Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-07-27

In our last number We announced
the re-capture and arrival of w. 5.
Douglas, in charge of the Sheriff OF
Lampasas county, Texas, at keyser
in this Slate. Mr.. Sweet, the Sheriff,
on beng interviewed at Wheeling by
a reporter of the Register. gave the
following account of Douglas cap
ture, &c:
1t was on the morning of the Fourth
of July that myself and my deputy,
Mr.. Dooittle, found and arrested
Douglas about ten miles down the
Lampasas river, in thicket below our
town. OF his whereabouts, our
suspicion was first aroused by noticing
the blinds of the up stairs windows of
Mrs. Horrells residence being closed,
something that was never known
before. Mrs. Horrell Is Douglas first
wife's mother, and with whom mis-
second wife now resides. We had
other information which convinced Us
that he was in the county. We
watched the residence several nights,
and when we were convinced of his
whereabouts, We Their begun a plan by
which to effect his arrest and return to
West Virginia and secure the reward
of S4OO offered by the Governor of the
State, and the $3.50 offered by the
sheriff of Grant county. To arrest
Douglas without any one suspiclonlng
our object puzzled us for while, but
at length | placed a detective on his
track, who, by the aid OF a large pair
of opera or field glasses, discovered,
from neighboring bill top the
hereabouts OF the murderer by
noticing some of his friends going
into a thicket about eight miles
distant from town. We marked on:
our course and laid well our plans, but
were unable to arrest him at this
place. We made drive, and ran him
10 another thicket two miles further
down the river. | still had man out
with the glasses, who saw Douglas
friends taking things i'll baskets to him
in the thicket. Here we proceeded
very cautiously and marked our course
by certain trees that were in close
proximity TO the Ticket. Knowing
the habits of Douglas, We waited
until about IL o'clock on the night of
the 3rd of July, when we started out
from our place Of concealment and
crept up to within ten feet of the spot
where we saw our man lying asleep,
having pulled off our boots probably
two hundred yards from where we saw
Douglas. When we got close TO him
we laid our doublebarrel shotguns on
the grass and sprang upon him while
he was asleep, seized his right hand
and Mr.. Doolittle his left. Waking up
he made desperate struggle to tree
himself from our grip. | placed the
muzzle of my revolver in his face, and
he seeing it, ceased to struggle. after
having severely bitten my dcputy's
right thumb. We then handcuffed
him and started back to Lampasas, |
walking, having placed him on my
horse. We reached the town just at
daylight. Here we placed him in
jail, ate hurried breakfast, had him
securely ironed in Jail, and in one hour
we were on our road to Austin, where
| took the train for West Virginia
with my prisoner, having no other
guard to assist me. During the trip |
only slept two hours, having been out
three days and nights. When night
came | chained myself to the prisoner,
by 'necking' and Handwriting, so that
any struggle on his part would wake
me, should have gone to sleep. When
the process of locking together was
over, | gave my keys and pistols to the
conductor, who put them away tor
safe keeping. arrived at Keyser on
the 9th inst, at 2 o'clock p. NJ. and
turned the prisoner over to Sheriff
Smith, of Grant county, on Thursday
following my arrival, much to the
satisfaction of the people of that
section of the State.
HISTORY OF THE ESCAPE