The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-11-11
A Female Besperado.

n on the bottoms of the Tradewater riy
two families destined to most terrib
r ends--the Campbells. Reilly,
$ B., and Bud; and the Sullivan
Tom and bis sister Mary. Tn.
!. They were considered neither better NJ
d worse than those about them. They we
ignorant and rather shiftless, but so we
: many others in the neighborhood. Sool
), however, the country people rouu
about began to say strange things of IL
girl, Mary Sullivan. She was brigh
, quick girl OF 20. with light hair, ligl
. blue eyes, and little above the mediul
in height. Ne man for miles could on
r lift her. Win gun or pistol she was
. dead shot. On horseback there wasn't
t boy in the county who could ride faste
over rougher country, or who dared I
T commit half the daredevil pranks tha
Mary constantly delighted in. She rod
horse like a man. Mary had lost al
sense of girlish delicacy The effect G
ali this in quiet country neigh borhoo
can hardly be imagined. Mary Sullj
vans name became the by-word for al
that was infamous, and the staid countr
matrons lulled their babies to sleep witt
stories of the horrible Mary and he
midnight rides and crimes. Then ru
NOR turned to other things Mary wa
seen often with the Campbell boys, anl
once or twice she was seen with then
and her brother late at night, dashing al
her usual breakneck speed over ths
country roads.
About this tim. the most daring rob
berries began TO be committed in the
northern end of the county. Farmer,
| found their smoke houses open night
after night. Several stores were broken
INTO and robbed, and, strange to say, nc
one knew who committed the crime.
One old farmer began to talk very freely
saying he recognized Mary Sullivan at
the head of the Campbells breaking into
his smoke-house. A day or so after
| ward
sMARY GALLoPED UP TO HIS HOUSE,
Called him out and asked him what he
| meant by saying what he did. "Did you
see me and the Campbells at your smoke
house?" asked she. at the same time pull
ing big navy revolver and showing it
| under his nose. The old man stammered
out an apology, and was never afterward
heard to say word against the Camp
bells. Among the most bitter denoun
GERS of the gang was an old man named
Felkers, who lived few miles away
from them on the Tradewater. One
night, just three years ago, two men,
afterward discovered to be Tom Sullivan
and Reilly Campbell, rode up to old
man Felkers. took him and his old wife
out and beat them severely. They then
rode off. This affair caused the most in
tense excitement. A mob was hurriedly
organized and some forty men rode over
to the Campbells. Mary Sullivan had
In some way heard that they were com
ing several hours beforehand. Size and
her brother Tom went over to the little
log hut of the Campbells and barricaded
themselves. When the mob came up
they demanded the instant surrender of
the whole gang. Mary yelled out taunt-
lngly: Come and get US, you cowardly
dogsP Fire was opened by the mob,
and the Campbells.and Sullivans prompt
ly returned it. After little the be.
sleged made it so hot for the mob that it
bad to retire. The only man hurt in the
melee was Tom Sullivan, who was shot
In the breast, but who soon recovered.
The gang became more bold after this.
and robberies became more frequent.
At this time an event happened which
was destined to cause the entire destruc.
ton of the band. Mary Sullivan met
Crockett Jenkins. The meeting itself
was romantic enough to merit its being
told. Mary was riding along the Trade
water one spring day two years ago.
when she saw q man on the other side
to come over. The water was
deep, the little river had been raised by
frequent rains, and she yelled over to
him not to attempt to cross there. He
either did not hear her or paid no atten-
ton, for he plunged his horse in. The
current was too strong for the horse. and |
he soon threw his rider off and tried to |
save himself. Then, with his heavy win |
tor clothes on, Jenkins would most GER
tainly have been drowned but for Mary,s |
dashing into the stream with her horse |
and rescuing him at
THE PERIL OF HER LIFE.
She brought the man up to her brother
Toms to let him dry his clothes. A mu-
Lnal admiration soon Sprung up. which
quickly warmed into love. From that
time on Mary Sullivan and Crockett
Jenkins were warm lovers. Jenkins
who lived some miles away, moved over
20 Sullivan's, and the love of the two was
the talk ofthe county. From that time
on the gang had no more faithful follow
er than Crockett jenkins. About a
month ago, however, Crockett tired of
Mary, ard began paying his attentions
10 another woman. For some time Mary
vas ignorant of what was going on. bnt
when she heard of it her Jealous hate
vas terrible. st will kill Crockett Jen-
Iins if he dares to betray me-" she said
% more than one Ono p;rbt a1arA |
month ago, Mary accused Crockett of his
nfidelity. He laughed at her. She was
90 excited to get her pistol, but sprang
It his throat. A struggle followed, and
Nary would have strangled him then and
here but for interference. Crockett left
he house. Some time before this the
'and moved up from Tradewater Bottom
nd hired little grocery some four
alles away on public road leading to
'r1nceton. A day CT so after the fuss
'etween Mary and Crockett, a crowd of
nen from Princeton were riding by the
title grocery, all drinking quite freely.
Vhen one of the men in a moment OF
ecklessness fired off his pistol. The
;ampbells, thinking the mob was again
N them, rushed out of the grocery and
,egan firing. The men returned the
hots and galloped back into town. This
reated another tempest of excitement.
nd the next day mob was got together
Q exterminate the Campbells. The rob-
ing had continued without intermission
nd did much to infiame the people. The
ext night forty men armed to the teeth.
nth masks on their faces and hatred in
heir hearts, swept down the road toward
he little log cabin where the Campbells