Beadle's Half Dime Library, Vol. XIV, No. 351 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

2 Delon Dick Sentenced . is: The Terrible Vendetta. A Nevada Tale. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF ‘' DEADWOOD DICK,” ‘* DENVER DOLL,” “* SIERRA SAM,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER If. HANGING DAY IN NOWHERE, A NEVADA morning paper, The Stuff, bad the following editorial, which did its editor proud, as an illustration that he could ‘‘get thar,” when material was plenty, and occasion required him to “‘ throw ” himself.” ‘‘A GREAT EVENT IN CAMP NOWHERE, TO-DAY! A Normp DESPERADO To Br EXECUTED! “ Deadwood Dick's Last Act! “To-day, which promises much for many, ushers in, to one man, in our young city, a prospect, which to say the least, is not very appetizing. We speak of the condemned assassin and road-agent, Edward Harris, better known by the famous sebriquet of * Deadwood Dick.’ ‘““At one o’clock, P. M., Harris, whose wild and daring career may be safely said to be without a parallel, pays the penalty of his crimes, which, ’tis said, would fill a volume. Sheriff Calvin Carter will perform the ceremony of giving the prisoner the ‘send off,’ and the event promises to be a memorable one for the town of Nowhere. ‘““Without doubt, nearly all of our readers are familiar with the history of the doomed desperauo, and the circumstances of his arrest and convic- tion. “For years past—ever since the gold-fever up in the Black. Hills, Deadwood Dick has been famous, as one of boldest and most slippery of outlaws. He has defied the law, in a hundred or more in- stances, and, it is said, were all his victims planted side by side, an ordinary cemetery would be inade- quate to hold the demand forspace, He.has been arrested many times, but has always succeeded in making his escape, laughing at the law, At last, however, as the reader is aware, he was nabbed, and all precautions have been taken toward pre- venting a repetition of his former miraculous es- emhree weeks ago, last night, after being lost to public notice for some time, he drop down into our sister city, Dodge’s Gap, and got into a game of oker, at which he cleaned out every one at the ble—an old trick of his. Finally, a quarrel arose— about just what, or between whom, there is no clear data—and there was some lively shooting. Two men were shot dead, and the bystanders charged young Harris with the crime. He was pounced upon and arrested, and brouzht to the Nowhere jail, where he is now incarcerated. *’At the trial, last week, the evidence was so pow- erful and conclusive against the outlaw, that the jury rendered their verdict without retiring— ‘euilty of murder in the first degree,’ and are to high! commended for so doing. ‘ Nowhere is yet but a young mining-town, with a population of not over five hundred permanent resi- dents, but this giant stride toward breaking up ruf- fianism and crime cannot be too highly praised, and promises to be an effective example to evil-doers, ‘*‘ Deadwood Dick is yet but a comparatively yo man, and it is certain. had his talents been turn into the right groove, he would have madea brilliant nd worthy citizen. But, it appears, from ear] boyhood he was possessed of a restless, dare-de t has finally brought down retribution Seo ie head upon his , Fuad e Asa Amity, who conducted the trial, sen- tenced Deadwood Dick to be hanged to-day, and in closing made an eloquent appeal to our people to do all in their power to assist in putting down wrong- doing and crime. “The execution will be public, and during the night the town has been filling up with people from the neighboring bie ark who are bent on seeing the fun. itis estimated that nearly every town along the Pahranasat{range will be represented—which, by the way, will be a great help toward giving our model town a boom, “ixmoution Day CHarr, “Tr is said that Deadwood Dick has a strong and well-organized band of allies in the ere moun- tains, and some fears are entertained that the hang- ing will be interrupted. Every on2 should go well- armed. ** GovERNOR SNELLING and Candidate-for-Governor Stafford have arrived in camp, and are registered at the Prospect Hoase. Whether their coming has anything to do with the approaching execution or rot. ig a matter of ccajecture, as The Stuffs able re- _ porter failed to get an interview with the distin- guished gentlemen, ' Deadwood Dick Sentenced. — me ee oe — Ce — ~ *“Outp Jor Spratt, of the ’Frisco dance-house, has erected a temporary out-door bar, where he will dis- pense good-cheer to the thirsty; and Pablo Pete has made preparations to start a monte game near by. Bow-leg Ben has set up a cake and pie stand in full view of the gallows,and will be well patronized,— Au», ‘“Work has been entirely suspended in the Crocker mine. The boys don’t often have a holiday, and they mean to have a good time. “St. Bonrmracr’s Or has cured Bill Bockus of guna“ We can recommend it, —Eb, * LATeR.