Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-26
SAN BASS.
The Close Of a Career OF Crlme-A
HOOsler COw.BOJ Becomes the
Chief Of the Texas
RObber Gang.
Special to Cincinnati Enquiror.l

Special to Cincinnati Enquirer.l
Houston, TEXAS, July 23. 1t
was on the evening Of Saturday,
July 20, 1878. The last rays Of
the blazing summer sun gilded the
housetops and the white painted
cottages Of a small railroad town
twelve or fifteen miles to the north.
west of the capital of Texas. The
stir and bustle' of the day were
done, and the quietude that reigned
in the streets was in severe contrast
with the confusion and excitement
Of street fight with prisoners the
day before. tEtl
AS the sun retired to his rosy
couch in the dim chambers of the
hazy west a scene full Of sad inter-
est was transporting in a little plank
house in the village. Upon a COM
mon cot covered with strong, thick
canvas, lay young man over
whose manly brow twenty-Eeyen
years had scarcely passed. He was
what the world calls handsome, a
man who naturally looked a leader
Of his fellows, one whom any
woman might adore; Of medium
height, he scarcely weighed lao; Of
form finely proportioned, terse and
muscular. His face was oval and
possessed almost of feminine beauty,
and in unison with a fine olive but
partially sun-burned complexion, d
pair of dark, handsome, expressive
eyes cleaned in the shadows of the
raven black hair, carelessly thrown
back from a classic brow, a fine
brown mustache completed phys
iognomy that might have been ad.
mired in any Of the bathrooms o
the great cities. There was blood
on his clothing, and it was easily
seen that he was dangerously woun
ded, from frequent expressions o.
severe pain that passed over hi
pallid and even now corpse-lik(
features. He breathed heavily, ant
a subdued groan occasionally es
capped his lips. Standing near tn,
cot, and with deep interest regard
ing its occupant, as the departing
sunlight entered the apartment
stood J. D. j, Jones, the comman
der of the Texas Rangers; Lieu
tenant Hall, of the same organiza
ton, and the high sheriff of vii
hanson county, but no woman, NJ
friend of the wounded man wa
near. The young man who lal
dying was Sam Bass, the great des
perado, bandit, outlaw and boil
chief Of the Texas gang of train
robbers, whose name has, since las
winter, been known far and wide
and for whose capture the creates
efforts have for some time past beel
made. The outlaw had two wounds
one in the right hand, the bal
having torn away the ring an,
, middle finger; the other, and b
physicians pronounced fatal, en-
tered to the left Of the spine, tn
J ball tearing through the yitals an
8 coming out on the front aspect Q
the abdomen.
Sam Bass, the higbwaymar
' train-robber and desperate baudi
of Texas, whose career has so sud
denly been brought to a close, wa
e. born in Mitchell, Southern Ind
8 ana, in 1851. His parents passe
D TO the other side Of the river befol
S their old age had been embittere
Y by the disgrace of their misguide
/, son. At the place Of his birth sti
e reside two brothers, John and Lir
= ton, and four sisters. When abot
f; the age of nineteen, in the yes
d 1870, Bass left his Indiana hon
|. and came to North Texas, takin
/ employment as a cowboy and herr
@ er under Sheriff Egan, Of Dento
e county, who gave him the contr,
/ of his stock, cattle and herd
i While thus employed the youn
l. man obtained that thorough know
p edge of the woods, thickets an
T. forests that subsequently enable
Il him, to a1,da thn eearoh and M