Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-21
fight soon became panic, and to add to

left, set fire to it and hurried on. In the
meantime vigilance committee had been
formed. This move was taken with the
greatest secrecy, and none but trusty men
were admitted to the organization. The
utmost circumspection was used, for the
reason that in a new community like this
the doubtful assistance of suspicious char
acters was thing to be dreaded. The
vigilantes did not number more than one
hundred men all told, but they meant bust
ness, as the sequel proved. 1t was my
good or bad fortune to be one of the elect.
Scouts were sent out in all directions, and
within forty-eight hours of the departure
of the Benders from their camp in the next
county, the fact was duly reported to u.s.
About forty of us organized into a pursu-
ing party, and started after the butchers.
Once ON their trail, we had no difficulty in
following it. The murderous quartet had
taken to the open country west of the
river, but were keeping within convenient
distance of the thick timber that grows in
the valley watered by this stream. They
were expecting pursuit, and hoped to es-
cape by losing themselves in this timber, if
it came to the worst. As we proceeded
the trail freshened, and ere long We came
across the half consumed remains of the
wagon left by the Benders in their flight
From the direction they were taking it be-
came evident to the minds of those &C.
quainted with the country that they were
pointing for
THAT PARADISE OF CUTTHRoATS
Located near the mouth of the Red Fork
of the Arkansas. The country hereabouts
is bleak and desolate region, infested by
horse thieves, half breed Creeks, Pawnees
they would be safe from pursuit. Even
the United States troops have never been
able to penetrate that terra mcognita. 1t
is safe retreat for the border ruffians, and
is known to be such all through this Sec
ton of the country. This haven for the
wicked is distant about one hundred and
forty miles from the point where the Ver-
digris river enters Indian Territory. The
murderers had about forty miles to travel
before reaching the boundary of the terri
tory, and they were probably twenty miles
beyond the line when our scouts caught
sight of them. Burdened as they were
with much cumbrous baggage, they had
not been able to make very great speed,
but they bad used every possible effort to
put space behind them. 1t was about 3
o'clock ON hot, sultry May afternoon that
We came in sight of the party. They saw
us as soon as we came from cover, and
abandoning everything they broke for the
forest. They plunged into the woods and
scattered. We were close upon their heels,
however, and they did not succeed in elud-
ing us long. The old man and his wife
and Kate were under arrest in less than an
hour. John, Jr., was more fortunate than
the other members of the tribe, for he con-
trived to evade us for an hour longer, but
he was at length run to cover and forced
to surrender.
EVERY ONE OF THEM SHOWED FIGHT,
But with the exception of Kate they all
weakened when it came to the scratch.
This charming border beauty emptied
every chamber of her revolver into our
faces, but her aim was bad and she did no
serious damage beyond manning one of our
horses and clipping a lock of hair from my
temple. The bullet raised a ridge along
the skin, the work of which shows to this
day She finally succumbed to superior
strength, but to the last maintained the
same daredevil, reckless demeanor. Hav-
ing captured the assassins the question now
arose, What are we to do with them ?"
Some were for taking them back and let
ting the law take its course. The adyo-
Gates OF this line of policy were largely in
the minority. There were those amongst
us whose relatives had fallen victims to
the deadly hammers and knives of the
wretches, and they would not listen to the
suggestions of the conservative element.
They threatened to do some killing then
and there if their demands for instant
vengeance were not regarded. No one
would have offered very strenuous oppo-
sition if they had carried out their threats,
but it was thought best to do the job up
after the most approved form obtaining in
the Courts presided over by Judge Lynch.
The prisoners were accordingly arraigned
and asked what they had to say in their
defense. The old woman was sullen and
ugly, but the two men showed signs of
faltering. Had they been left to them
selves they would have made full con.
LESSONS beyond doubt.
THE ANnABLE KATE
Perceived this, and, thinking it would
please the vigilantes too much to hear con-
LESSONS, she fell to cursing her brother and
father for their cowardice. Fouler Ian.
gusge was never uttered than came from
the lips of this fiend. No term was too
vile to apply to her relatives They took
it silently at first, but soon something of
her reckless spirit was infused into them,
and they too joined in the TRADE. The
chorus of blasphemy that went up from
that hardened lot caused a shudder to run
though our party. With death staring them
in the face, they united in cursing us and
lamenting their inability to do us harm.
Such malignity l never saw equaled. Even
the old woman Clipped in occasionally, and
her appearance indicated that she wholly
of the family demonstration.
When charged with the murders laid at
their doors, the answer was curse, fol-
lowed by more curses, and then volley, a
fusilade of curses and ribald abuse. Our
court went through with the form pre-
scribed and then pronounced a sentence of
death. The announcement was received
with jeers from the hardened criminals,
who had determined to brave it out to the
last. 1t was decided that the murderers
should be shot, as it would
TAKE TOO MUCH TIME TO HANG THEM.
The sun was already nearly down, and
the shadows of approaching night were
deepening There on the borders of the
forest the cruel killers were tied to saplings
and told to prepare for death. One of our
number, who had not quite forgotten his
early education, undertook to offer prayer,
but the lovely Kate spit in his face while
he was addressing the throne of grace, and
he quit right in the middle OF sentence
and drew off in disgust. The four
died with curses on their lips, hardened
and unrepentant to the last. There in
that lonely, dismal spot, away beyond the
confines of civilization, they met right
eous retribution, and their souls. black
with crime, were sent to meet the great
Judge. Their executioners treated them
better than they treated their innocent
victims. They were killed quickly and
not butchered brutally. To be
sure, not much time was wasted in burial,
put it was growing late, and the vigilantes
lad long ride before them. A hole, made |
BY the displacement. Of the roots of fallen
was made little larger and
leeper, and
THE BODIES THROWN IN
L.. L. Al l. Il