Clem accidentally on purpose shot a crooked bartender during a bar room confabulation. Clem used his percussion side-by-side shotgun (most likely a sawed-off 10 gauge, knowing Clem). They were legal back then. They tucked away very conveniently under a duster coat, and were quite handy when riding shotgun duty on a stage coach.
Of course, Clem had a duster, but had not yet acquired a stage coach nor was employed by the stage line.
Until he pulled the triggers on the bartender, Clem was fully within his rights in Jhesephat City. Maybe not so much in New York City or London, but the Territories made allowances for self-protection.
Clem became known by all as “Socks” when awaiting the arrival of a circuit judge (who never showed up). Molly insisted she was not about to cook for Socks forever and a day waiting for a judge to show up, so Socks earned room and board as the dish boy in the Parisian kitchen. House arrest was effected by removing Clem’s boots. A body cannot walk far before needing to rest sore bleeding feet.
The MMMM Gang were terrific jailers.
As the years slipped by and the judge never showed, Socks was finally emancipated. But he had fallen into a very comfortable life, proving himself a reformed man. So he chose to retain the dishwasher position and copious amounts of some of the best food on Earth.
