The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-21
THE BR|GAN DS OF THE WEST,
j 9 H N / Q N O.,
WOLF OF THE PRAIRIES.

WOLF OF THE PRAIRIES.
Rock Island now became the point towards
which the eyes OF the whole surrounding coun'
try were turned with intense interest. As the
reader has seen, at the close Of our last chap
ter, the jail Of the Island held safe within il
embrace seven OF the most desperate Of the
''Brgands Of the West" charged with the mur
der of Col. Davenport. The news of this fact
spread rapidly fer and wide, and Rock Island
was thronged with visitors. They came to zee
the deeperadoes who had go long defied justice
and they came to zee the man who, with bold
hand and stout heart, and through so much
peril, had at last placed these desperadoes in
the hands Of the law. Rock Island, indeed, in
the latter part OF September and beginning oi
October, 18i5. presented moving panorama
Of excitement, exceeding even that which it ex-
hibited two months before, when the knowl-
startled the public ear.
Amid the universal Indignation against the
Gagged murderers, and satisfaction that they
we're &; last within the grasp Of the law, there
was mingled universal applause for Edward
Bonney, who had performed 50 great a SER
vice to the community. Bonney was in fact
the hero Of Rock Island and most deservedly
so. Within two months from the preparation
Of the murder Of Col. Davenport, ne had un-
ravelled the deer mystery which enshrouded 1t,
ha1 rapa4ro4ad rn+c he yoNot sacret halInfa Of
one OF the most rormldable confederacies OF
crime that ever existed, had ferreted out the
murderers, made clear their guilt, and placed
most Of them where, If the law should be faith
ful to its trust, that guilt would end in punish-
ment, 10 was great achievment, and the peo-
pie Of Rock Island and the surrounding coun-
try, acknowledged 1t.
10 the meantime, while the community of
Rock Island were thus excited IL ref erence to
the Developments which, through the instru-
mentality OF Bonney, had been made with ref
erence to the murder OF Col. Davenport, the
great league of the ''Brigapds Of the West" -"
was filled with astonishment and convulsed
with rage. The agency OF Bonney in the whole
matter, had been disclosed to the prisoners at
Rock Island, and Tom. Brown, who had so
long been travelling among them as one OF the
night stripe, stood revealed as the possessor Of
When the full hight Of this knowledge burst
upon the prisoners, the effec' vas terrible.
John Long, the Wolf, gnashed his teeth up
on his manacles in the futile paroxysm of his
rage, Birch threw himself on the floor OF his
cell in despair, Old Redden and bis son, and
Aaron Long, vented their feelings IN deep cur
ses. The jail at Rock Island. when its inmates
beheid Doaney in his true character, was per-
sect pendamonium OF tends, writhlng III the
iron grasp of giant Of retrbution OF which
they had not dreamed.
What had been revealed to the prisoners,
few like lightning to every part OF the gang OF
which they we're members. 1t penetrated to
to the cabin Of Old Birch, the father OF Robert'
in Clark county, illinois.
Ills name ls Bonney, is it z" said old Birch,
clenching his hand on the table at which hm-
self, bis wife and son, Tim, were seated, ''the
villain that talked so freely with, and asked
him TO get acquainted with my snterprising son
Robert. He bas got hm foul. has he then
by Cd this Bonney must die" and the wither-
ed frame of the Old man shook with rage.
a ball from my rife would soon settle his
business said Tim, "let me have a good
chance. and III send it.
''Spok..n like the son OF your mother, kill
h 20. Tim" ,yclaimed the woman in sharp,
cracked voice. VIM 'h rose higher in profane In
voctves. until = was |. hoked in its utterance by
The very intensity Of Aate. TO which It struggled
to give vsnt.
At ta,e CABIN OF Old M3y4As Loos, the mtelh-
yence &as received witt the saifis con- eh'ra-
non OF rage, and death WIS again denDnnl gu
'gainst Bonney, with Impressions and curses,
II am off to see Fox said Airan, after the
hrse ebulliton, caused by the ne7-s was over.
'Hee the one TO talk to now"
Among the gang at NRuvoo the Intelligence
'ell like q thunderbolt. and the constsYpation
which it produced, was followed by the watch
word death to Bonney." Fox heard it at his
'athers house to which he had retreated, and il
illed him with most fearfrl arprebepsions. He
vas undecided for time how TO act. Leaving
nm and the rest OF the gang for time, to
york out their plans in this starting emergency
,hich had overtaken them, We will return to |
Rock Island, to Bonney and the m,uderers.
On the 9th Of October, 1s45, retributive JUS |
ice enthroned herself at Rock Island and pre-
jared, almost on the very spot where ,he inhu-
nan deed had been committed, to avcnge the
murder or Col. Davenport. On that day the
egular term OF the Circuit Court commenced.
lie Honor Judge Brown presided, AMI T. J.
turner, esquire, Attorney General OF the state
vas present to dischorge the duties of hs of,iic.
he Grand Jury found true bills of rndictmet
galnst Robert Birch, William Fox, John eng
nd Aaron Long, John Baxter and Granville
oung for the murder OF Col. Davenport. on
be 9Th Of July, 1916. Indictments we're also
Ound against old Redden aud his son William.
8 accessories to the murder before the fact
he case of Young aud the two Longs was first
allied on, and day appointed for the trial
At an early hour every avenue to the Court
Dom was filled with excited spectators, while
ne room itself was densely packed with sea |
I human faces, stretching and reaching over |
l..