UNKNOWN

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1276, 12 January 1883, Page 3

UNKNOWN

.. ¥t jbt Accoum ; o^. marUk frights on , John Kelly, on&|os]o] r sar{icjpj|i in the famous' cowboy duel,' arrived, jiere yesterday. ? .. He ns a- vemarkablo 5 man. Born injfiuffal.Qv years ago, an early age, and became pretty*Ayell;knotfiJ|jts ■'Kid Frank.' After' letting in, $«(-• venturous married a well-to-do Mexican woman, and : by' lier 'secured a fine ranch, forty miles squatty m old Mexico, on the San Pedro Eiyer, close' to the line.,; ■'■ fie' bec'anis known'fi(r and wide by h'iS skill in shooting, and was generally m& dfsiips' 1 of killing' iotaj'eonc'for ' the sake of notoriety. His/hcrdigrew! rapidly'until ' about four inonths-agoiwhen lie found his brand head of cattle worth nearly 100,000 dollars. to sell 2,Boo :, headi'an(V .gatheying up 1,500 head ..mQrpj-.he istarted to'-'Mtftf* : to" Dfen^y,,, £ n,. distance.. ' Jnearly 1 1,-500 miles. His outiii.'' copsisted of' 32; CQwboy.y. and,, : Fran\v:t<)nk; coinpond of Me expedition, i Tlie't'rip' • was a Twag.:.ft'nd! severe* one)- te'M using great.cave the- losses'Veiie'small.',! The pafty;st'art&l a slow march W]&J|9'iWniiig.ip)aiiis'' and trackless,:'wastes. of 'Arizona ' New Mexico,ihinp^Se^teiiiber,.-^' found theiirfifty norpi'of. Trijii-i dad&nd an CticliarusA • The'Kelly outfit- went, into c&thji for. a day near the camp of George, Howard, , a large caUte-grtife- The'.latter,'had' a herd'of 3jooo catfjfe,' and comnianded twenty-eight' 'cowboys/ Tlie,two herds becamo mixed-up while travelling close together, and Howard made, a claim, for cattle, which; Kelly' considered uri-, just and 'WfuseH. it/ j This -angered. Howard aAd. w'oi;ds'. jfo) Wed* -Kelly claimed Howard.,had some of- His' cattle and offered to exchange ; Ml the, lattor refußfed, and the. quarrel became very ■. The . cowboys oil' • each side gathered •around'' and began" to handle thfeir<"weapons 1 in' a. mariner, which indicated-that they nieant busi- . ness.KellyJsawthe danger. He knew if a fight shoilld roccur between,'siicii deadly marksmen therd would hardly be anian ttftell the tale, and in addition to the loss ofjiuman life, the huge herd of cattle-would-be scattered arid all hands mined, Just as the cloud of war was about to'burst lie conceived a plan to avoid and broached it'to ,- Howard, w|#a'greed'tb it. 'Tlie'plan ! was as follows; each man was'to select six cowboys, the best shots in their ' outfits, and placing ( them in line, fifty yards distant'ori horseback, to give the. word ' Fire!'and let' them settlo the dispute, This novel method of settling'. a difference was hailikl #ith delight'- \iy > the men on each side, and volunteers were numerous.;Kelly: selected six ' men who' had been,with:him along time, and been tried and- proved in many a desperate situation. Howard,, selected six of his'vbest men..,. There: was no tiroejjtbj. lose,,in the due), wkcli. wss to be--the greatestaffair of. :the kind ever known: -Tlie, men of ; the op})bslng''i!(lei J retire(] i to.; their cainp and coolly made preparations for the feast .qf/deatb. 'They groomed their hordes, oiled arid cleaned' their revolver, and their 'saddles on with cara, rode out to .the. fight." -' Kid Frank's' men were farmed' Vith'Win- 1 chester reyoljrerSi 38? arid •'tt ! '«sbdr| Jong batrelled, and Howard's six tirried Colt's improved. Each, niau-'kriew-his weapon and his -horse, and all "were, fully aware of the^fafct : ,that the' .irien. standing so in front' of them were equally , equipped^ The opposing duelbta were in line facing.eafeb otlier at : tHf^e < 6 t dl6clc; in the afternfiptii'l ?' sight one. which few.' upon.! lines of men,iidrse and rider almost' one, every duelist;-grasping" a"huge, glittering revolver in each harid,. With the reins in his-tajth, or., hanging loosely,.for 'dai;e;deyil - riders ■ of: the South, guide' their horsps witbthoir. knees, 'as the scarcely i.morp -savage Indian does. Arojmdjabout, carelessly in the range of stray'tuifets,' were- tlie friends of on their horses 'and/jtJ: see that no. adyfth|agS shbii] d .tie takenv sent these meii'io die. Over ail-brooded' 1 a death-like whil9 .0n .thq swelling, rolling-silent gold of the;b'right,Septembersuri. - The inan who. waa detailed to'give the word 1 which wis. destined to, creatp ( . a " wji i rl-;-wind of death started forwariji! -,. At.the first niove thpre $g&\\ai } shiver-, along; both lines, but ii waa a shiver . 'of jear. Each man straightened] Himself, grasped hin pisiol.-.the"firmer, and singled out his opponent. ;The:umpire lifted his hand,'and suddenly oh the still air came, the cry of doom, ' ' ' Fire ,!' - At the word twelve horses bounded' forward, and piptol shots rang out. Three ofj Howard's men threw up their hands and fell from their, horses, while only one of Kfelly's riien fell. Kelly's men ( not,.heeding ■ their comrade's the three men l ut 'front'of them! The latter dropped their pistols in'- ; their bridle hands pulled-their horses up, while, {help; five enemies came'

riding swiftly on,.pouring, a hail 'of bullets in from a pistol, in ,every hand.' , The Howard men^sa^ u the odds),. Th'py were too great, anil, turning swiftly, they ran, turning in fheir, saddles arid, bravely returning'the fire. In three brief minutes thar duel was fought and won, and fourdea'cl men 'lay upon tHe ground Frant;; jiQfJevnp .to Howard and said, 'Now you. an.d I will 'SBttle with each other,!,^..-, ;i . 'No,' replied toward, as he looked at the dead men; 'I am satisfied,'-.. ' Yery well,', said,,Kelly, and orders were given tp.exchange ; the cattle, -