National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-21
THE LAST OF HIS RACE.
a Strange. ETentfaI HIstOry--A Bloody
Vendetta.

A GG,sttG representative was at the
Union Depot yesterday when the day train from
Texas came In, and was informed that an officer
was OH board who had with him prisoner whose
history was quite remarkable. After short search
the men were found in a forward car. The prls-
oner was an old man, who sat very quietly in his
seat and did not seem TO have much interest in
the world or the development of Arkansas. He
was handcuHed, and did not care to talk. From
the officer, however and himself the events of his
strange history were drawn forth, and, having
been patched up, made the following: The old
mats name Is Dahlgren, and he lived before the
war IA the northern part of Tennessee. His home
was pleasant enc, and with his wife and two
SOns he lived very happily on his farm until a
quarrel arose between neighbOTs. The difficulty
was patched, but one Of the sons-bOth of whom
had grown 80 mans estate-cOnceived that he had
been wronged, and one day, while he and his
brother were passing along the road in wagon
they came up with five men, their neighbors
and the quarrel broke out afresh. The Young men
were courageous and would not be inundated
by their opponents. Hot words led to blows and
the five men, pulling pistols, fired upon the two
Dghigren boys and killed them. They then ran
away and, fearing the vengeance of old man
DahlsreH, for he was even then considered quite
an old man, disappeared from the community. OF
course. DahlgTen and his wife were nearly dis
tracicd at the sad death of their boys Of whom
they were very proud, and Mrs. Dahlgreu never
recovered from the blow, but. about the time the
war broke out, died. and the husband was left to
lament the separation of his family He conceived
The idea that nothing left in this life for him.
except to obtain vengeance on the men who had
robbed him Of his sons. He devoted the remainder
{" his life to this purpose. He began system
Atcally to search for the five men, whose names
@crc liridley. Black, Hewitt, Myers. and q man
Hal!ed Black Tom" but whose true name WAS
Llrdy, aud one after another was met and killed
Tie had no scsuples no conscience. His sole object
"as to put the villains who had made life no object
'"hIm out ofthe way He took no interest in the war
L. mattcrcd not whether the North or South were
v!ctprs. He shot Myers and Lurdy in Tennessee, and
escaped the officers who were set upon his track
Iac Old man disappeared from his county and no
traces of him were heard for several years The
Raa ''Tidicy died Of pneumonia in Cincinnati and
slack Is serving out a term in the State Peniten-
nary al Columbus, Ohio, for burglary. The last of
i'c'e men, Hewitt, was slowly but surely tracked
y pahigrca 10 Colorado; and it was there, in a
U''1 Town Oh the frontier of the State, at Coyote
It came up with him and shot him in cold blood
''e' ne had thrown up his hands and asked for
mercy. The little community was terribly excited
'po' the murder and started officers on the track
" Dadlgicn, who threw them Off the scent No
n'''c was heard of him until last month, when in
'o'IAatIon was received that he was in Houston.
''Aa'. ana there he was arrested. AS the prisoner
'".cluded what he had to say he remarked: liam
NUiHhed: have had my revenge and do not care
|h@' becomes ofme. have nothing more to live
,'' ana would rather hang than not have fixed
'ie men who killed my boys" About this time
me Ifain moved off, and the interview closed
AE1nSds t;u.gVs