—All remains quiet within the jail, al- though a large crowd is grouped about on the out- side. The prisoner is said to have passed a com- fortable night. Indeed, he has. been remarkably cool all along. **Missour! Ma@ will set out lunch all day, at her *Pilgrim’s Landing ’ saloon.—Ad»v. * Arrer the execution, drop in at Levi’s and look at bis new suits, for $20, up.— Adv. “Loox out for an extra edition of The Stuff at six P. M., containing full particulars of the hanging.”’ In order to accommodate an extra demand for bis newspaper, the proprietor of The Stuff had printed a large edition, and the cry: ‘“’RKre’s yer Stuff, two bits-—full ’ticklers of the exercution”—was heard in the prosperous young mining-camp of Nowhere, as early as the reak of day, at which hour it was emphatical- ly a dull man who was not up and stirring, con- sidering tbe important event which was booked to take place, that day. And The Stuff sold rapidly, among those who could read, and such parties as could not read bought copies, and got the better-educated ones to read the news to them. The camp, at sunrise, contained nearly a thousand souls, a large proportion of the rabble coming from adjacent towns and locates, Hanging, according to law, wasa novelty in those parts, and men who had been accustomed to Judge Lynch’s method, wanted to see how Justice did the job. Nowhere was as lively a camp as there was south of Silver City in the Pabranasat range, and a typical one, too, of the mining regions. It possessed the usual one long main street, on either side of which were the business places, and habitations—a conglomeration of fairly- built bouses, cabins, shanties and tents, of vari- ous sizes and shapes. ' What lines of business, outside of manufactur- ing, could not. be found represented on No- where’s *‘ Bowery,” were few and far between, hence there was no lack of sights, excitement, and “attractions” to wrest money, from the wary and unwary alike. ; The Prospect House was the only hotel, and was not only a commodious building, but was conducted on a better scale than the average hotel of the mines, Opposite this hotel was Missouri Mag’s place, also a large ‘“‘shebang,” devoted to terpsichore, gambling and Bacchanalian orgies. The stone jail was n+ xt; then came a long string of buildings, devoted to various classes of business, from the Chinese laundry to the smithy; from the Jew clothing store and pawn- shop to the tented museum of curfosities: ‘* Bil- kens’s Branch of Barnum’s Greatest Show On Earth,” the flaring streamer, and hideous show paintings announced. Every camp has its ‘bi as a matter o course, and ception to the rule. lone! Ezra Crocker, the owner of the Crocker lode, was about the most important rsonage, while rankiog next was Senor Jose Robestian, a speculator and stock broker, as well as the loca! banker. Descending from the sublime to the ridiculous, as it were, the next two much-remarked - sons were “Sis” Soaker and Gilderoy O'all, often surnamed the Twin Bums. Now, what the sponging, irresponsible red- nose rum-punisher, known as the ** rounder,” is, to city life, were the Twins to Nowbere society. They almost, invariably traveled together, and aside from being beats of the most pronounced order, and capable of any mild criminal offense, their main aim in life appeared to be the man- euvering and skirmishing for free drinks, Every one knew them, and considered them entirely innocent of being dangerous, further tban their voracious appetites for * benzine ” were concerned, Soaker always took the lead, he being a trifle more portly and good looking tian O’Gall, although both were disgusting in appearance, the bad liquor they drank damaging their natural beauty. The firm of Soaker & O’Gall, ‘* gents of leis- ure, side-walk inspectors, and