St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-16
DESPERATE wHIsKY-TRADER
His Pursuit and Capture by a
Nervy COOl.H eaded Detective

A Canadian officer at Calgary, n. W.
T., tells New York Post correspond
ent this story Of an adventure with
desperate whisky-trader: 81 have had
some close calls with whisky-traders in
my time, and STILL" he added, medita-
lively, 81 never had to shoot one yet"
After moments pause he continued:
Zone of the most desperate men | ever
arrested for having whisky in his pos
session was Blank. 1t was in the fall
of 1886, just a little over a year ago.
He had four-in-hand load of whisky,
gin and brandy that he was running
across, and he and his partner were
both riding in the wagon, Blank having
no saddle-hOrSe. This cargo was all he
possessed in the world, and he knew
that if he was caught he could not pay
fine of $500, for this was his second
Offense, and, of course, his four horses,
wagon and liquor would be confis-
Gated. When | first caught sight
of them they were about three
miles off, and [ at once rode towards
them to see who they were. AS soon as
they saw that l was after them they
whipped up their horses to gallop, but
my horse was fresh and fast runner,
and before they had gone far it was
plain to see that 1 was gaining fast or
them. AS soon as Blank saw this he
stopped, cut off the leaders, and, mount
ing one of them, galloped off: but by
this time was within half mile of the
wagon.
when rode up alongside saw at a
glance that it contained whisky, and
also that the man who remained with it
was not its owner. l dismOunted and
made him my prisoner, telling him to
remain there with the wagon until re-
turned. Look here, stranger, said he,
don't follow that man, he won't be
taken alive. He is armed with Win
chester and a Colts revolver, and to
prove to you that he won't be taken
alive I'll tell you who it is. It's
Blank
"'That's the very man WANT said I.
jumped on my horse and put the spurs
to him and rode after Blank. l caught
up to him about half a mile further on
in coulee, where he had dismounted
and was trying to hide. l galIoped up
to him so fast, and pulled up so quiet,
that in stepping back to avoid my horse
he caught bis heel on the ground and
fell. Before he could regain his feet l
had dismOunted and covered him with
my revolver. He Sprang to his feet and
tried to draw his. l laid my hand on
his shoulder, telling him that he was
my prisoner, at the same time holding
my revolver close to his head. By this
time he had his partly drawn, and seeing
this 1pressed the trigger until the ham,
mer of my Seif-cOcker was as far back
as it could go without swapping. He
told me to shoot and be, and at the
same time sprang forward so that the
barrel OF my pistol caught him on the
temple, tearing deep cash back into
his scalp about six inches long. This
partly stunned him. but in two or three
seconds he recovered
"HiS revolver was a Colts IS single-ac-
ton, and therefore required to be cooked
before it could be fired. BY this time it
was drawn, and he attempted to cock
it. l caught hold of the hand in which
he held it and turned it to one side, and
at the same time told him that would
count ten, and If he did not drop his
pistol when the number was counted 1
would blow out his brains. He called
out, BLOW away l counted up to nine,
and pressed the trigger so that the
hammer rose, and on seeing this he
dropped his weapon and gave himself
up. / got him mounted on his horse and
brought him back to the wagon. Every
thing there was as had left it, but the
prisoner who had been there was gone,
and did blame him for going.
"Of all the men | ever arrested this
was one of the most desperate. If I had
given him the least chance he would
have shot me. On the other hand had 1
been i'll the least excited l should have
shot him. But am not of an excitable
nature, and besides never want to take
away that which L can never return"
"Well, yes" said 1, II think good
many men would have lost their heads
under such circumstances and pulled
the trigger"
Il suppose some might have done so.'
said Simmons, as he scratched match
to light his pipe, which had gone out
while he was talking. Then he added
thoughtfully: 'What puzzles me most
is that when he ran with such force
against my revolver when my finger
was pressed against the trigger it didn't
go OFF and shoot him.