Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-09
FAMOUS JIM COPYRIGHT.

A Police officer, a Hero, a Stage-ROb-
Der, and q Murderer-Capturedb by
Rangers. but Released by His 500
Fort Worth Friends.
New York Sun.
The difficult feat of establishing
reputation in one part of the country
as thoroughly trustworthy man, an
excellent police officer, and a heroic
defender of life, property, and virtue,
and of being known In an adjacent
territory as a murderer, thief, stage~
robber. and lawless ruffian, writes q
Fort Worth, Tex, correspondent of
the Sun, has been very success sfully
accomplished by Jim COPYRIGHT of
this city.
Before the railroad was built to Fort
Worth, COPYRIGHT was elected city
marshal, and in that capacity he be-
came terror to evil-doers. While
he held the office the town was reason
ably quiet, though he had to kill sev>
eral men before his authority was
respected. On one occasion he saved
another officers life at the risk of his
own, and for long tIme after that he
had everything his own way. After
being reelected and serving his time
out, he was finally defeated through
the treachery of one OF his deputies
and the large number of enemies he
had made among the criminals here,
and he soon afterward left for Cali
fornia. Working in the mines there
for time, he eventually drifted into
New Mexico, where he speedily estap-
Iished reputation as a naerciless
L,,4 t., Gill;. N;+-~
ne killed four Mexicans, and at many
other places he became involved in
ARRAYS more or less deadly. From
stage-robbing and other villainy he
passed by easy stages into hiring him
self out as an assassin, and commit
ting a particularly brutal crime of the
aforementioned description he fled the
country. His last offense In New
Mexico was the murder of two Sheep
herders in the American valley who
were in the way of the cowmen, and
for which it is said that COPYRIGHT
and one Mcintyre, received liberal
reward.
New Mexico becoming unsafe for
them, they returned to Texas about a
year ago, COPYRIGHT coming here and
Mcintyre going to Wichita Falls.
Courtright's welcome in Fort Worth
was a royal one. Everybody of any
standing extended him hearty greet
ing, and hints were thrown out that
he would be madesmarsnal or sheriff
as soon as it could be arranged. In
the meantime, prominent citizens, in
tending to keep him here, made up
pool and agreeing to pay
him a certain sum for watching their
stores at night, and the bankers also
entered into some sort of an arrange
ment with him. He had the run of
the town and no one here was more
admired and trusted. Ia the course
of time rumors gained currency to the
effect that COPYRIGHT and Mcintyre
had been guilty of several murders
ia the west, and that the authorities
of New Mexico were bent on their ex-
tradition COPYRIGHT affected to laugh
at these reports stating that they
would amount 10 nothing, and that
they all grew out of the fact that
while ne was guarding O. valuable
pie Of silver ore one night at Silver
City he was attacked by a lot of
Mexicans bent on robbery, and that
he had killed them IN the line of duty.
As this performance correspohdeo
perfectly with his achievements and
reputation when In Office here, every
body sat the rumors down as base
ISLANDERS, and it was generally agreed
that no power on earth could take
him away from here to be tried for
shooting that was SO plainly iustif-
able
Although there were frequent hits
that something was IN the wind,
COPYRIGHT continued his career as
private Waterman and the lion Of the
town until last October, when party
of five state rangers arrived here evi-
IDENTIFY by chance, and proceeded to
make themselves at home, Court
right had been q ranger before his
career here opened, and he naturally
sought out his Old companions, and
for a day or two he and they were
busy in recalling old scenes and ex
periences Just at dusk on the 18th
of October the rangers got COPYRIGHT
into private room at hotel and at a
given signal covered him with their
revolvers and made him a prisoner,
showing as their authority a warrant
from the governor of Texas, issued on
the requlSition Of the governor Of
New Mexico. As soon as the fact be-
came known on the streets the most
prodigious excitement prevailed, and
it increased with every hour. Nearly
every man IN the city got arms, and
by 9 o'clock the hotel was surrounded
by /, 500 bowling citizeGs, all demand
ing Courtrght's release, ana threaten
ing the rangers with death if they I'M
dertook to leave the building. All
night long the uproar continued,
hardly an eye being closed ia the
whole city. Toward midnight Court
right appeared at window, and
holding up his manacled hands, was
greeted with a roar Of sympathetic
cries.
Just as the mob was on the point of
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