A few days ago, I wrote about vigilante justice in 1860. Here’s a story from half a century later, which still feels a bit wild west.
114 Years Ago
The September 15, 1910 Colorado Transcript reports “NERVY YOUTH FRUSTRATES BURGLAR.” It tell of Homer Myers, the nephew of the Golden Smelter’s superintendent. He was home alone when someone approached the house and said “who’s there?” Young Myers asked what the visitor wanted.
I’ll show you d—d quick what I want” was the reply, and with that a tall man, wearing a black slouch hat, a mask over his face, and carrying a big six shooter, stepped into the house and told the young man to throw up his hands.
Instead, Homer darted into the next room, got a revolver, and fired at the intruder. He took two more shots as the man ran away, though apparently didn’t hit him. The would-be burglar fired one shot at the young man and hit the porch.
The article doesn’t specify the location of the house, but an August 11th piece says it was near the smelter. The Transcript speculated that the intruder may have thought that money or bullion from the smelter would be stored in the superintendent’s house.
Many thanks to the Golden Rotary Club for sponsoring for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of September.
