The sun., 1885-06-07
FAMOUS jim COURTR1GHT.
A POLICE OFFTCER, a HERO, A STAGE
ROBBkR, AND MURDERER.

A POLICE OFFTCER, HERO, A STAGE
! ROBBER, AND A MURDERER.
Captured ~ the Rcrsers. Bss Released sy
Els 1.5OO Fort Wersh Frsesds-TAe Val.
usble Ftnd Uaaer Restaurant Table.
Fort WORTH, Tex, June 3-The dlfYlcult
feat Of establishing reputation in one part OF
the country as . thoroughly Trustworthy man.
an excellent poioo offlcer. and heroic defen-
der Of life. property. and virtue. and OF being
known in an adjacent Territory as murderer
thief. stage robber. and lawless rufflan has
been very successfully accomplished BY Jim
Courtrieht Of this city.
Before tho railroad was built to Fort Worth.
Courtright was elected City Marshal. and In
that capacity he became q terror to evil doors.
| While he held the ONCE the town was reasona-
bly, quiet. though he had to kill several 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 term out. he was
finally defeated through the treachery OF one Of
his deputies and the large number OF enemies
| that he had made among the criminals then
here. and he soon nfterward left for California.
Working In tho mines there for time. he
| eventually drifted into Now Mexico. whore he
speedily established q reputation as merci-
loss butcher. In one row In Silver City he
| killed four Mexicnns. and at many other places
he became involved In affrays more or less
| deadly. From stage robbing and other villalny
| he passed by easy stages into hiring himself
out Us an assassin. and after committing u par
| ticularly brutal crime Of the aforementioned
description he fed tho country. His last
offence In Now Moxico was the murder OF
two sheep herders In tho American valley who
wore in tho way OF tho COW men, and for which
It Is said that Courtright and his partner. ono
Mcintyre. received liberal reward.
Now Mexico becoming unsafe for them. they
returned to Texas about a yonr ago. Courtrght
coming hero and McIutyre going to Wichita
Falls. Courtrights welcome In Fort Worth was
n royal one. Everybody Of any standing or
tended him hearty greeting. and hints wero
thrown out that he would be made Marshal or
Sheriff as soon as 1t could DO arranged. In the
moan timo. prominent ctizens. intending to
keep him here made up u pool and agreed to
pay him certain sum for watching their
into some sort OF an Arrangement with him.
DO had the run OF the town. and no one here
s smrsa and II % s
effect thai n CourtrEht and MSIntXre had been
their extradition. CourtrlRht affected to laugh
at these reports. stating that they would
OF the fact Tint while he was guarding II valu-
able pile OF silver ore one night at Silver City
robGsry % and that he had kIed them 0n' In the he
lime Of dS1 this
the rumors down as base slanders. and 1t was
generally agreed that no power on earth could
ings that wore so plainly justinabie., '0 saw
Although there were frequent hints that
tinued his career as private watch ms n and the
lion OF the town until last October. when party
chance. and proceeded to make themselves at
home. COPYRIGHT had been Ranger before
o dny sa
SSa is JSss at dHsE tEs is5 q
Given signal covered him ''' with s6u .hsisr IL :
Governor Of Texas issued on the reanisition on
the fact became known on tho street the most
| prodigiOus excitement prevailed. and 1t In
Ss sy Th Hs1 s n0a aOa Nearly IN
was surrounded by 1.50O bowling citizens. all
demandipg CourtriGht's release; and threaten.
to leave tho building, All night long the up
cont barely an bsnf II
appeared at window and hold ine % up / bis
manac!ed hands: was greeted with a roar Of
just as tho mob was on tho point OF making
rush at the hotel. the Sheriff appeared on tho
corpus had been taken out. and TINT tho Rang;
ers had agreed to respect II. This Gained
the psoner S1%s sh e Spirited swa
Ing tho hotel, 4 platform was, improvisei in
the street. and from this stand various ANA
teur orators held forth until daylight. .denounc-
ing the Goyernor. the Rangers and the New
that Courtright had simply dono his duty In
New Mexico. that his only offence was the kill
Texas state ofeors had been bsibed is BY the e
Mexican banditti. who wanted to get possess
q for the Of
oeers 'hs o Mofh Fl @ @ city
ns that as soon as they did So Courtriehi would
be taken to tho Jail for safe keeping. and they
away. Courtrght himselfwns called for. and
as he came out .i With hi; canking Tx chains there
was ieaiening. and 50 long contin, ned that he
could not make himsef heard for some
minutes., When silence was restored he urged
| thom to disperse. and promised to meet them
Attorney spoke TO tho same effect. assuring the
CouItrGht was in the hands OF his friends.
How many hangers are there p yelled one;
there are So Fors @Srh horo s Ms
then tske the rops on him. 1d 1%lsd
| take care Of himself" chimed IN another.
| While inis speech was IN progress Courtright
was slipped out OF u side door ~" ..n'" an ON c.nns
and was driven rapidly to the Jail the mob fol-
loving lev, good goo natnredlE , and promising to see
| In tho street continued undmin isled, and on
the demand Of the populace COPYRIGHT was
rGm ,ho a S to get
| without particular incident. except that per-
| haps thousand mon followed the prisoner to
wh 10 he ate. At supper time the crowd
| had Increased and among tho leaders there
were hints that something unlocked for was
| to happon. Courtright entered tho restaurant
WITHOUT irons accomEanied by two hangers
sat at one table. About fifty men crowded into
the room. and the street outsids was blocked.
When the meal was about half finished Court
don't ten or twenty men crowded still closer to