Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-07
Horrible Snake Story.


desperately wicked men. Particularly
was this true of parts Of Missouri,
Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana,
and Texas. While the Confederate
troops had disbanded, and before the
Federals could occupy the country,
the guerilla and bushwhacker were
there. When law and order were in
a measure restored, these despera-
does were the last to yield, and many
Of them had to be hunted down ike
wolves and killed on sight. had a
district assigned to me along the st.
Francis River, Arkansas, and the
total strength Of my command was
twenty-eight men. With these L was
expected to protect the freedmen,
guard several plantations, scout
over all the roads, escort strangers,
Oyerawe a multitude of bad men,
ard maintain the dignity Of the re-
united United States.
In nay district, as I soon ascer-
tanned, were half a dozen of the worst
desperadoes in the West. All had be
longed to guerilla bands, and all had
refused to come in and surrender at
the close of the war. While they had
been ofnO earthly good to the Con
federacy as soldiers, they made a
great ado about the surren-
der, and were constant in
= - 10
the people against US. The meanest,
if not the worst man in my district,
was a Capt. Dade. He was In COM
mand Of a dozen outlaws for a couple
of weeks, and in that way got his
title. He had gathered five or six
bad men around him, and while pos
ing as a patriot who could never,
never surrender, he was rObbing right
and left and using his pistols against
everybody who offended him. 1 sent
Capt. Dade word to come in and sur
render. He sent me word to 90 to
--. notified him in writing that
ifEe did not come in by acertain date
l should declare him an outlaw in the
district, and proceed to hunt him
down and kill him. He replied by
word Of mouth that if did not sur
render to him on or before the same
date he would proceed to eXtermi-
naUe my command. 1 gave him ten
days as a matter of form, having not
the slightest hope that he would come
in. On the morning OF the eleventh
dayaI had a call from a native about
% years old, who announced himself
as DAN and who said he had called
on a little business matter. l sup
posed it to be about a permit or to
make complaint, but after a bit he
observed:
Captain them ten days ar up, an
1 reckon Bill Dade hain't shown him
self"
''NO, ne hasn't come in"
can he won't nuther."
81 don't expect he will"
'Wall, ar you gwine ter let him
an his gang keep up their hOOtin'
an shoOtin' an killin'?"
mo. Bill Dade and his gang are
LOW Outlawed by proclamation. I
am going to hunt them down and
wipe them out.
Fright off, Captain"
CAS- soon as I can arrange for it"
''YOu kin arrange right now, Cap
tain. That's what I'm yere fur.
How much a head if I wipe out the
Dade gang?"
Chow many are they"
''Just five, an every one of 'em has
committed murder an Wuss a dozen
times over"
''I can't offer a reward for their
heads. I have Outlawed them, and
the military authorities have the
right to shoot them on sight
At that moment word was brought
me that Dade's gang had come with
in two miles of headquarters and
murdered two of the command who
were stationed at a freedman's rem
I devious to preserve order. Dade
/ had sent me word by negro that
he proposed to wipe US out at the
rate of two a day until he had
/ reached the last man. Half an hour
later the man called Dan departed
I on his man hunt, and he had my
+ agreement in writing that neither
the law nor the military should
trouble him for shooting down
any Of the gang. As was after
ward proved before a court Ofinquiry
Dade had killed twenty three defence
less persons inside of several months,
and none of his men was far behind
his figures. My man knew just where
to look for the fiends, and as soon as
/ he could replenish his stock Of cart
/ ridges and pack up a luncheon he left
town. 1t was only after he had de
parted that 1 learned a bit of his his
tory. He lived down the river, and
/ had served with the regular COnfeder.
ate troops In the West. He had re
turned home to find that Dade' gang
had burned him out and so ill-treat
ed his wife that she soon died. He
+ at once began his work of vengeance