Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-07-05
Young 7aseott
\ Member OF a Gang Of South
Wost Dasaeradoes.
WHERE TIE TICIITAs LIVE
now the Hunted Man was Taken Into
Camp in Forest as rmpene.ra-
bic as the Everglades
of ,lorida.

+ KANSAS CITY, July ga Woodward,
I. T., correspondent Of the Times writes
that Happy Jack" alias Frank Weber,
hunted him up and recitsd the following
story:
Down near the north fork of the
Canadian, near the Oklahoma country,
Is where our gang stays. We've been
there for these five years past. There
are eighteen in all since left, and am
not going back. Diamond Dick left two
years ago and swore he would never
come back, but the next spring saw him
among US ready for business Texas Bill
went away to Sod City, in the Neutral
Strip, to start a saloon, and he Is the
only one who has yet left and did not re-
turn. Poor fellow, he was killed by
mere boy not a month ago, and susnect
he would have been with us again il he
had lived much longer. But there is one
there who won't leave. He has made it
his home and seems content Johnny
Tascott is u member OF the gang, and all
the detectives in the country could not
find him, and all the soldiers of the army
can't capture him, even when tell you
where he Is. We know there is big re-
wara for him; but he is good boy, and
was out rustling on the trail again In the
fore part of March. 1t was cold, snow
was on the ground, and the wind was
fierce and cutting. He role up to the
base of u cliff for shelter, and there, on
single blanket, close to smoldering
fire, laythe girlish locking face and form
of a young man sleeping He wore
travel-stained gray suit, and by his side
lay pearl handed revolver. 1t WAS Tas-
colt, AID at the first sound of mans
voice he sprang to his feet, nervously
clutching the weapon. Our man knew
at once that he was q hunted man. and
asked him to come to camp and get some-
thing to eat. His suspicious WAS soon
quelled-partly, perhaps, by his extreme
hQnger-and he consented He is there
now, as said, u member of the gang.
and as secure from earthly authorities as
If lie were In the bottom of the sea The
man who would dare deliver him would
be dismembered of every limb and his
trunk left to perish in the sun If it took
those men lifetime to catch him.
The camp-I will tell you where It is,
and the world may know it, but its safety
remains unimpaired, Down where the
Wichitas live, between the north and
south forks OF the Canadian, is a forest
glades of Florida Cottonwood, high
above the rest, with cedar and willow
and black jack and elm, growing close
together, are SO en.S ined and knitted
with grape vines that even the wild
range steer that sorays from his herd
never gets far from 0ne outer bounds.
In the center of this ;mperforate woods
are the three acres cleared as clear as
the prairie. Beneath the surface lie
twelve dugouts Of two or more rooms
each, ali connected by subterranean pas
sage-ways. At the northern edge in a
clump of cottonwoods, high above the
surrounding grove, is station for the
watch, and there in the daytime, sun
shine or storm, vigilant eye looks out
for intruders., This Is the camp 1t has
many conveniences that would surprise
an outsider, and is absolutely inaccessi.
BILE, except to the initiated
81 have heard Johnny tell his story
He killed Smell in self-defense, and staid
around Chicago till he was known to be
the man. He first went to New York,
from there to Cincinnati, thence to St.
Louis, and finally came to the territory.
While in New York he intended to sail
fcr Europe, but thinking himself safer
down here, changed his mind. 1t is a
good thing he happened to be picked up
by our crowd, for only few days after
ward sheriff's posse passed along and
would doubtless have taken him in. He
is crack pistol shot, knows lots OF ath
letic tricks, has become an expert horse
man, and is well liked by his compan-
ions. He will retain his present abode
till his crime is forgotten, and then
venture back to civilization, though not
to his old home"