"Every town needs a newspaper."
With: Phin, Caroline, Turk and Ralph
Time of Day: Late Afternoon, day of the shooting
Phin was at his desk considering the event of the day, the shooting of Eethan Noolan by Turk Flagg. It seemed that Marshal Guyer allowed what certainly might be considered murder, to justifiable homicide because Noolan was wanted on a murder charge himself. Well, his job was the news, not the law.
He reached down to the bottom drawer, slid it open and reached inside to extract the bottle of scotch The Caroline had given him. Once it was in his hand, he reached to close the drawer but paused. No, he wanted it to last, perhaps for special occasions.
It was only a few steps to the saloon, and he could get a bottle of whiskey there, not the best, but plenty good enough, though he was sure Ralph would have the better stuff on hand, he would settle for the cheap stuff. It's what he bought at the General Store, so he rose from his chair, checked his pocket for a pad and pencil, just in case, one never knew about what might happen. He proceeded out the door with a simple "I'll be back."
Entering the saloon he pause to let his eyes adjust then walked to the bar. "Afternoon Ralph. I'll have a shot and I'll want a bottle to go." He ordered.
Ralph saw the newspaperman come thru the batwing doors and almost broke out into a wry smile but then it took an awful lot for the phlegmatic bartender to actually smile. He knew all about how furious Caroline had been at the man for a hatchet job article on Caroline's deceased friend. Now he himself hadn't known the man well at all but he respected the woman's opinions. She had threatened Phineas if he dared come into the place and Ralph would have course backed her up should it had been necessary. Fortunately everything settled down and the two made their peace. So McVay's entry was no big deal now.
"Afternoon Ralph. I'll have a shot and I'll want a bottle to go." the man ordered.
Ralph nodded, "So it is. One shot comin' up. What kinda bottle? Cheap stuff or expensive?"
Meanwhile Caroline was sitting at a corner table which was often used for card games but she was eating a bowl of the saloon's good stew. There was another man with her and he too was partaking of the same stew. She looked up and grinned, leaned into the man to say something inaudible then got up to head on over.
"Why if it ain't the town's newspaper man, nice ta see ya again, Mr. McVay," she greeted him.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Well now, if there's a mid-range whiskey I'd take that, but other than the shot, the cheap stuff will do, except the shot of course, make that the expensive stuff." Phin replied. At least Ralph was pleasant, but then he always was. Perhaps the ill feelings had passed. He noticed Caroline sitting at a table, engaged with a man. He turned back and asked, "You hear about the shooting?"
She looked up and grinned, leaned into the man to say something inaudible then got up to head on over.
"Why if it ain't the town's newspaper man, nice ta see ya again, Mr. McVay," she greeted him.
"Hello Miss Mundee. I was just asking Ralph here if he'd heard about the shooting earlier." Phin explained. It seemed as though the Crabbe issue was behind them, or at least he hoped so.
"Middle range whiskey...I can do that. And expensive shot...that might cost ya a bit more than you expect," Ralph warned the man.
As for answering about the shooting, Ralph didn't get a chance to answer as Caroline now stepped up to greet the editor.
"Hello Miss Mundee. I was just asking Ralph here if he'd heard about the shooting earlier."
"Sure we did, in fact I'm sitting with the man who did the shooting. And it was a fair fight too and the dead man got what was coming to him," Caroline was quick to answer that one.
"Oh and Ralph, that shot Mr. McVay wants, it's on the house," she added smiling at Phineas.
Ralph nodded, "Sure thing." He had probably never said 'no' to Caroline since they'd met.
"Why, hon, you wanna meet him. He's a friend of mine from Helena," Caroline then offered.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Middle range whiskey...I can do that. And expensive shot...that might cost ya a bit more than you expect," Ralph warned the man.
"I believe I can cover the cost, I do have a bottle the lady here gave me, but it's too good for everyday drinkin', it's a special bottle." Phin said and fished for a coin. "Hello Miss Mundee. I was just asking Ralph here if he'd heard about the shooting earlier."
"Sure we did, in fact I'm sitting with the man who did the shooting. And it was a fair fight too and the dead man got what was coming to him," Caroline was quick to answer that one.
"That's the way they tell it at the Marshal's office." Phin agreed e yebrows raised, 'The man who did the shooting? Hell's fire! That's story in itself.' He said to himself
"Oh and Ralph, that shot Mr. McVay wants, it's on the house," she added smiling at Phineas.
Ralph nodded, "Sure thing." He had probably never said 'no' to Caroline since they'd met.
"Thank you , Miss Mundee. I appreciate that." He said accepting the drink, knowing Ralph would make up the loss
"Why, hon, you wanna meet him. He's a friend of mine from Helena," Caroline then offered.
"Why, Miss Mundee, I do believe you've read my mind. How could I turn down such an offer? Hearing his side of the event, well that would be front page news, ga'ronteed!" Phin responded, letting a little Georgia accent slip out.
