Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-06-17
sTORy OF AN OUTLAW.
, nuIst Life After One Of Many
Crimes.
rSs Bold Leader Of a Gang Of Dss-
usradOss in kentucky.
. Remarkable Career as Counter
fsitsr, Thief asd Chief Of a |.
Band Of Cut Threats.

IE.3 vn 10 the window and asked
"" "%,s mail this morning. The expires.
10 ~ his face was almost ferOcious.
a. immense ROmaR nose bulged out
~, between 3 pair of small, keen,
.bi,isb-yrey, yiudFtiye eyes. a heavy
N.outb OF beard covered the lower part
= his face and partially concealed q
inrg deep scar which extended from
thelrft ear along the cheek and into
rho thick sensual lip, making the
mouth ragged and brutal in expression.
Long, matted, almost white hair grew
5n ~ head. His forehead was low
and retreating. He appeared to be
sIout sixty years old aud weighed not
-. thau three hundred pounds. His
Ir,ky form was clad in u loose-fitting
init Of homemade jeans. This man
uss old Jim BridgewaterS, the most
rn,sd and at one time one of the most
J1sn.rate characters in Kentucky.
An Outlaws Life.
E,.fnre the war he Was q weli-tO-do
t.ru.rr and was one of the most re.
.rrr,,d men in the country. But there
ma. a screw loose somewhere in his
r,rI life. For hardly had the rebell-
an broke out when suddenly the
l,,,ntry was flooded with finely eX-
s.rf,I counterfeit - bills. The best
IL. were deceived and business men
wrrr almost afraid TO received notes Of
inst denomination. IL was known for
mu.te while that the countertelters
L,d their headquarters in this locality,
INT the ShaTpCst detectives were unable
10 spot the exact place. Bridgewater
by.etn % spend money laviShly aud
.r,ulriun was fastened on him. De-
t,r',ve, followed him like his own
,hgIuw. one dark night a number of
O''i"..~
Raided His House.
They had been told by q trusty ally
r,t they would catch thier man max
in., counterfeit money when they went
i'm. ua the contrary, however, Bridge
waters was the first person to meet
them al the door, smiling and appar-
entity mUru surprised a. their visit.
Atrv long and close search 4 print
ipg press. dies, ink, paper and quantity
otr0uu,vrfeit money were discovered
ina concealed recess in she wall. OF
COu-,r he was arrested, bur week later
he broke out of Jail and escaped. Ii be-
came known aiteTward that lie had
Leeu letting large quantities OF counter
III, money from a man named Busch.
This fellow Busch was very remark
able individual in personal appearance
short, bow legged and hump-shOuld-
erpd-Lut he had most beautiful and
intellectual face and refined manners.
lie spoke French, Latin, Greek and
Hebrew. No one knew where he came
from. He buried himself in a cave in
the Mountains Of NayEe county and
did some Of the finest eouuterteitinS
ever known West. After Bridge
waters was arrested Busch became I'M
easy and suddenly left the country.
Hi- cavern home was afterwards
searched and quantity Of counter
G-i'ing material found. The rooms in
the place were elegantly furnished and
iudirAlvi the occupant to have been q
heron ut refinement.
HiddinE Defiance 60 Law.
Brigywatrr,' arrest for counterfeit
mgdr>trDyei uls previous good reputa-
ton. lie purchased a piece Of property
mtle toughest portion Of the county,
irltau immense log house on it, pierced
the walls with port holes, gathered a
number OF wild, ,awleSS men around
him and babe defiance TO the authOrl-
tie. In % few months farmers horses
lrsau % disappear. Horse stealing be-
came prevalent all over the State. Not
one Ui these nimhle-headed knights of
the road could De caught, but owners
would sometimes gothrOugh the noun
tauS To Tennessee or Northern Georgia
aud find theiI horses in the possession
of some reputable citizen. TIE last
owner could always prove that he pur-
chased the animal of some
Strangs Horse Trader
from Kentucky.
One day q man named Sloan was
hunting in thicket on Bridgewater5'
lace and thought he heard the drum
H. ng ola pheasant. Dropping on his
81 eeS, he cautiously worked his way
along in the direction of the sounds. In
y short time he came out into small
clearing, where, instead of a pheasant,
he saw several fine horses tied to the
trees. 1t was their impatient stamping
on the ground that he heard. Sloan
frOwned, then smiled and, glancing in
the direction Of Bridgewaters' house
walked AWAY. That night a number of
Officers crePC 70 the place aud arrested
Il nan named NcFerrin, who after
warts proved TO be one Of Bridgewaters'
man heuteuauts. The horses were
finally identified As the property of
citizens who lived i'm the centre Of the
state. The prisoner by some hook or
crook Of the law escaped the peniteuti-
AIRY.
ASyNtem of Night Relays.
The horse stealing went on as before.
Inc thieves became holder than ever.
ihe organized system of night re-
nays OF only few miles apart, extend
ing nom Northern kentucky through
tne mountains into Tennessee. The
tuecI OF this was 10 allow the man at
one station 10 ride the stolen horse
through 10 another place of conceal
EIeul anu get back to his own home be-
IoIy me next day, 50 that no suspicion
Sou.H De- attached to him. The plan
I"V'Neu IKE charm. \ man would
- q 4ior'e say, about Lexington. In
i;,", uASs Tue animal would be in some
60 o N1, '"''Sne-way town south of the
- ''i' veELanI Mountains and in the pos
h"u Oi IN unknown man. The
t io,Se was cneaP. Besides, it was war
m ,tN'S' "IeA men had easy Consciences.
GA rT'chs>er would ask no questions
anu tNe trader would wink, name 3
Nv, ~" LSure and the trade was consum-
ei aa.;u' Yet all along the line not a
s'e man would be missing from
nr Ulie day, and if arrested would
Eo'e without any trouble where he
SS S al the time the horse was stolen.
~ LILY ~ one Of the thieves, named Brad
NJ = teens'l, became too bold, and he
tb a' n ueIeeted and arrested. He ESCAPED
ue penitentiary, as usual, by the taiI
gearing Sg Of his confederates. The
s %orhings OF the nefarious traffic, how.
of@i;, Were so clearly exposed that its
''O" was Out matter of time.
M, A Band of aurderer~
tiy panied MED the second time in his ahor.
n te attempts st,l to get rich by unlawful
t Heshs and worried by legal T nrossc tu
mons D fSH which threatened states f Priso1
n ~ ahe end, Bridgewaters became e'S Don,
Pei psIa Ne The country, torn and co1G G1i-
never thickly settled at is best tb anu
sOa rs surface number ofept .tb Ssew
desrr rirSGOes and muIderers of the worst
B TiSnaSion These were added to "T the