New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-06-10
hour and a hal. possibly willie he.st.En.

|; oQG1 reQuBsS, Involving. no SerV1De.
or trouble on my part, was. not easily
refused to q man who had just furnished
me with goodi dinner: [ assented,
mad@my self comfortable before the fire
in, the shanty,, for the night was rather
chilly; and Immediately Fairbanks. ac-
conpanied by the sqnaw,- set off on foot.
An hour passed, perhaps more; night
had fallen, and it was quite dark out
side, the moon not having risen yet I
hal hitfhed up my mules, to tree out
side, when my, ear caught the gallon, of
horses feet coming moraentarily nearer,
evidently a Numerous party. "It's Far
banks friends," I thought to myself,
getting up and walking to the: open
door.
There, by the wavering reflections
cast out from the wood-fre in the fire.
place inside, saw ten or eleven men on
horseback facing me, each with revol-
yer pointed straight at my head.
"Throw up your hands!" cried stern
voice from behind one of the pistols
I obeyea instinctively, resistance was
out of the question !; I had, concluded,
fallen INTO the clutches of road-agents.
"We've unpleasant business with you
my FRIEND" the leader continued. "You
probably know what's coming-since
you've paid no heed to our warning;;"
and he pointed to the placard on the
tree by the shanty.
I utterly failed to understand, or
gain so much as hint Of Their mean
ing Even as the leader spoke, they
all sprang off their horses, which two Of
their number took to hold; two others,
stepping determinedly forward, seized
me by my appraised arms, one on each
side, while the fifth, whipping lariat
from beneath his coat, threw moose
over my head which drew rather un-
comfortably tight and held so.
Inow saw that it was case of pro-
spective lynching, and that I was prob
ably mistaken for some other man.
Fairbanks. most likely. Immediately
and most vigorously demonstrated with
/ them. ~
"Whom do you take me for?" I ex-
claimed with great heat. "What are
you hanging me for?" etc.
"Forwardw the leader ordered; and
in the midst of my remonstrant out
cries, I was forced along, out through
the willows to the trail and thence on
ward to crag beside it, where two &C.
dars grew, overhanging the path below.
My shouts, my frantic denials of hav-
ing been guilty of any crime, anil my
vehement assertions that my name was
not Fairbanks, made not the least i'm
preston on my captors, and were re-
ceived with nothing more than an in
credulous laugh.
The leader now spoke again. Gal
Fairbanks, alias Henry Dothan, alias
Charles Campbell" he said slowly, i'm
placably, eve know all about you. Mon
tana's no further use for We. We gave
you fair chance; and if you had been
disposed to be decent man, none of
your old record would have been dug up,
though you were double-dyed criminal
when you came here. You robbed
sluices at Deadwood and Silver Gulch.
We knew all about ye when ye first
came here. But we gave you chance
for yourself. You would go on the old
road though. Last week you broke in
to camp at Bannock; and not month
ago, you shot and robbed a miner not
two miles from here. Fact, we've let
you run altogether too long. If you've
any remarks to make, we'll listen-twc
minutes"
Again protested that was not the
man, that my name was Stuart, that /
had but just arrived at Fairbanks cabin )
and for a moment or two I hoped that
my frantic asseverations had produced
some effect. The leader took a lantern
which one of the party carried and held
it close to my face. They looked at me
searchingly.
'sTh1s is Fairbanks fast enough!" one
said; the others agreed with him.
Don't waste your breath in use
less lies about yourself" said the leader
of the committee.
l thought Of home, and of my sister,
the only living relative whom now
had. "f you will murder me-" I ex-
claimed, "send my watch and my pock-
et-book to my sister. Miss T. r. s.,
Pennsylvania"
"Give that address again, please"
said the leader, taking out notebook
and pencil. l repeated it and he wrote
it down, saying, Cali right; they shall
go as you direct"
While he spoke two others of the
party seized my arms. Suddenly they
stopped and spoke to the leader, who
stood in front of me. He went round:
I felt that they were examining my
wrists. But Thy?
wv. S. on both of them" one said.
Then 1 recollected the initials on nv
wrists, in Indian ink, with which, when
boy at school, had been pricked on
each arm. and along with them an
anchor.
"Those are my initials-for William
Stuart!" Iexclaimed. "Thev were put
there years ago. That is my name.''
1T is just possible" the leader said
to the others. eve will keep him till
tomorrow.
Forthwith was hurried back to the
shanty, mounted on horse and thence
taken, closely guarded, across the coun-
try, by moonlight. to Bannock City.