Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-05-24
ENTRAPPING 4 mURDERER.
A speculatOr's story.

A Spectators story.
In the year 1888. / went to the Red rIv-
| er country with view OF speculation in
horses, lands, OF anything that might give
promise Of a profitable return for cash
| investment Ofcourse carried good
deal of money with me, bot knowing was
going among a wild, lawless class, of every
| grade and color-amung half civilized In
dams, negroes gamblers, thieves, robbers,
murders and assassiDs with perhaps few
settlers with some claims TO honor and
honesty, if they could be sifted out FROM
the mass-I thought it The safest plan not
TO seem we'll of in the worlds goods. Ac.
cordingly secured my money in belt
about my body, put on q very coarse, rough
dress, which, by intentional carelessness,
soon had very mean, slOvenly appearance,
! and allowed my hair and beard to manage
| matters their own way, without and troub-
lesome interference of razor or comb
Thus prepared, and armed with two revols
vers and bowie knife, passed over. some
dangerous territory IN comparative SAFE
| ty, and BATTERED myself that no one CUES
sed my riches through my apparent power
ty.
I 10 fact, on two occasions, ] began to
think il might have been to my advantage
! to have looked little more respectable
! The FIRST of these was when, in travelling
| through the Cboctaw nation, / found
| drove of horses that pleased me very much.
and was tpld by the owner, in reply to my
question as TO what he would take a head
for the entire lot, that he was not in the
habit OF naming his price to every wand
erIDg beggar that chose to satisfy an idle
curiosity. Twas disposed at first to put on
some dignity, and get indignant, but con
cluded sfteT a careful survey of my rersop,
that the man had good cause for speaking
% be did, and so merely assured him that
l knew an individual who wished to buy
horses, If be could get them at lair price.
The horse owner. however, was not dis.
posed to believe my statement, and so
passed him by, with the resolve thar, If
nothing better turned up. | would give
him another call under a more advantage
Gus appearance. As the second instance
alluded TO was similar to the first, it NAV
be passed over without further notice.
But out Of this cause grew q very re-
markable adventure, which it is my pres
ent purpose to relate.
While passing between two settlements.
over very lonely, gloomy horse path,
leading through DARK, hemlcck wood and
whilu in the most solitary part, there sud
denly came before me, leading from
thicket on The right, human figure Of the
most startling appearance. 1t was a man
of medium height. but Of stout, powerful
frame, all covered with dirty tatters, that
be appeared to have worn and wallnwed
in for years. He had no covering for his
head or feet, and bis skin was so coated
with grime that it was difficult at q first
look to tell whether he belonged to the
white race or not. His face, high up on
his cheeks, was covered with dirty brown
beard, and his matted hair hung in wild
profusiOn all around his head, except q lit
tie space before his swollen. hlOud shot
eyes, and altogether he looked like mad
man or human devil. His hands held and
swung a formidable club, and his attitude,
as he leaped into the road before me, was
! one of fierce menace and defiance.
! stopped in alarm, and while fixing my
eyes sharply upon his, quietly slid my
hand into convenient pocket and grasped
the butt of one Of my revOlvers, firmly de-
termined tG keep him at the short distance
that divided us, or kill him if he advance
ed
For perhaps a half minute we stond
silently regarding and surveying each
other; and then. resting one end of hIs club
on the ground, and partly leaning forward
90 the other, he said. In coarse, gruff
tone, with kind of chucking laugh:
'Well-mel Is in hope I'd got a
prize at last; but if you're better off nor
me- you don't show it by! Stranger,
who ar you :? and whar You from? p
WE'LL returned I, feeling highly COM
plinented, of course, that resem5led such
Misunderstanding object as himself,
some people call mo begaar, and know
don't pass for a genteeI gentleman
IN sw'ar to that-hawl haw haw 7
was his chuckling response. The world
baint made much of you, more'n it has of
ofme. | see steal IN your face as plain as
daylight. Say, what Jail lost you last p
Never mind thatp said /; probably
neither Of as has got our deserts
We'll, if you had been decent dressed,
looked like you had five dollars about you,
I'D have knocked yours brains outn pur-
sued the villain, with broad grin. ASH
is, you cap pass-fOr / can sw'ar you haint
got a redP
Much obliged fOt your candOr, anyhow
rejoined /.
He still stood before me, looking straight
into my eyes; and now seemed to be pon,
dering some new idea. Presently he nut.
tered, as if to himself:
Il think he might do Then, moment
after, he said to me i say, old fellow,
how'd you like to make o raise?'
How would like to eat wheu hungry?
answered, thinking it not unlikely
that the scoundrel had some dark project
10 eiew, which, by seeming to chime in
with bin, might discover.
We'll, I've got q plan,' Re said throwing
down bis club, as If to assure me of bis
pacific inteDtions toward myself; and uui-
city adVaccing to my side. I've got plan
that will give as both q heap of money,
and it'll take just tVO to carry itout. I've
been waiting pal, and il yon'll join in ] Il
60 you halves
'Iftbere's any ohancs to tura penny.
I'm your man., said /.
.GoOdP returned he you look ike q
trump, and I'll bet high on you. don't
know, he added, eyeing me sharply, but
/ may be deceiVed-but think I'll risk
it. If you 60 for to play any game on me,
you'd better lock out for yourself that's
ali'
Dol look like such q seernp as that p
returned /, in an indignant totSe.
well, let's take o Seat and talk it all
over
We found On old log and sat down and
after some preliminary conversation, my
new and interesting acquaintance unfold
ed to me most damnsble scheme, the
substance Of which was as follows:
He knew the country well foI siIes