Thank you , Miss Mundee. I appreciate that." Phineas accepted the drink.
"Why, hon, you wanna meet him. He's a friend of mine from Helena," Caroline then offered.
"Why, Miss Mundee, I do believe you've read my mind. How could I turn down such an offer? Hearing his side of the event, well that would be front page news, ga'ronteed!" Phin responded.
"Fine. Head on over with me," she then turned and sashayed on over to the table where Turk was sitting, the man was fixing himself a cigarette with paper and his tobacco pouch.
"Hey, got a gentleman here who'd like ta talk ta you about your run in with that killer," Caroline wasted no time getting to the core of it, "This is our newspaperman, Phineas McVay. "
Turk nodded, then licked the cigarette paper to seal in the tobacco.
"If you want.......have a seat, Mr. McVay," Turk seemed amiable enough.
He then stuck out one hand to shake, "Names Turk Flagg."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Thanks, believe I will Mister Flagg. A pleasure I'm sure." Phin said shaking the mans hand and then pulling out a chair. "Please, call me Phin." he dropped into the chair, took out his pad and pencil. Now I understand that the man you shot was a wanted desperado with a price on his head, is that acurate? That was what I was told at the Marshal's office."
"What interests me, aside from the shooting, is your most generous gift which, by the way, is going to our local church and the school That will help those in need, and of course the school will be able to afford new primers as well as other needs it may have." This was a great opportunity to get out the mans story about not just the shooting but about the gift.
"I don't mind telling you, Mister Flagg, I've never heard the like, so getting the facts out there is vital to the legend that this incident will become."
"Thanks, believe I will Mister Flagg. A pleasure I'm sure." Phin said shaking the mans hand and then pulling out a chair. "Please, call me Phin." he dropped into the chair, took out his pad and pencil. "Now I understand that the man you shot was a wanted desperado with a price on his head, is that accurate? That was what I was told at the Marshal's office."
"You were told right, yep," Flagg nodded.
"What interests me, aside from the shooting, is your most generous gift which, by the way, is going to our local church and the school That will help those in need, and of course the school will be able to afford new primers as well as other needs it may have."
"I don't mind telling you, Mister Flagg, I've never heard the like, so getting the facts out there is vital to the legend that this incident will become."
"Glad to hear the money will be put to good use. But I didn't shoot that man because of any reward on him. It was purely a chance meeting between two former neighbors. You see me and him went back to Kansas before the war. Bleeding Kansas ya know. He and a pack of pro-slavery thugs rode up to my family farm and set it on fire. My little brother, Tom, was shot down in cold blood and my Ma witnessed it. Said the fellow who done it was this man. I wasn't there that night. Still one of my big regrets in life. Now I never thought I'd ever even see the jasper again and suddenly there he was walking toward me on the boardwalk. I stopped him and we talked....very little really. What was there to say? Then we went for our guns and I shot him," Turk related the whole thing very calmly.
"Now I'm no saint but there was no way I could take money for rightin' a wrong done ta my family. It was not business, it was pure and simple - revenge. And I'd do the same thing all over if I had to do it again. I told this all to your marshal and he let me go. And that is the truth of it, believe it if you wish or don't. I can't control that," he stopped then.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Mister Flagg, I'm not sure, aside from Pastor Gideon Evans, that any of us would be anywhere near being a saint. And I have to respect your honesty in the matter. I suppose that the Marshal knows what he is doing and that letting you go because of the circumstances was well within his rights to do."
"That you killed a man for wrongs done during those tumultuous years might still be looked at as murder by some, revenge by others, and still others might look at it as a debt owed, and a debt paid. Your story is not uncommon, but not one heard every day. I am troubled as to what write given the circumstances, if I am to write anything at all. A most perplexing situation, which with your story told honestly, could cost Marshal Guyer the election."
"I will have to consider what I will do with this." Phin finished. He was genuinely torn.
Turk sat there and heard the man out. Not much of an interview in his mind as the fellow proceeded to vent his opinions on the whole affair. But in actuality, the ex-Jayhawker now bountyhunter would just be content if the editor never even wrote the story - he certainly was not looking for publicity. Just peace and quiet.
Caroline had informed Turk that Noolan had been one of the Evergreen bunch, though as unlikely a cowpoke as much of that crowd. Gunmen pure and simple in the saloon gir's assessment. So the Evergreen jaspers might not take this news well, another thing Turk had to take into account.
"I did say it was revenge, it was also too long delayed justice for an innocent boy kilt in cold blood. You write it up as you will, it's a free country. As for me giving up the reward, write that up as you please too. It sounds ta me like that money is being used for good things and I'm glad," Turk remained very calm, as was his nature.
"Oh yeah, one other thing. I mentioned to the Marshal that if he doubts my story he could contact my home county back in Kansas and the local law there will definitely back it up in all it's detail. My family farm was burnt down by Noolan and his like and there was a long running warrant of arrest on him for the murder of Thomas Flagg, my brother."