Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-09-05
ABILENE.
How De Holland-Dayls Shooting ADalr
IS Regarded by the Citizens
Of Abilene.
Marshal HiIrs Bond Tnied Rns' Promiss,
OF Aid for Holland wbea ~ Can
he Afforded Him.
Special to Tho Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
ABnESE, TEX, Sept. Ain dispatch
10 TiE GAzErrE last night regarding the
Iiolland-Dayis killing AFFAIR In Ncv' York,
IL stated that public opinion here was set
tling down TO the conviction that Holland
and our city marshal, IIlll, had gone to
that place TO catch counterfeiter and
swindlcr and secure the government re-
ward. The following card confirms this;
TO raE ruBIc
u having been rnmered on the streets OF ADl.
lcDc the purpose OFF. r IIil IN visiting New
York was inegltimntc, and with q view OF spec
ulatlng in counterfeit money tn undersigned.
who were acquainted with the object Of Mr..
Iill's visit in said city. hereby Flform the pub.
lic and Mr.. Jiill'e friends that they need not
suffer any uncnslness on account OF said rum0r.
We know that Mr. Hills object In going To
New York was legitimate, and for the purpose
81 hrlngiuga notorious hand Of robbers, who
had been preying on the citizens Of Texas, TO
Justice He was acting In connection with one
of che niort Trustworthy detective agencies ip
the Inlted states, and had he succcedcd In &c
completing his object Brott good would have
When the proper time comes the entire mat
ter Will be laid before the public, who VIII then
rec that no Improper motive r. To be attributed
40 Mr. Hill IN the meantime. for bis own pro-
lection. the detail must be withheld In order
that they may be OF greater assistance TO him
IN Tie difficulties that now surround him Re
spcotfully, IH1s, ". WILLIS,
n. Il. LEGErr.
j. u. MERCHANT.
The first two slgncrs 10 this card are
prominent lawyers here and Mr. Merchant
j. a wealthy stock man, brother of Mr..
e. w. Merchant, president Of our First
National bank. SO the mystery l. fully
solved at last 1t appears that the sooun-
drel Davis had addressed letters toseyeral
parties in Abilene proposing 20 sch them
counterfeit currency, so skillfufiy eSccut-
ed a. TO defy experts for one-flfth the
amount In genuine bills. one of these
letters fell into the hands Of Holland and
be, taking the advice OF others, concocted
scheme 10 take the scoundrcl in. our
city marshal was admitted
3nio the scheme. They wrote
10 Davis, asking for sample of
iIis "quecr," and in response he sent
them couple OF bills which were shown
10 the banks here and pronounced genu-
inc. On this Holland and Hill wrote 10
Davis Offering TO take large amount OF
his counterfeit, aud asking him TO meet
them with his merchandise at some point
in Texas. To this the willy scoundrel re-
piled that his business demanded his con-
stani presence In New York, and that II
they wished 10 trade they must come TO
him, advising them what hotel TO stop at,
etc, etc.
Holland aud Hin therefore set out, with
no intention in the world but 10 make
clear case against the villain, thus cap
ture him and secure the government re-
ward They evidently thought they had
soft thing for divide OF some $4,000 be-
tween them, besides the great pride and
pleasure they would feel IN nabbing so
notorious scoundrcl and thief 1t Is II I
pity their exploit ended so differently
from what their rosy imagination pic
tured. They mounted up TO the seventh
heaven, In their rosy Imagination, and
then "fell on daddy's wood-pllc.n 4
dungeon and u gricyous loss Of money as
a reward for their romantic and virtuous
venture!
It is strange that they, being untrayelcd
and unsophisticatcd village youths, could
have believed that they were a match for
that New York rascal. Both they and
their advisers made had miss. How
ever, they have rid the world of very
rpvenous and destructive vol, whose bust
ness II was TO prey upon and devour very
stupid sheep-whom, like the poor, as 1t
seems, we shall always have with us
Tho solving OF the mystery has caused
a total change of feeling here as respects
lioland-as many thought that he might
he engaged in some illgitlmatc job, Now
il is all sympathy for Him, aud he win
have lots OF friends with him IN his
trouble, who VIII stand by him and see
that no great harm beiall him. lie will
be defended by the best talent, and at
least one ofour lawyers will 10 on TO help.
As for Marshal Hill, nobody here ever
suspected for one moment that he had
any bad thing in view. His bond IL al.
ready fixed, and he win be released from
custody to-day or tomorrow.