Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-07-20
ENTRAPPING A MURDERER.
A SPECTATORS STORY.

In the year 1853 went to the Red Riv.
'er country with view of speculatine in
horses, lands. or ANYTHING that might give
promise OF protita ole return for a cash in.
vestment. VI course carried good deal
Of money with me but knowing / was 20
ing among wild, lawless class, of every
grade and color-among half civilized In.
dians negroes, gamblers, robbers, murder.
ers and assassins, with perhaps a few sett-
lers OF some claims TO honor and honesty.
il they could be sfted out from the mass
i thonghtit the safest plan not to seem
well off in tik, worlds goods. According.
ly secured my money in q belt around
my body, p2t on very coarse, rough
dress, which, by inientioDal care.essness,
soon had very mean and s,ovenlv an.
pearance, and allowed my hair and beard
10 manage their matters much their own
way. without any troublesome interfcr-
ence Of razor or comb. Thus prepared,
and armed with two revolvers and bow
ie-knife | passed over some dangerous ter
riiory in comparative safety, and iiaitered
myself that no one guessed my riches
through my apparent poverty
In fact. on two occasions, ! began TO
think ii 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 q
drove Of horses tirst pleased me very
much, and was told by the owner, in re.
ply to my qu 'stion s. to what he would
take head for The entire lot. that he wa
not in the halt OF Dsuiiug his price to
every wandering beggar that chose to sat-
isfy his idle curiosity. was disposed at
first 10 put on some dignity and get indig-
nant, but concluded after careful survey
Of my person that he had good cause for
speaking as he did. and so merely assured
him that knew an individual who wished
to buy horses, il he could get then, at o
fair price. The horse owner however, WI as
not disposed to believe my statement. and
20 passed him by, with the resolve that,
if nothing better turned up, wolld give
him smother call under n more advan-
tageous appearance. As the second in
stance alluded TO was similar to the frs
il may be passed over without further
notice.
But out Of this same case grew q very
remarkable adventure, which il is my
present purpose to relate.
While passing between two settlements,
on a lonely gloomy horse path, leading
through dark hemlock wood, and while
in the most solitary part, there suddenly
came before me, leaping from athicket on
the right, human figure of most start
ling appearance. IL was man OF nedi-
um height, but of stout powerful frame
all covered with dirty tatters, that he ap.
pears to have worn and wallowed in for
years lie had no covering for his head
or feet. aud his skin was SO coated with
CRIME that il was difficult at 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 proeu-
sion all around his head. except little
space before his swollen, bloodsbot eyes,
and altogether he looked like madman
or human devil. His hands held and
swung formidable club. and his attitude,
as no 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 ard grasped the
butt ri one of my revolvers, firmly de.
termined to keep him at the short dis.
tance that divided US, or kill him il he
advanced.
Fer perhaps a hall minute We stood al.
lently regarding and surveying each other,
and then. resting one end Of lis club on
the ground. and partly leaning forward on
the other, he said in coarse, grufT tone
with kind Of chucking laugh:
We'll, ,---me Is in hopes I'd got q
prize al last but il you're much better
of nor NE, you don, show il, by-~--''