Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1916 — Tough Man From Tough Country Got Tough Deal [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tough Man From Tough Country Got Tough Deal

OKLAHOMA ClTY.—James Murphy asked for a drink at the soda fountain in Roscoe Hadley’s drug store at the corner of California and Broadway and winked his left eye when he gave the order. That was the

way he had been accustomed to doing in Oilton, where he came from. Hadley drew the drink for him, but he left out the ingredients specified in the wink. Murphy took a swallow and then began to swear. It was just soda — nothing else. A woman was using Hadley’s tele : phone, and the druggist asked Murphy to cease swearing in her presence. Murphy set the glass down and. went out, but next day he returned

when Hadley was alone in his drug store. “I’m a mean, tough man,” Murphy said, leaning across the counter and plucking at Hadley’s sleeve. “I’m so bad that I’m almost afraid to be alone with myself. I come from a tough country where they start ’em in tough, and the older they grow the tougher they get. I’ve got some age on me, too. “About how tough are you?” asked Hadley. He saw Motor Cycle Officer Ollie Estes come in just them, but Murphy did not see him. , “Oh, I’m aw-ful tough,” said Murphy, and he reached for his gun, but instead of grasping the handle of the six-shooter he felt his wrist go into the grip of something that was like a vise. He turned and faced the officer, who already had Murphy’s revolver in the other hand. Murphy had told the truth about being tough, for he fought the policeman all over the room. Estes dropped the revolver and both men tried to reach it. Murphy nearly had his hand on it when Estes gave him a quick Jerk and sprawled him on the floor. Then the policeman jumped astride of him and held him down while Hadley called the automobile patrol. Three men came with it, but they had some difficulty in taking Murphy to jail. The drug store was a wreck.