The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-09
CUNNING FOR OUTLAWS
I, Is Much Pleasanter Than Bel
Hunted by Them
Cory Tales of a Detectives Adventures
III Lonely Mountain Fasfnexses-
Desperate Men-A Lucky
Accident

For the first three years Of nv con-
lection with a Western detective
agency / was known 10 the employees
Of The agency. when known al all, as
.-ihe outlaw man" because | was as
signed 10 the duty of hunting down
outlaws and no one else
For TWO years previous 10 my start
man known as Bill Gibbs had been
ouflawed in Arkansas He was a rob
ber and murderer. had a price set upon
rs head. and had taken refuge in the
Boston mountains, and from his lair
5rted ali authority of law. He was a
Terror 10 a large district and the plan
10 gel rid of him was discussed and ar
ranged like an ordinary business trans
action.
What sum in cash will your agency
-ase 10 hunt down and kill Bill Gibbss-'
WAS The query
We viii do il for - dollars"
All right; go ahead
When the preliminaries had been ar
rhnced with the committee was cal led
IN for orders
"Yon will proceed TO Huntsville
Ark.. and from thence locate Gibbs
% moi attempt 10 take The prisoner
! The whole State wants him killed
Iske yonr time and build your own
plans bu1 do not return until you have
disposed OF him.
nj -
Vile. but ! franped over the country
between thai Town and the base of the
rsDge for a Week before / secured ANY
definite information regarding Gibbs.
Every farmer knew him. and almost
every one paid him q tribute. but such
49, the fear OF his vengeance thai only
I'll occasional person dared admit hav-
l1g seen him He was described to me
= man OF forty. very powerful and
vlndic1ive, and OF a natural blood
thirsty disposition I found several
negroes who had an ear slashed of by
him. and half a dozen white men who
Lad been shot al or otherwise intimi-
dated. II was two weeks before / got
4nI Information of direct valne
hen stumbled upon a negro sQuaIter
Oh : trail in the woods, and had
hin covered with my rife be
lore he knew of my presence By
threatening and eoaxing and bribing
! Induced him 10 yield up the In
formation ! was after He was then
three miles from his cabin and on his
way 10 Huntsville 10 procure supplies
tor Gibbs He had a bundle of coon
and fox skins. which he was to ex-
change for coffee, crackers, powder
ano Jead- He had been a compulsory
agent Tor year and such was his fear
OF the outlaw that when / brought the
nuzzle OF my cooked rife down TO
within 1 foot OF his breast and threat
e1ad 10 fire he walled out
You kin dun kill me, mars white
nan. but Tze afraid of Mars Gibbs
ii Dc same
''lbhs Was TO wait al the negro cabin
uul- The owners return. / ordered
hin 10 go forward and say nothing to
a1y living soul about meeting me. and
Wien he Lad disappeared started for
i17 cabin ] had no idea that the OUT
-aW would remain in the hut or close
10 Il While he probably trusted the
negro 3 much as he trusted any hu-
Dan being his outlaw life would
render him suspicious of every body,
a1a IL would take no chances / rea-
so1ao thai he would quit the cabin As
soon a. he had obtained q bite to eat.
Ano that he would go into hiding al
some point from which he could OBJ
lA-n u view Therefore, when within
mile OF The spot / made a circuit TO
he fl9hi and came out mile or more
10 lie south OF the little clearing. ]
-ulno Thai a ravine led down from the
mountain In The direction of the cabin.
sno aJler an hours search I'D ard down
o-ecoTef'ed evidences that some one
La lfaFersed ii but recently The out
-aT had come down from his lair br
lis gloomy trail. and he would doubt
-7ss retarn by IT.
Mel Inc negro about nine o'clock
Il he morning He would have time
~ 20 his trading and return by four or
-Fe II the afternoon Gibbs might go
y On An expedition after receiving his
s-9pnes- bu1 The chances were thai he
YOU'D al once return TO his lair.
-e-loWed The rayine back TO a point
were II narrowed 10 a width of six or
7snl ieeL and where the path was In
97nl-darkness eren ax high Dnnn and
mare prepared my trap Had 1 mee
II lace 10 face could have shot him
on could not lie In ambush and do
- outlaw though he was 1t WAS too
-Seh ike murder Inside of N hour
1aa ny rife set as a spring gun, to
discharged as the mans legs pressed
-la4l cord running across the path.
11 Ihen 1 retired to thick clump Of
s-o7s about forty rods away. and vent
camp 10 await results If my
0l-on seems cold blOoded let the reader
H0one- | had in my pocket list Of
0en whom Gibbs had killed In
-1 blood and the names Of = dozen