The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-05-14
A WOMAN DESPERATE.
She Makes Even Cowboys Dance.
An Abilene. Texas. dispatch saws:

Is IN jail In THIS city Tor assault. She Ii
wanted in dozen places, and had several
complaints against her before the one on
which she is now held was lodged. She
lived here quietly until woman who was
jealous of her revealed her identity to the
police. AS soon as she found that she
was an object of suspicion she attacked
her enemy with club and almost beat
her brains out. Maud Raynor has been
a notorious character in this State, the
Indian Territory and Kansas for several
years. She gained the title of a woman
desperate by reason of her recklessness
of human life and her fondness for fights
She goes armed to the teeth, shoots with
unerring aim, and is quite as much at
revolver. She has managed to escape
arrest hitherto by reason Of the fact that
all manner of stories concerning her have
been in circulation, and her actual ap.
pearance is very different from the idea
which the people generally have formed
OF her. She is Of compact frame, and
about medium height, with a graceful
carriage. Her features are small, her
eyes steel gray, and her hair long and
abundant In Jail to-day she was rsving
because her keepers had taken away her
pistols and knives
" suppose I'll never see them again."
said said. "When you get into one OF
these calabashes they always help til en-
selves to what you've got, and whether
you're sent up or not they keep all that
they steal. Pll bet I've furnished half
the Sherffs in Texas and Kansas with
good weapons in the last five years. They
don't get money enough together at one
just enough to pinch them when they get
chance. | played it on detective up
here in Panhandle once. He had been
following me for about a month, and
finally when he got me he took two guns
and three knives away from me. | saw
his eye bung out as he looked at them,
and | says to him:
"' You'll be we'll heeled now, won't
you?'
He pretended he didn't care any
thing about the weapons, and showed me
some of his old firecracker pistols, and
wanted me to admire them. | told him
one OF my guns was worth bag full of
his, and after getting him little excited
grabbed one of my weapons to show it
to him. pointed out several of the good
points, and then turning it on him
said:
GO want to see your heels right lively
now
He thought was fooing for a second,
but when the pistol clicked he knew it
was business. Then he backed off, and
wanted to trade with me- had his guns
and mine, too, and | told him | wasn't
trading. Just to hurry him up little
sent a bullet mighty close to his ear, and
moment later as he was edging off put
another one near enough to his other ear
to SINCE his hair. Such running you never
saw. | watched him out of sight. Then
took his guns and threw them in the
river. | wouldn't have been found dead
with them on me-"
Maud Raynor went through the Indian
Territory once with about regiment of
Indians and white men on her trail She
had been at ranch on the Arkansas
river, where great many desperate
characters were congregated, and in
shooting affray in which she took prom
inent part the bartender was killed.
Every man swore that the woman was
the guilty party, and she recklessty ad-
mltted it, though it is probable she was
not the real offender Some friends of
the murdered man came along just then,
and organized to lynch her. Getting
wind OF the programme, she stole horse
and set out for Kansas, the men follow
ing. Several Indians Joined the pursuing
party at various places, until finally there
were about one hundred men on her
trail. She managed to elude them for
several days, and coming finally upon a
band of chivalrous cowboys she made
them believe that she was a prosecuted
innocent. Her new-found friends prompt
ly agreed to defend her against all com
ers, and when her pursuers came in sight
they were met by volley which brought
them to stand. In the course of three
or four days they concluded to abandon
the search.
The exploit of which she is proudest oc-
Cured a year or more ago in the Indian
Territory. She had been up in Kansa as
on the warpath, and making her way
back to Texas had fallen in with a rough
crowd of plainsmen. One of these was a
man named Dutton, whom she had known
many years before. In the course of an
evening passed at ranch on the cattle
trail she had quarrel with this fellow,
and after some harsh words he rushed at
her with knife. She was too quick for
him. He had hardly got within striking
distance before she put a bullet through
his heart. AS he jumped in the air and
fell back dead his comrades made rush
at the woman, and wonld have finished
her then and there if one of the men had
not taken her part in mild sort Of way.
AS they stopped to parley, she made this
proposition:
"I'll fight the whole pack of you, one
at time. l killed that man, and Pm
glad of it. l ought to have done it years
ago"
One man went out with her, and the
two stepped off twenty PAGES, turned and
fred. The man got bullet in his shoul.
der, and wanted to quit. The woman
was unhurt. Standing there resolutely
she called on the others for victim, but
no one stirred. Then she taunted them
and finally, when she found that they
were not disposed to annoy her further
she said:
"Now Pm going to Texas, and want
IN escort. How many of you are going
with me p
They all agreed to go but two, and
to those two she addressed herself, say
ing: