The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-09-16

"Well, | heard you had, said Hardin,
and it's best to be on the safe side,
and drawing his pistol in his lightning
like fashion, he shot the officer dead.
This murder was the last feather upon
the camel's back. Hardin had been
playing the Jim Currie business so
long, and unfortunately without the
conclusion reached by Currie at Las
Vegas, that his last crime reused
a strong feeling against him. Ad-
ditional rewards were offered for his
apprehension. As he had committed
many similar deeds in Arkansas and
Louisiana, the aggregate amount offered
for his capture in the three States was
$4,000.
The hunt for Hardin became so hot
under this extraordinary temptation
that he saw the advisability of emigrat-
ing, at least until the excitement should
blow over. Texas is big State, but it
was too small for him, and it soon be-
came known that he had disappeared.
He might have gone into the Indian
Nation or beyond the pale of civiliza-
ton, but no one interested in his cap
ture could form the least idea where to
look for him. But the munifcent re-
ward awaiting the man who should
deliver Hardin to the authorities melted
the best men to engage in the hunt.
One of these was member of Lieu
tenant Halls Rangers, as they are called.
Texas, as may not generally be known,
is provided with hundred brave and
tried men, who constitute what may be
called her mounted police. They are
under the command of Lieutenant Hall,
and roam the State from one end to the
other of the settled portion, hunting
horse thieves, murderers and all Grim
inals that are wanted by the authorities
Lieutenant Hall is prepossessing young
man, of sandy complexion, and splen-
did rihe-shot. All his men have been
tried in the fire, and can be relied on.
1t was one of these that determined to
capture Hardin, and who went about it
in the only fashion that promised sue
cess. He went off bevond Austin, where
the father of young Hardin was running
a small rancho, and giving out that he
was hunting for similar property in the
same neighborhood, finally bought the
one Immediately adjoining that of the
retired preacher. This done, the officer,
as a pretended cattle-raiser, stocked it
and went to work.
Month after month he conducted him
felf in the regulation way and gradually
became quite intimate with the old gen
tleman. After tine days toll was over
they would sit together in front of one
Of the houses, smoking their pipes and
talking about everything that came into
tlntt mil l,n huH
John Wesley was never alluded to hy
either. They spent hours in this fash
ion, and at other times would gather in
the village store near by, which answered
as the post office, where they would join
in gossip and discussion while smoking
their pipes-in the manner SO popular
all through our country.
The months passed in this fashion, and
the summer was pretty well gone, when
one day the elder Hardin took letter
to the office TO mail. 1t was in a
crumpled, yellow envelope, and directed
in q scrawling hand. The detective
walked to the store with Hardin, who
carried the letter in his pocket, and he
made up his mind that it was intended
for his son, John Wesley. This was the
very clue for which the officer had been
waiting all these months, and this was
the first time he had seen the reverend
gentleman take letter to the office. 1t
was necessary to see the directions upon
the missive, and not only that, but he
must be sure that the discovery is made
without attracting the slightest suspicion
TO himself. He saw no chance to do
either while on the road.
Within the office, the Rev. Mr.. Hardin
brought three-cent stamp, solemnly
licked it and then pounded it upside
down on one corner Of the soiled enyel-
ope with his horny fist, and finally
passed it over to the village postmaster.
While he was engaged in this deliber-
ate proceeding the detective approached
the counter and asked the postmaster
for newspaper. The official turned tc
! look for it. The instant his face was
averted the officer glanced over the
shoulder of Hardin and read the super
scription on the envelope. He saw that
il was directed to Mr.. Samuel Jones,
of whom he had never heard, and whose
postoffice address was remote town in
Florida. 1t made no difference. The
| detective was convinced he had discoY-
cred the whereabouts Of John Wesley
Hardin, for whose capture such large
reward was waiting,
The conversation went on as usual
through the evening. The same parties
congregated after night, and the detect
i've and the Rev. Mr.. Hardin met and
smoked their pipes as before, while the
weeks and months passed by. Finally
Mr.. Hardin's neighbor said he guessed
he would take run up to Austin to see
about selling some Of his cattle. Ac-
cordingly he bade his friend good-by
for several days, mounted his mustang
and galloped of. He never stopped
travelling dispensing with his horse as
soon as possible-until he reached GER
tain remote town in Florida, where,
gotten up as an ordinary everyday
! iaborer, he took little tramp through
the surrounding country. He was for
tunate enough that day TO catch sight
Of the mythical parsonage at work in
! tha field of a farmer. One searching