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More Shootings in Lexington!
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Thanks, once again, to the diligent researches of the late John Womack, Westerner, we have the following article from the November 14, 1891, edition of the Lexington Leader.
Shooting Up the Town
DRUNKEN COWBOYS RIDE INTO
TOWN AND ATTEMPT MURDER
One of Them will Remember the
Occasion [of] His Sorrow—Bill Story
And John Dawson[,] the Parties
“There was an exciting shooting affray on the streets about five o’clock Thursday evening. Two men from the Chickasaw Nation—Bill Story and John Dawson—were here and had been tippling at the flowing bowl during the afternoon. At the hour stated they mounted their horses and apparently started to leave town but, when they reached the west end of Main Street, they halted and were seen adjusting their six-shooters and heard to say that they were going back to “shoot up the town.” They started their horses at full speed east on Main Street with their hands on their weapons and were halted at the public well by Constables Bowie and Sprowles. Here the shooting began, the desperadoes resisting arrest and one of them opening fire upon Bowie. The officers retaliated and the exchange of courtesy was kept up until some twenty shots had been fired. Bowie’s six-shooter, however, contained only two loads which left him powerless and a target for his antagonists who, in the meantime, were galloping up the street firing back as they ran. A volley of shots was sent at them at them as they passed out the end of Main Street, Story’s hat being clipped to the ground. The officers were soon in close pursuit, overtaking them at the Riverside Saloon. Story [fell] from his horse from exhaustion, two bullets having struck him in the battle, one bullet breaking his right arm and one inflicting a flesh wound in the breast. So far as is known, Dawson escaped without a scratch, much to the regret of all. The officers placed Story under arrest and [he] was taken to Purcell for surgical treatment. He is a well-to-do stockman in the Chickasaw country, while Dawson is a renter and known as an unsavory character. A feud has long existed between him and Constable Bowie and it is believed by many that he enticed Story into a scheme to murder Bowie. However, the affair was an extremely disgraceful one and the regret of all is that only one man was crippled instead of both. This will act as a lesson to the whiskey-soaked bums and tough characters of the Chickasaw nation who have been in the habit of coming to Lexington to “shoot up the town.” They must expect to have their carcasses perforated with hot lead if they monkey with this buzz saw.”
So ends another account of Lexington’s early days. By the way, the late Mr. Womack’s researches reveal that Constable Bowie was descendant of the famous Jim Bowie, inventor of the famous fighting knife and hero of the Alamo.
In the same edition of the Lexington Leader is an interesting “sidebar.”
“Purcell is organizing a band and will endeavor to recover the instruments in use by the Lexington band and held under mortgage.”
Happy 89’er Day. Keep your shooting irons handy!
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