The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-28
A TEXAS STORM
Settling Accounts with Gang of Despera-
does.

Settling Accounts with a Gang of Despera-
St. Louis Republican.
A gentleman who has lately returned
from visit to Dallas, Tex, tells a
story which is rather dramaticg and
may be true. The story was told to
him by an old hunter, who had be-.
come domesticated and was Longing
about one of the Dallas hotels.
Il could tell you good many queer
stories, stranger" said the old fellow,
in conversation with the St. Louis
man, "but I don't know of any that
'ud be more likely to kind O. strike
you than an experience of Sam Longs,
in Harrison county. years ago. Texas
on that -
And then the old fellow told the
story, which can scarcely be as graphic
in print as in his terse idiom:
Years ago Harrison county, in Texas,
was the haunt of about as desperate a
gang of rutfians as ever infested any
district west of the Mississippi. Their
number was 50 great and their organ
ization so complete that they set the
but half administered law at defnance
carrying On.a career of daring crime
with impunity, and making the region
an undesirable place of abode for all
honest citizens. Ostensibly hunters
or horse-traders, the desperadoes made
stock-stealing their chief occupation,
never hesitating to commit a murder
when necessary for their safety, or the
execution of any Of their rascally
plans.
The controlling spirit in this desper-
ate organization was a giant named
Dick Reddett, who, from his exception
al ferocity and daring, exercised al
most despotic control over his follow
ers. \ special pride of this man. was
in his extraordinary skill in the use of
the rife, no one Of the band being
able to compete with him in what was
at that time considered the chief ac-
complishment Of a Western man. r It
was a favorite practice with the band
to congregate at some one of the few
small stores scattered through the
country and there engage in shooting.
matches, and it was upon one of these
occasions that Sam Long, the hunter
already mentioned, Glanced to be pres
ent. Long was quiet, modest fellow
who lived with his wife and child in a
small cabin in the neighborhood and
who made hunting his constant occup.
alton. ~F
He never came to the store save to
exchange skins and furs for provisions
and ammunition, and was widely and
favorably known for his sobriety and
honesty. Upon the occasion just re-
ferred to. when Sam Long CHANGED to
come while the desperadoes were en-
gagged in one of their shooting. match
es. it was demanded that he should
take part in the sport. The hunter
hesitated at. first, but finally, not wish.
ing to incur the ill-will of the rutfians,
consented. His skill with the rifle was
known to be very remarkable, and
the desperadoes were not greatly sur
prlsed when he defeated them all save
the Captain of the band. s,
This man had not engaged in the
sport, but when Long had vanquished
all the others, came forward with the
assurance of an easy victory. The shots
were made. and, to the surprise of ev-
erybody, Long gained the day. The
rage of the leader Of the ruffians knew
no bounds at being thus defeated in
presence of his followers, and, al
though refraining from any violence
on the spot, he intimated darby to the
hunter that he would s'get even with
him. Long paid little attention to
the threat, and soon afterwards return
ed to his cabin.
At just dusk, some days later, Sam
Long having come in from long hunt,
was lying on the floor of his cabin and
playing with the child, while his wife
was getting supper. The wife, busy
with her cooking, asked Long to go to
an adjacent spring and bring some wa
ter, request which he promptly com.
piled with, leaving the gun in the
house, a somewhat unusual course
with him. He had reached the
spring and was just STOPPING to fill the
pail he carried, when he was borne
down by an attack from behind, bound
securely, and dragged some yards into
the woods. -
When he recognized his assailants
ne knew what to expect. He had fall
en- into the hands of the Reddet gang.
and the leader was. about to 'sget
even.' Long was stripped by order of
the captain and bound to tree. A
supply of hickory switches was obtain
ed: and then the captain took one of
them up and began the whipping, an
nouncing with an oath that no man
could beat him or his men at shooting
and stay in the country. The suffer.
ing of the victim was terrible.
The flesh was cut from his back in
strips by the blows, and when the lead.
er OF ruffians had gratiiied his rage,
others of the band continued the