, 1874-06-21
pected persons were immediately placed in

pected persons were immediately placed it
.lnfess and strong guard placed aooat !, I'M
place OF Imprisonment. On tho night OF sun
into town, oyorpovered the guard, placed
| them under arrest, TOOK the prisoners, Josept
i. hardin, William A. aud Thomas 4. Dixon
and departed. The few men who had beer
guarding tho accused parties we're closel,
guarded by tho disguised men detailed from ths
band which had taken tue prisoners away.
II Was Just after nightfail when the silent cav
alcade moved westward out Of town, carrying
/ xloue with taem the tree-doou1ed victims OF &C
aanlsed ropuluce. Two miles out there is grove
| Tie armed horsemon paused there III the sombre
shadows. The deHperadoes bad small space
| allotted for penltence and prayer, nor did they
ask it. They were men OF iron, and died as they
hao lived, without aiuglo manifestation OF
| fear. The preparations were feS, aud made III
silence. ana then three trees bore CHASTITY fruit,
aud Joe Hardin and the Dixon brother1 were
freed from human vengeance forever
Your readers have dJubtloss ALREADY been in
formed OF the Bolton massacre, for by that name
ro must call it, whether tho parties we're guilty
or not. Nine men confined III the Dolton Jail.
on Monday, tho 2ith ult., were set upon BY an
armed band of vigilants and shot to death. The
Sheriff. Jailoz, aud guards we're powerless TO pro-
tect their prisoners from the vengeance OF the
aroused people. Eight Of the prisoners thus
shot had been committed to jail for horsa.steal-
ing. The ninth WIS man bearing the name OF
ago in CoryeIle County. The murdered prison
ers all bore the reputation Of being desporadoes.
John Wesley Hardin, alias Wessey Elements,
who has become familiar to tho people OF Con-
zales, Comanche Brown, Hamilton. and half-a-
dozen other counties in this portion OF Ie1as. IL
| perhaps Que of tie most desperate characters "ho
have eYcr found men to murder and property 10
! steal in this S.ato, which has been q refuge
place for 80 MANY despelaaocs in the past. jos
| g. Hardin, OF this piace, WHO was hung by the
ma.quersders d fer Sunday nights ago, was a
| brother Of John Wesley, tho rineleader OF all
| the desperadoes. This man has peen credited
| cold-biooded murders. In Bell AMI Gonzales
Counties particularly, this man has inspired
the people NTH the utmost fear Of his daring
and prowees. I have heard many stories Of this
famous OUTLAW, tor that il lis present character,
| Notwithstanding he il the possessor OF extensive
ranches and numerous herds OF cattle, and
| might have lived nj ease for all the remainder OF
his days- It is said he came from tho southern
part Of Kou1ucky; that during the war ho was
pn,t san, aud that, as Captain Of q band he COM
mitted many horrible deeds. But tho most
probable account is that ho was torn in Kentucky,
grew to manhood IN that State, and became in-
yolged in difficulty in consequence Of 1aison
formed With young married woman. the brido
OF one OF his friends. It is said that he seduced
this young and hanlsome woman from the paah
of virtue; then. because her husband, who
WAS deyo!edly attached to her,. ranon-
strated, he killed him :, and hed the
for time tho two lived together, when he
abandoned her aud left her to go down the way
to ruin in strange city He came to Texas
years ago, and entered upon career which has
at last sent him wandering might've, pursued |
and hunted from place to place by the min.ons
of the law. 1t is reported Of him that no less
three beautiful women, whose prospects were !
as bright and whose hopes for happiness had as
firm basis as any in the Lone Star State, hare
been betrayed. dishonored. and set airft to |
travel down the road to perdition by the arts Of |
this bold, bad man. To-day hundEeds-yes, |
thousands-of people In Texas au11ousy hope |
that Lieut.. Mil!lcau. with his rangers, now ln
pursuit Of the desporado, may succeed IN catch /
ing him. For him capture means DEATH He I
cannot 1--we if caught.
Two more Of the Hardin gang met their fate |
last Monday night. Sheriff Carnes with posse |
was in pursuit Of tho band abou: twelve mica
northeast Of this place, in the vicinity Of Stones
rancho, when tho officers Of tho laS came up
with two members OF tho band named Ham An
derson and ". H. Darckman, concealed in the
brush. It WAS about the gray Of dawn when the
pursued and the purs lots found each othor face
to face. The discovery was made by bo:h par
ties about tho same instant, Anderson and
Barckmau ophned tire upon the Sheriff aud his
men, and tue ire was returned, and both the
fell, mortal1y wounded, and in
few minutes both lay ghastly AID cold in death.
These two men vera the rnurderers Of Col. Lows
in Navarro County several months ~g,, and have
ever since been fusitiTes from justice.
About fur day ago two men wno call thoul-
selves Hickey and Galbr1th wero captured near
San Saba. They had two stolen horses in their
possession when they we're captured. There are
a number of grave criminal charges against
these men, amongst which the most aga1ayatiug /
il tia: of committing brutal outrage the
pereoa Of . little girl in Bcsque County, some
time ago. They are in irons. and If the yisi-
lantes don't finish their career they may thank
their stars
The man James Taylor, vbo WAS one OF the
actors in the Webb tragedy here last Monday, is
> noted Desperate. This Was not his first crime.
On the 11th day Of March, at 1ndiauola. ho COM
he committed most cold blooded and atrocious
murder. 3lr. William Sutton and w1fs and Sir.
Slaughter we're procuring tickets to 80 on
steamer to Galveston, when Taylor approached
aud shot lis victim dead. tirs. Sutton, who is
tue possessor Of large wea:h offers reward OF
81 900. The Governor has also offered reward
ol $500, making 81, $40 rs the price upon this
daring and desperate mon in Texas, and it is not
likely that ho will allcw himself to be taken
alive
1t has become conviction in the minds Of
many people he1e that there is regularly
orga Dlzeo band OF th.iyes aud robbers ranging
from the frontiers of Texas up through the | ]
[udlan Territory aod on through Western Mis-
sourl end Eastern Kansaa to st. Joseph in
Northwest Missouri Some circumstances de- ,
scloped lately tcud TO show that such state OF
A1atAh lGSo EAA9t auA kuh4 IL ILL pIoDAD4AL7
Gada Hill cavalry and tho Hardin c'ansmcn
have had intimats relations. Horsos known to
laro been stolen in Northwest Missouri havo
oeen found in the vicinity Of San Antonio. Tho :
4ardins were for time in Missouri, indeed .
;ame from thas State here. John Wesley
Hardin is known to have been at one time {
otimato with the Younger brothers aud !
he James boys. A hno of posts
II stations kept BY tho partisans OF these des- ,
'erado chieitans is sad to exist all the way I
rom st. Joseph, No., to San Antonio, Tex. Tho
people and the authorities Of this State are de-
ermlned to break up the combination here, aud c
,ive the members OF tue can short shrift and !
asy exit BY means of rope attached to she | 2 2
,.anch Of d tree at one end and necis at the =
Ether. :
Most ofthe members OF this band, or the bands {
i desperadoes who have infested tho Western +
'order since the War, we're IN the armies, the . .
,reater number having served the lest cause. c
'ome have lived here IN Texas for great many | i
ears, while more Of them dr1f1ed here after the G
urrcuder. Kentucky, Missouri. and Tennessee 4
n tha H8hnnnr nf hA n1frtured a ma ior,tu |