facing the hotel and waiting the order to advance. Through the window of his room in the third story Mulligan could be seen now and then as be walked to and fro between the stairway aud the window, keepiug watch against a surprise in either direction. Theu, as the face of the desperado appeared once more at the window, one of the soldiers fired with his rifle, killirjg him instantly. It was an unexpected shot which nndoubtedly saved several lives that would almost certainly have been sacrificed in carryine the room by storm. "Billy Mulligan was a New Yorker by birth and was a typical representativa of the oíd time California 'tougb' gambler - a class wtiioh got its tone and rnanners from tbe New York of the volunteer firerüen and 'Dead Rabbit' days. Quick of motion - sorne of thern could piek a fly from the wall with the thumb and finger four times out of five - stern and short spokeu except where it was part of their game to be suave, rough aud tumble fighters, fashionablj' dressed, with more of ornaments than southern gamblera ofteu wear and distinguished by heavy black ruustaches, they ran their course in San Francisco, which was headquarters from which they went to the new mining coinmunities, to stay while these flourished or until they.were driven out. They had their day - most of them were shot or hanged, or they died in want. Here and there, stranded in some out of the way western community, some decrepit survivor is found of the old gambler desperado class of which Billy Mulligai;