The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-13
HIGHW
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF
THE CAPTURE OF THE NO
T0RIOUS BARKER BROS.
The HerOism of Three Little Bows
Who Bring three From their
Saddles With ShOt-guns.

\
several other parties who were inter-
viewed yesterday, a STATESMAN repre-
sentative learns the particulars regard
ing the capture of the Barker Bros. in
Jack county,; and as the full facts have
never been published they will be read |
with great interest. a gentleman in |
Williamson county, whose name the |
parties interviewed could not call to |
mind, had several horses stolen. As |
they were exceedingly fine animals |
he offered large reward for the cap
ture of the thieves and the return of
the horses. He had a number of pos
tai cards printed, and these he circu-
lated broadcast over the entire state.
One of them
FELL INTO THE HANDS
! of Mr.. Williams who lived in Parker
| county who, was not an officer, but a
sharp, keen fellow, and he noted par
ticularly the description of the horses
given in this card. Some time after
wards he saw three men riding past
on horses which he recognized as the
Identical animals described in thecard
He at once determined to secure the
large reward offered for their capture
and mounting a steed he followed
them to Jacksboro, the county seat of
Jack county. He then notified officers
in the county whence the horses had
been stolen to come to Jacksboro ard
capture them. They came by first train
and the Barker Bros. were still at that
place when these officers arrived and
wholly unaware they were known and
about to be arrested. The officers
FOUND THEM IN THE POsT-oFFICE,
and coming upon them unawares,
succeeded in getting the drop on the
desperate men and demanded of them
to throw up their hands. But two OF
the men were in the post-office at this
time-the other being in the street and
being helpless, they complied with the
officers request and threw up their
hands, but in each they held a MUIR
derous looking six-shooter. Just
at this juncture the third
brother came galloping towards
the post office and the officers con-
cluded that it might be unhealthy in
that quarter for certain officers and
notwithstanding they had the drop on
their men these brave officers actually
jumped out the back door and ran,
thus permitting the horse thieves to
escape. The postmaster, who had
witnessed this strange comedy, con-
cluded to take up the work where the
officers
LEFT 1T
] and when the two men were mount
ing their horses he took down his
Winchester and just as they were
about to gallop away he fired at one of
them-the ball passing througha book
an inch, nearly, in thickness, then
striking rib followed it nearly half
around the body coming out be-
hind. Strange as it may appear, this
shot did not bring the desperate from
his saddle, but he galloped off with
his brothers down the street.
; THREE LITTLE BOYS,
the Oldest but thirteen years old, had
been out hunting that day with shot
guns, and were returning to Jacks
boro just as the post master firei.
These little fellows saw the postmas-
ter shoot, and hearing cries of stop
thief, settled down beside the road
with one knee on the ground and the
other up, on which they rested an ell
bow While they took aim. Their
shot guns were loaded with
NO. SIX SHOT,
but the little "kids" blazed away,
, taking aim at the heads of the1 ban
dts, and singular as it may ap-
pear, they brought every man
from his SADDLE to the ground. AS
they fell the brave little lads rushed up
to these desperate men and covering
; them with the other barrels of their
.. shot-guns, made them lie quiet until
men came to their assistance. Of
course the shot only stunned the men
and they speedily recoy cred from
their wounds. These criminals as
the readers of the STATESMAN
know, were tried in Jack county
for the horse stealing and sent
ten yeas to Huntsville. Then
they were brought to Austin
aud at the last term of the United
, States court tried for the highway
robbery of mail stage, and on this
charge Judge Turner sent them to
Huntsville for life-they being three
of the most desperate and reckless
men ever engaged in crime in the state
OF Texas. That they have cotton their
just deserts is due the bravery of the
three lads whose names THE STATES
MAN greatly regrets it is not able to
give, as none OF the parties seen could
remember them. Their conduct. to-
gether with that reported regarding
the officers and the circumstances of
the capture, sounds more like a ro-
nance than reality, and goes to prove
the old saw, that truth is oftimes
| STRANGER than fiction