The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-17
THE STORY OF AN OUTLAW.
A QUIET LIFE AFTER ONE OF CRIME.
The Leader OF n Gang OF Desperaooe' !"
Kensueky-A Remarkable Career as
Counterfeiter, Thief, and Chief
Of n Band OF Cut-Threafs.

VIZ alhNRI 80
nose bulged out from between q par OF
small, keen, whitish-gray, yindictive eyes
A heavy growth Of beard covered the low,
er part OF his face, and partially conceaieu
a long deep scar. which extended from the
left ear along the cheek and into the thick
sensual lips, making the mouth ragged ana
brutal i'm expression. Long, matted, al
most white hair grew on his head. HIS
forehead was low and retreating. lie ap-,
peared to be about sixty wears old, ana
weighed not less than three hundred
pounds. His bulky form was clad in a
loose-bttiDg suit OF homemade Jeans.
This man was old Jim Bridgewaters, the
most noted, and at n time the most des-
perate, character in Kentucky.
AN OUTLAWS LIPE.
BEFORE the war he wasa well-to-do- farm
er and was one Of the most respected men
ip the country. But there was q screw
loose somewhere in his moral nature. For
hardly had the rebellion broken out when
suddenly the country was flooded with
~inely-executed counterfeit IS bills. The
best Judges were deceived and business
men were almost afraid to receive notes OF
that denomination. IL was known Tor
quite awhile that the cOunterfeiters had
their headquarters in this locality, but the
sharpest detectives were unable TO spot the
exact place. Bridgewaters began to spend
none layishly and suspicion was fastened
on him. Detectives followed him like his
own shadow. One dark night number of
officers raided his house. They had been
told by a trusted ally that they would catch
their man making counterfeit money when
they went in. TN the contrary, however,
Bridgewaters was the first person to meet
them at the door, smiling and apparently
much surprised at their visit. After a long
and close search a small printing-press,
dies, INK, paper, and a quantity OF cOun
terfeit money were discovered in a con-
cealed recess in the wall. OF course he
was arrested, but a week later he broke out
OF Jail and escaped. Ii became knOwn af-
terward that he had been getting large
quantities OF counterfeit money from a
man named Busch.
Tbis fellow Busch was a very remarkable
individual in personal appearance-short.
b~ow-legged, and hump-shouldered-but he
had n most beautiful and intellectual face
and refined manners. He spoke French,
Latin, Greek. and Hebrew. No one knew
where he came from. He buried himself
In Il cave in the mountains OF Wayne cOun-
ty, and did some Of the finest cOunterfciting
ever known west. After ~Bridgcwaters
was arrested Busch became uneasy and
suddenly left the country. His cavern
home was afterwards searched and a guam
tity OF counterfeiting material found. The
rooms in the place were elegantly furnish
ed, and indicated the occupant to have been
a person OF refinement.
BIDDING DEFIANCE TO LAW.
Bridgewaters's arrest for cOuntcrfeiting
destroyed his previous good reputation.
He purchased a piece Of property in
the toughest portion Of the county, built
an immense log house on il, pierced the
walls with portfolios, gathered a number
of wild. lawless men around him. and babe
defiance 10 the authorities. In a few
months farmers horses began to disappear.
Horse-stelling became prevalent all owe
the State. Not one OF these nimble-heeled
knights Of the road could be caught, but
owners would sometimes 90 through the
mountains to Tennessee or Northern
Georgia and find their horses in the pos
session of some reputable citizen. The last
owner could always prove that he pur-
chased the animal Of some strange horse
trader from Kentucky. One day a man
named Sloan was hunting III a thicket on
Bridgewaters's place, and thought he
heard the drumming of a pheasant. Drop
ping on his knees, he cautiously worked
his way along in the direction Of the
sounds. In a short time he came out into
a small clearing, where, instead OF a phea-
SAINT, he saw several fine horses tied TO the
trees. II was their impatient stamping on
the ground that he heard. Sloan frOwned,
then smiled, and, glancIng in the direction
OF Bridgewaters's house, walked away.
That night 4 number OF officers crept to
the place and arrested a man named Nc
Perrin, who aiterward proved to be one OF
Bridgewaters's main lieutenants. The
horses were finally identified as the pro-
perry OF citizens who lived in the centre
Of the State. The prisoner by SOM hook
or crook of the law escaped the peniten-
tiary.
SYSTEM OF NIGHT RELAYS.
The DEMONSTRATING went on rs before.
The thieves became bOlder than ever. They
organized a system OF night relays, Of only
a few miles apart, extending from North
ern Kentucky through the mountains into
Tennessee. The effect OF this was to allow
the man at one station to ride the stolen
horse through TO another place OF conceal
ment and get back to his own home before
the next day, so that M suspicion could be
attached 10 him. The plan worked like q
charm. A man would lose a horse. say,
about Lexington. In few days the animal
would be in some little out-of-the-way
town south OF the Cumberland mountains
and in the possession Of an unknown man.
The horse was cheap. Besides, it was war
times, when men had easy consciences.
The purchaser would ask no questions, and
the trader would wink, name a low figure,
and the trade wa consummated. Yet all
along the line not a single man would be
missing from home a day, and il arrested
could prove without any trouble where he
was at the time the horse was stolen. FL
nally, n of the thieves. named Bradford
Henson, became TOO bold, and he was de-
tected and arrested. He escaped the peni-
Tertiary, as usual, by the tall swearing OF
his ~confederates. The workings OF the ne
farious traffic, however, were so clearly eX-
posed that its abolition was but a matter Of
time.
BAND OF %MURDERERs.
Bafled the second time i'm his abortiye
attempts to get rich by unlawful means,
and worried by legal prosecutions, which
threatened States prison in the end,
Bridgewaters became desperate. The
country, torn and convulsed by the two
cOntending armies, and never thickly set
tied at its best, threw upon its surface a
Of cut-thloats, despcradoes, and
murderers OF the worst description. These
were added to the B~TidgeWaterS paup Of
thieves, counterfeiters, and sharpers. From
an annoyance Bridgewaters now be-
a positive terror to the country. His
stronghold was anywhere in the mountain
businesses OF Eastern Kentucky. The man
seemed a very devil. Bloody and atrocious
were committed all over the
with startling rapidsty. II a
OF Bridgewaters's gang had a