Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-11-25
4 TEXAS HUNTERS VENGEANCE.

4 TEXAS HUNTERS VENGEANCE.
Agentleman who has lately returned
from visit to DaIlas, Tex ellis story
which is rather dramatic. The story was
told 10 him by an old hunter who had be-
cO,ne domesticatcd anil WAS lounging
about one oil the Dallas hotels.
II could tell you yo,l many queer
stories, stranger" saiu the old fellow, in
conversation with IT, "nlIcman, "Gut
don't knowof any that 'ud be more likely
t" strike sou than un experience Of Sam
Lungs, lii Harrison county, years ago.
Texas wuz rough place then; you kin
bet On that?'
And then the old fellow told the story,
which can scarcely be Is graphic n rint
as in his terse liom:
Years ago Harrison county. in Texa-,
was the haunt If about rs desperate Il
gang Of rufiians as ever infested amy dis
srjct west of the Mississippi. There num-
Der was so great and th:ir organization 20
complete that they set the but haif:admin-
istcred law 1t defiance, carrying Oh \ c;'-
reer oi daring and crime with impunit3 ,
and making the region an undesirable
place of abode for all honest citizens. Us
,ensibly hunjsrs or horst. .trat!ers, the des-
peraloes made sto k.stealing t'!eir chict
occupation. never hesita,ing to c"mn it a
murder when nee. s>ary for their safety or
tor tue execution IF any IT their rascal,
plans. The controlling 81 lit in this dcS.
p rate organizations WIS Il giant named
Dick Redd-,,, w:lo,> from his c p'ional
tcrocity and daring. exercised almost des
t0tic control over his followers. Il spec
iii pride OF this m II was in his ex rnrsli
nary skill in The usc Of The rifle. no oaeo.
the band being abIc to compete with him
in " ha, Was at that time Z. nsider,d d lhs
chief accomplishment Of the Western
man.
1t was favoritc practice with the band
to congrvgate at some one Of the few small
stores scattered t::rough the country and
there engage in shooting matches. and it
was on one Of these occasions that Sam
Long, the hunter already tnti"ned, hap
pencd to be present. Long was quies.
modes, fellow, who lived with his wife
and Chill in u >m..li cabin in their neigh
b.rllond and who made hunting his coh
stan, occupation. Lie never appeared al
The store s"yc IT, exchange skins and Vas
tavo ably known for his sobriety and hon.
.sty. Upon the Occasion just referred {,
wien Sim long chancvd TO c me wh:Ic
the dcsperad"cs were engaged in one
tll*ir shooting matches, they wished nlM
to take part in t&4e sport. Lie hcsitatcd a.
first, bu, finally, not wishing to incur the
i'll will of the ruttisns, consented. His
skill with the rifle was known to be some
thing remarkable, snd The de~prladoc-
were not greatly surprised when he detea
eu them all save the Captain of The band
This man nad not engaged in TIE sport,
bu. wlie.l l. II. had v"nQuishcd all othcl>
he Anle forward with the ASSURANCE ":Ah
Easy vi:..ry. The shots were made. md.
to the surprise ot ali, Long &: inca tN>
day.
The rage Of til. leader IF the. ruff1ans
kn 10 bound, 1T tilt being .ttcased i"
The presence ot his tollowc,s,and,a although
retaining trcn My violeice Oh The spo',
Ae intin,ated dai&ly to the hu.t.r that Ii.
would '',ct get wen Will! him" Long
paid little atltnt, u 10 the threat, and sO:'u
.tte,w:rd returned to his cabi".
a. jus; du k, s>n:e day IS later, Sam WAS
lying on the floor Of lis cabin playiuH
" i,h his child willie his wife was gett'' (
srpprr The wife, lusy with her cooking
asked Long TO 60 to The adjacent Il ring
aud bring It MT water, a request which 1t
pr. .mptly comi'l lied with, leaving his gu'
III the house. a somewhat unusu Il course
with him. He reached the spring and
was just stopping 70 fill the pail which he
carried, when he was borne down by a
sudden attack from behind, bound secure.
|y. aud dragged some yards i''to The woods.
W.eD lie r. cogn:zed his sssailant' lie
knew what to expect. He had fallen INTO
the hand, of The II. dde.t gang. anl u e
leader WAS about to yet e> en- with him ,
Long " t. stri; ped and holnd to- ate
BY ot,:er OF III. Ca tan. A supply OF
hickory switches Was obtained, ard then
'hr Capa,in took one ct them and began
The whipping, announcing with An oath
that no man could Ieat him or his nj n at
shooting aid stay in the country. The
suffering Of the victim was terrible. The
1e III was Gu, from his back in strips by
the blows. and when the leader o1 the ruf
fans had gratified his rage; others Of the
band continued the punishment. But one
man among the number showed any mer
cy, and his assertion that Long had been
punished enough was received with dc.
rision.
Finally the hunter tainted under the
pain, and the rutilans, having satisfied
their grudge, departed, leaving the object
of their spite still bound to the tree.
In this position he was found by his
wife, who had become alarmed for his
safely, and who, searching for him, had
been attracted to the spot by a faint moan
ing. She assisted him TO reach the cabin,
which lie did with difficulty, and then
nursed him faithfully to recovery. 1t was
weeks before he was we'll enough to move
about.
Scarcely had Long recovered from his
wounds when his cabin was found deser-
ted, and members of the Reddett band,
thinking that he had fled the country,
boasted openly Of what they had DONE
At the same time they became bolder than
ever in the commission of crime, always
hunting or travelling together in compa
ny between twenty and thirty and defying
attack from any quarter.
One day as they were engaged on a
hunt member of the band became sepa
A.