Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-07
COUNTERFETTERs CAUGHT.
A Rendezvous in Van Buren,
County, Ark, Raided by OFF,
GERS In the United States Secret
Service.
Little Rock Gazaitn. 6.


Probably the very worst part of
Arkansaw, the part most sought by
refugees from justice, from murderer
to horse thief, is the gulf" of Van
Buren, county. 1t is q VIGOROUSLY in
famous neighborhood, and it is said
that once on time, when one of the
desperadoes was out in civilization he
unwittingly acknowledged to an officer
that the clan up there were all good
~ men except one family, and that
they could hardly control the head of
the family. By this remark it was
meant that they would lie, steal,
swear, and if necessary commit muir
der for each other. When ''gulfte"
got into trouble some of the brethren
would invariably swear him out
or furnish the material for an
alibi. The location of the gulf"
Is In the western part Of Van
Buren, county, in the headwaters
OF Little Red river and Illinois bayou.
The whole face Of the country is cut
and serried by mountain streams until
1t presents a very broken and rough
appearance. The farms are small.
The gulf proper extends along the
south fork Of the Little Red, probably
TOR twenty or twenty-five miles, and
the bluff is almost perpendicular on
either side. Those of the convicts
who murdered the foreman near Hell
ena and escaped, q few months since,
sought refuge and obtained it in the
guilt. Murderers and horse thieves
Invariably go there until they can
make their way to the Indian country.
The officers are of the opinion that
hardly man could be arrested there
amiss. A few months since a new
species Of outlawry began to be traced
directly to the "gul6tes shat Of
ceunterfeiters.
The blood hounds of the United
States secret service we're turned loose
upon the trail, and being ably assisted
BY George h. Bentley, the deputy
United States Marshal, of Morrilton,
they were eminently successful. The
spurious coin consisted mainly of dol
lars and half dollars, and was found
in more or less abundance in Van
Buren,, Pope, Logan, and Conway
counties The officers obtained the
first clue in Logan county, and so we'll
did they handle the case that the
makers, dealers and showers of the
queer are all now in prison. They
were brought in yesterday by Sheriff
L. Sleeper, Officer Bentley and j. r.
Faucet, who assisted in guarding, all
of Conway county. The prisoners
consisted Of Reese Fitzpatrick, Thomas
franklin, John Dilbeck, James Sands
and j. A. Powell.
On arriving in Little Rock they
were Immediately taken before the
Federal authorities, and transferred
thence for safe keeping to the peni-
Tertiary. A more villainous looking
gang OF rufians were never brought
to this city.
The Gazette reporter recognized
among the prisoners Fitzpatrick and
Franklin. They are OF the gang ar
rested a year or two since for assassi-
mating old man Sweden, of the gulf
neighhorhood, but it was found i'm.
possible to convict them. Much
credit is due brave Bentley and the
secret service of the general govern,
ment for capturing this gang, Two
or three more raids OF this sort into
the gulf" will rob it of its terrors and
deprive it of its outlaws. Let the good
work go on,