On the Dodge (3 page)

"Better not carry a six-shooter till you learn to shoot," Bill Cody
suggested, as he put his guns back into their holsters. "You'll be a
living temptation to some bad man." Buffalo Bill was on his way back to
North Platte

Life at Dodge was not all tragic. The six-shooter roared in the land a
good deal, but there were very many citizens who went quietly about
their business and took no part in the night life of the town. It was
entirely optional with the individual. The little city had its
legitimate theatres as well as its hurdy-gurdy houses and gambling
dens. There was the Lady Gay, for instance, a popular vaudeville
resort. There were well-attended churches. But Dodge boiled so with
exuberant young life, often inflamed by bad liquor, that both theatre
and church were likely to be the scenes of unexpected explosions.

A drunken cowboy became annoyed at Eddie Foy. While the comedian was
reciting "Kalamazoo in Michigan" the puncher began bombarding the frail
walls from outside with a .45 Colt's revolver. Eddie made a swift
strategic retreat. A deputy marshal was standing near the cowpuncher,
who was astride a plunging horse. The deputy fired twice. The first
shot missed. The second brought the rider down. He was dead before he
hit the ground. The deputy apologized later for his marksmanship, but
he added by way of explanation, "The bronc sure was sunfishin' plenty."

The killing of Miss Dora Hand, a young actress of much promise, was
regretted by everybody in Dodge. A young fellow named Kennedy, the son
of a rich cattleman, shot her unintentionally while he was trying to
murder James Kelly. He fled. A posse composed of Sheriff Masterson,
William Tilghman, Wyatt Earp, and Charles Bassett took the trail. They
captured the man after wounding him desperately. He was brought back to
Dodge, recovered, and escaped. His pistol arm was useless, but he used
the other well enough to slay several other victims before someone made
an end of him.

The gay good spirits of Dodge found continual expression in practical
jokes. The wilder these were the better pleased was the town.
"Mysterious Dave" was the central figure in one. An evangelist was
conducting a series of meetings. He made a powerful magnetic appeal,
and many were the hard characters who walked the sawdust trail. The
preacher set his heart on converting Dave Mathers, the worst of bad men
and a notorious scoffer. The meetings prospered. The church grew too
small for the crowds and adjourned to a dance hall. Dave became
interested. He went to hear Brother Johnson preach. He went a second
time and a third. "He certainly preaches like the Watsons an goes for
sin all spraddled out," Dave conceded. Brother Johnson grew hopeful. It
seemed possible that this brand could be snatched from the burning. He
preached directly at Dave, and Dave buried his head in his hands and
sobbed. The preacher said he was willing to die if he could convert
this one vile sinner. Others of the deacons agreed that they, too,
would not object to going straight to heaven with the knowledge that
Dave had been saved.

"They were right excited an' didn't know straight up," an old-timer
explained. "Dave, he looked so whipped his ears flopped. Finally he
rose, an' said, 'I've got yore company, friends. Now, while we're all
saved I reckon we better start straight for heaven. First off, the
preacher; then the deacons; me last.' Then Dave whips out a whoppin'
big gun and starts shootin'. The preacher went right through a window
an' took it with him. He was sure in some hurry. The deacons hunted
cover. Seemed like they was willin' to postpone taking that through
ticket to heaven. After that they never did worry any more about Dave's
soul."

Many rustlers gathered around Dodge in those days. The most notorious
of these was a gang of more than thirty under the leadership of Dutch
Henry and Tom Owens, two of the most desperate outlaws ever known in
Kansas A posse was organized to run down this gang under the leadership
of Dubbs, who had lost some of his stock. Before starting, the posse
telephoned Hays City to organize a company to head off the rustlers.
Twenty miles west of Hays the posse overtook the rustlers. A bloody
battle ensued, during which Owens and several other outlaws were killed
and Dutch Henry wounded six times. Several of the posse were also shot.
The story has a curious sequel. Many years later, when Emanuel Dubbs
was county judge of Wheeler County, Texas, Dutch Henry came to his
house and stayed there several days. He was a thoroughly reformed man.
Not many years ago Dutch Henry died in Colorado. He was a man with many
good qualities. Even in his outlaw days he had many friends among the
law-abiding citizens.

After the battle with the Henry-Owens gang rustlers operated much more
quietly, but they did not cease stealing. One night three men were
hanged to a cottonwood on Saw Log Creek, ten or twelve miles from
Dodge. One of these was a young man of a good family who had drifted
into rustling and had been carried away by the excitement of it.
Another of the three was the son of Tom Owens. To this day the place is
known as Horse Thief Canon. During its years of prosperity many eminent
men visited Dodge including Generals Sherman and Sheridan, President
Hayes and General Miles. Its reputation had extended far and wide. It
was the wild and woolly cowboy capital of the Southwest, a place to
quicken the blood of any man. Nearly all that gay, hard-riding company
of cow-punchers, buffalo hunters, bad men, and pioneers have vanished
into yesterday's seven thousand years. But certainly Dodge once had its
day and its night of glory. No more rip-roaring town ever bucked the
tiger.

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