Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-03-14

dicament He knew that in q court of
justice he would be able to establish
his innocence, but there was little hope
of doing so before q tribunal of the
vigilantes. He had no time to spare.
and in another moment he was running
at full speed in the direction of his
home. He entered hastily, strapped
his pistol case around him slung a
rifle over his shoulder and rushed to
the stable, where he threw the saddle
on the back of his favorite horse, a
large and powerful bay animal. and
started of for the hills beyond the
city.
He had escaped none too soon, for
hardly had the sound of his horses
hoofs died away in the distance when
six mounted men drew rein in front OF
the house, half of them alighted. and.
entering unceremonieusly, made a
hasty but thorough search. The stable
was visited It held but one horse
and Neumann was known to have two.
Nothing now remained but to catch
him and bring him back; SO away
dashed the six horsemen toward the
hills beyond the city.
The pursued man had the advantage
of nearly hal: an hours start and
superior animal; the pursuers had
the advantage of superior numbers,
such power as was vested in them by
their own organization, and the
knowledge that there was practically
but one exit from the city for q
mounted fugitive.
At noon on the following day Neu.
mann was travelling along rude
roadway ON an open plain. Presently
he heard the sound of horses hoofs,
and turning in his saddle, saw two
mounted men at a considerable dis
tance behind. riding rapidly toward
him. He started his horse off at
gallop, and then desperate race be-
gan. His animal was in fair form
despite his ride of the preceding day.
and he was thus able to keep well
ahead of his pursuers, though he
seemed unable to gain on them.
For more than an hour the race,
continued and the hunted man was UNI
able to distance his pursuers. The
vigilantes had changed their animals
since starting. and slowly but surely
they kept gaining on Neumann.
He was almost on the crest Of a
mound in the road when rifle ball
whizzed past him. He drew rein,
turned around, and fired at one of the
vigilante's horses. The ball struck
the animal, which fell, carrying, his
rider with him. Then Neumann
started off again.
The other vigilante raised his weap-
on and fired shot, but it missed. It
was evident that he could not hit his
mark while his horse was travelling at
such speed. SO, refining in his ami
NAL. he took aim and fired just as Neu-
mann was disappearing over the crest
of Il mound. His faithful animal STUN
bled; then with a cry of pain sank to
the earth. Neumann jumped to his
feet and, running back to where he
could get a good aim at his remaining
mounted pursuer, he fired again, and
once more horse and rider rolled in the
dust.
1t was now useless to attempt to es-
cape. There were but two things for
Neumann to do-either to kill his pur-
suers or to give himself up. He did
not care to shed human blood if he
could avoid it, and the fact that his
pursuers had thus far spared his life
led to the hope that after all, the vig-
ilantes had some doubt of his guilt.
He lay upon the ground and waited
until the foremost man had ap-
preached to within about two hundred
yards distance, when he suddenly
arose and. with folded arms, stood
looking calmly at his pursuer. Quick
ly raising the rifle to his shoulder. the
vigilante took deliberate aim at Neu-
mann. then held the weapon there as
If hesitating.
Neumann did not move. The vigil
lante ordered him to surrender, and
the other replied that he would do so
only on one condition. Again the
depand for an unconditional surren-
der was made and refused. The third
time the condition was named and
granted. 1t was that a fair trial be
given Neumann before a tribunal of the
vigilantes.
The man advanced, and when with.
in a few feet of him recognized an old
friend whom he had not seen for
years. The men were delighted to
see each other, and Neumann told the
story of his disappearance on that IA
tai day. and the other promised to aid
him.
At the time the trio entered the city,
two days later, two human forms were
dangling from limb of tree q few
miles away. They were the two rob-
bers. They had been captured. had
confessed the crime at the last mo-
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