The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-02-11

Texas Woman DeSpero00.
Maud Raynor, the desperate, is
ia Jail in this city for assault. She
is wanted in dozen places and bad
several complaints against her be-
fore the one on which she is now
held was lodged. She lived here
quietly until q woman who was Jeal-
Gus of her revealed her identity to
the police. As soon as she was an
object of suspicion she attacked her
enemy with a club and almost beat
her brains out. Maud Raynor has
been a notorious character in the
State, the Indian Territory and Kan
sas for several years. She gained
the title of the 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 home with a bowie knife or
a club as with a 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 appear
ance 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 feat
ures are small, her eyes steel gray
and her hair long and abundant.
In Jail to-day she was ravlng because
her keepers had taken away her pls-
tols and knives.
Il suppose Ill never see them
again." she said. "When you get
into one of these calabashes they al
ways help themselves to what you've
got, and whether you're sent up or
not they keep all that they steal.
III bet I've furnished half the Sher.
ifs in Texas and Kansas with good
weapons in the last five Years.
They don't get money enough to-
gether at one time to buy such
things, but they know just enough
to pinch them when they get a
chance"
Maud Raynor went through the
Indian Territory once with about a
regiment of Indians and whitemen
on her trail. She had been up at
ranch on the Arkansas river,where a
great many desperate characters were
congregated, and in a shooting atfray
Ia which she took a prominent part
the bartender was killed. Every
man swore that the woman was the
guilty party and she recklessly ad.
mitted it, though it is probable she
was tot the real offender. Some
friends of the murdered man came
along just to lynch her. Getting
wind of the programme, she stole a
horse and set out for Kansas, the
men following. Several Indians
Joined the pursuing party at various
places until finally there were about
hundred men on her trail. She
managed to elude them for several
DAYS and coming finally upon band
of chivalrous cowboys she made
them believe she was a prosecuted
innocent. Her new found friends
promptly agreed to defend bel
against all comers and when hel
pursuers came in sight they wert
met by a volley which brought then
TO a staEd. In the course of three ol
four days they concluded to aban
don the search.
The exploit of which she is proud
est occurred a year or more ago II
the Indian Territory. She had beer
up in Kansas on the war-path and
making her way back to Texas, hat
fallen in with a rough crowd o
plainsmen. One of them was maj
named Dutton. whom she had knOwr
many years before. In the cours
of an evening passed at rancho or
the cattle trail she had a quarre
with this fellow and, after some harsl
words, he rushed at her with knife
She was too quick for him. He hat
hardly got within striking distanc'
before she put bullet through hi
heart. As he jumped in the air ant
fell back dead his comrades made i
rush at the woman and would hav
| finished her then and there if one O
the men not taken her part in ha'
, mild sort of way. As they stopped Z
parley she made this proposition:
"I'll fight the whole pack of vol
one at time. | killed that maj
and Pm glad of it. l ought to hav
done it years ago"
One man went ont with her, AM
TIE two stepped off twenty PAGES
turned and fired. The man got
bullet in his shoulder and wante'
to quit. The woman was unhurl
Standing there resolutely she calle'
on the others for victim, but n
one stirred. Then she taunted then
and finally, when she found tina
they were not disposed to annoy he
further, she said:
Now I'm going to Texas, and
want an escort. How many of yo'
are going with me ?"
They all agreed to go but two, an,
to those two she addressed bersel
saying:
You're just the ones want to G
with me. and you've got to &C
too"
The others rather enjoyed tn
sport She never took her pistol OF
them for a minute They got he
horse out of the coral mounte
their ovn and at her command rod
In front other When she had drive
tharo ton or Fifteen r,ilas she mad