internal revenue est man in town,” owhere was no ex: TTT agents appointed to examine, test and pro- nounce upon all malt and spiritous liquors,” bad no permanent abiding place, and generally put up for the night, on the soft side of the door- step most convenient to the locality, where their bewildered legs gave out, Bright and early, however, on the morning of October 25th, which was the day set for the execution of Deadwood Dick, these two wortbies crawled out of an empty prairie ‘‘ schooner,” not far from the hotel, where they bad ecged for as many as two nights, without being dis- turbed., ‘**Gilderoy O’Gall, how ranketb the condition o’ yer D’iler, this autumnal morn?’ Soaker de manded, adjusting bis cravat, ‘Faith an’ be jabers, Sissy O’Soaker, me sthumick feels as if the divil bad got into it. It’s a docthor [’m in need av, an’ o’ course it is!” “There ye are again, callin’ me O’Soaker, Haven’t I told you, time and again, that my name isn’t O'Soaker, but pe Soaker, Esquire? As for your stomick, the best remedy prescribed by eminent psychologists, is a smal! dose of the see? of old Bezam, taken prior to a little wa- ol oA oP ba have to have a presquiption, Mr. O’Soaker?” ‘‘Nary prescrip, Mr. O’Gall. Missouri Mag- dalen doth mix up the beverage equal to Doctor Tanner, hisself. Take my arm,.Mr. O’Gall, ‘and we will proceed to the drug store and state the nature of our mutual diseases.’t : And arm in arm, the Twins made a bee-line for the Pilgrim's Landing. Missouri Mag, by no means an uncomely fe- male, was wasbing glasses, behind the bar. She was a buxom party, with a resolute expression of countenauce, and hard, steely eyes. 2 Margaret conducted ber own business, and had often proven she was very capable of doing it, by active use of one or more of the ready cocked revolvers which conspicuously orna- mented a shelf, bebind the bar. To arouse ber ire meant danger, and the citi- zens of Nowhere had learned to walk very care- fully when they entered ber place of business, for fear of disastrous consequences. With that peculiar grace wbich none knew better how to exercise, than the Twins. when in quest of a gratuitous drink, Soaker & Co., glid- ed up to the bar, and doffed their battered chapeaus, is by, P08 Seas to you, Miss Missouri!” accoste oaker, courtesying low, while by agreement, O'Gall contorted his features into a bideous expression of misery. ‘‘ You will par- don me for interrupting your morning duties, but the fact is I am unfortunately in a dire state of trouble—that is to say, my friend is. He has suddenly been attacked with ro- gastral-fullamoso of the digestive organs, and unless he has immediate aid, will die. We fail to find the local physician at bis residence, and as a last resort come to you. Experience bas developed, and scientists have demonstrated the fact, that a little whisky, taken immediately after a drink of cold water, will afford tem- porary relief. So if you will set out the decan- ter we will see what we can do for my sfilicted friend,” ‘‘Oh! yis, hoorray up!” groaned O’Gall, bend- ing over, as though in great di-tress. ‘Och! bloody murdther, phat ae I have!” Missouri Mag gave O'’Gall a sbarp glance. She knew the Twins of old, as thoroughbreds; but O’Gall did really Jook so used UP, bat she set forth the bottle, witbout hesitation, where- upon the ‘‘ sick man” took a Jorg pull, and then passed it back to Soaker, who finished the con- tents, and set if down upon the bar, with a grateful smile, **Much obliged, Miss Magdalen—rery much obliged! I thirk we shall now be sble todo full ustice to our breakfast at the Prospect House, ood mor—” ** Whoa!” Missouri Mag cried, as they were about filing out. ‘*‘ Haven’t you forgotten some- thing?” “Es? Forgotten something? Ab! really, it must bave been my umbrella. I say, O'Gall, did you see where 1 left my—” **See here, my dead-beat, none o’ your mon- key business. Do you come down for the drinks quicker than blazes, or off goes your bead: You loafers can’t work yer rackets on me!” And the Twins beheld a pair of six shooters leveled at them, back of which Mag’s face looked even more determined than usual. Soaker grew fidgety, while O'’Gall’s knees fairly knocked together, so terrified was he, * Ob, dear Miss Magdalen, be composed!” gasped Soaker: “Just chalk it on the back of: a cigar-box, until I get a dollar owed me by 0) IMU j ij a4 a 4